Playing Bass With A Plectrum

[Jules]

I prefer to play bass with a plectrum because it makes it sound louder, and in my opinion, gives it a cleaner sound. Is that acceptable? Is it really that big a deal? Will I be looked down upon for using a plectrum?

Sorry if the answer's simple - I'm just curious for opinions. I know of quite a few bassists that play with plectrums, but I've always been told to use my fingers.

[thelevellers]

Fingers sounds way better for everything but punk.

It's smoother, and cooler, and you can play faster over multiple strings with your fingers... If you want more volume, turn it up! Just go listen to some of this guy.

Lol.

Personally I enjoy playing bass with my fingers more anyway, just feels better/more fun.

[Jules]

Fingers sounds way better for everything but punk.

It's smoother, and cooler, and you can play faster over multiple strings with your fingers... If you want more volume, turn it up! Just go listen to some of this guy.

Lol.

Personally I enjoy playing bass with my fingers more anyway, just feels better/more fun.

Hm - I find it faster with a plectrum, and less chance of making mistakes.

It might be because I learned on a plectrum and started using my fingers later - that I'm used to using a plectrum now.

I play quite a lot of Sex Pistols/Blink stuff anyway, were it definitely sounds better with a plectrum, but even bands like The Beatles and Nirvana, I find the plectrum increases the sound?

Might just be preference.

[thelevellers]

It does increase the sound, but like I say, just turn it up if you want volume...

When you say faster, do you mean like single note fast? Cause that might be true, but how about playing riffs that cover several strings at high speed? Personally I find it easier to go fast like that using my fingers, I find the pick gets in the way... If you mostly play punk then that's cool, but I would seriously advise learning to use your fingers too, even just as a skill expansion (I found my overall playing got better after learning to finger pick properly, even tho I don't finger pick very often even now...)

Realistically it does come down to personal preference, but my preference is right!

Though if you look at the best bassists around, they all avoid picks... (I'm thinking Les Claypool, Victor Wooten, Flea from chilis, erm, I'm not that hot on bassist names tbh! lol)

[thelevellers]

Anyone else got an opinion on this?!

[Steve]

When I used to play Bass in the band, I would generally use my fingers. But there were one or two occasions when a plectrum was called for! Does anybody notice from listening to a recording if a plectrum or fingers are being used?

[john]

Hey

Have to say i was mainly a finger player, though I did dabble in some plectrum work. I'm mainly a guitarist so I lacked the callouses on my right hand, which I noticed mainly if there had been a long time between bass playing sessions.

I don't have access to a bass right now, I really should get one.

Cheers

John

[Lazz]

Does anybody notice from listening to a recording if a plectrum or fingers are being used?

Only sometimes.

But who cares as long as it works ?

[Prometheus]

I prefer to play bass with a plectrum because it makes it sound louder, and in my opinion, gives it a cleaner sound. Is that acceptable? Is it really that big a deal? Will I be looked down upon for using a plectrum?

Sorry if the answer's simple - I'm just curious for opinions. I know of quite a few bassists that play with plectrums, but I've always been told to use my fingers.

Whatever works for you... You get a sharper attack and clearer sound with a plectrum, but you lose some of the warmth you get playing with fingers, and certainly for me personally I can play much faster with fingers...

On the guitar on the other hand I can't play worth a damn without a plectrum...

[Prometheus]

Though if you look at the best bassists around, they all avoid picks... (I'm thinking Les Claypool, Victor Wooten, Flea from chilis, erm, I'm not that hot on bassist names tbh! lol)

Just to bore you with a counter example, John Entwistle, one of the early legends on the electric base, sometimes used a plectrum...

[Nick]

Depends on what you are playing I play with fingers on some things and use a pick on others. Different sound to both and different things you can do. I probably play more with fingers than plectrum on balance.

Got a wonderful blood blister on my middle finger from overdoing it playing for three and a bit hours on Sunday which has just stopped being really sore and is now just tolerably sore. Playing till your fingers bleed is probably not recommended but I didn't notice until after one of the tunes.

[Mazrocon]

Does anyone call it a guitar pick anymore? I've never even heard it being called a plectrum. Anyways back to subject. I never heard of a bass being played with a pick, I don't play bass or guitar but my friend does. We both agree that playing with a pick is distracting and tedious. Better using your nails.

~TIMOTHY~

[Nick]

Nails! You must either have amazingly strong nails, play at an incredibly high volume or stroke the strings really gently.

Half an hour of me playing bass completely wrecks my nails as the strings just wear them away. Continual battle between growing them to play acoustic and wearing then away playing bass. I play mostly with the pads of my first three fingers (plus a bit of thumb especially when playing chords and occasionally the little finger)

Edited June 4, 2008 by Nick

[Chokai]

I always used both depending on what sound i am after. Funk certainly has to be fingers due to the contstant changes in notes plus the fact you'll need to pull at the strings occassionally.

Driving, more repeatative basslines Ill tend to use a pick.

Dont worry about convention.

[Nightwolf]

Nick and Chokia nailed it IMHO

It's clear from the discussion that most realize that it changes the sound and for most people who don't play Bass on a regular basis, yes PICKS makes you faster/smoother/more accurate. Used for that reason makes it a shortcut to practicing and acquiring the skills to play with your fingers. I'm not a fan of that. A lot of skilled Bassist do use the pick technique to alter the sound, not to cover a weakness in skill.

that's my story and I'm stickin to it

RIP

[Mazrocon]

Well with bass I can't imagine using your nails. But my friend playes his guitar with his nails all the time. To be honest using nails, your fingers or picks doesn't seem to effect the sound hardly at all. It's more so just which way is better for you rather then what sound quality it is. Cause it's all the same to me You probably can tell the difference if you're right next to the guy that's playing it but if you hear it in a record I don't think you'll notice anything.

~TIMOTHY~

[Nick]

Well with bass I can't imagine using your nails. But my friend playes his guitar with his nails all the time. To be honest using nails, your fingers or picks doesn't seem to effect the sound hardly at all. It's more so just which way is better for you rather then what sound quality it is. Cause it's all the same to me You probably can tell the difference if you're right next to the guy that's playing it but if you hear it in a record I don't think you'll notice anything.

~TIMOTHY~

I'll post a linh to a couple of acoustic things with me playing bass later - one with fingers one with a pick/plectrum/tortoise and see what you think - one's waterboys Fishermans Blues and one's Satellites (Counting Crows which I just ADORE playing bass on and overdo DRAMATICALLY )

Did you mean nails like those pointed things you hammer into walls?

I must try that

[Steve]

[Nick]

This is with fingers Satellites and is wonderfully over the top especially from about 1:50 onwards but if you can't try out things in practice when can you? Lots of bits that don't work but some that I'll use again. Only the second or third time practising/playing it so it's a work in progress. It's quite bassy as I think the recorder was perched on the bass amp.

Love playing bass with a good rhythm guitarist who drives the music - great fun.

An interesting way to play bass I came across whilst watching K T Tunstall: her bass player plays mostly plays with a pick but mostly plays with UP strokes rather than down strokes which is something I had never really come across before (for example in Suddenly I See which helps gives it it's particular sound). It gives an interesting sound and is different to fingers or a pick played predominantly down. Stanley Clarke used to be a hero of mine a long time and played with fingers; Jaco Pastorius was just the best and got a lot of his unique sound because of the way he played with his fingers. It DOES make a huge difference.

Edited June 5, 2008 by Nick

[Roflcopter]

Jaco Pastorius was just the best and got a lot of his unique sound because of the way he played with his fingers. It DOES make a huge difference.

For those of you that maybe think - err...who?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=RdY-KAmj5fU