Pick or finger...

[mad]

No, it's not a personal question!

What do you use and why? Both? Preferred method?

mad

[Nightwolf]

Picks are for Guitars, that's why they call them Guitar picks.   I'm sure some say they use picks for tonal differences, but if you use them for speed, that's cheating.

Just my opinion, I could be wrong

[john]

Well they do give more attack on the sound. I prefer the nice round tone you get on a bass when you use your fingers...

On the guitar I do use a soft pick for acoustic strumming, but for lead I use a stone!

Cheers

John

[Didier]

I was always arging with my first bassist, because he only used fingers

Both are valids but pick is not only for cheating.

It allows you to have that "up and down" (not really sure how you call that in English) rythm and sound, that you can only obtain with a pick.

For me it's different techniques, both useful, and to be used according to a particular song, or even part of a song.

Just my 2 cents.

Didier

[Nightwolf]

To clarify my "Cheating" statement, it is only cheating in my eyes if you use a pick to get speed you could not acheive any other way, using it to get a different sound is ok with me. I don't make the rules, I just have opinions

[Didier]

I don't make the rules, I just have opinions

So do we have all

Didier

[mad]

That's what it's all about...

mad

[Steve]

I once played bass in a couple of bands and I used both. SOmetimes you just cant get the right sound with your fingers, too mellow not enough attack.

[Guest olggu]

I once played bass in a couple of bands and I used both. SOmetimes you just cant get the right sound with your fingers, too mellow not enough attack.

And I think the fact is that you should learn all the techniques if you want to play with a band; meaning that it's more like music style related thing than how you like to play...Think about AC/DC for an example; you dont get the same feeling with that shit if bassist do some slapping and popping for the backroud of "THUNDERRR", or how about Marcus Miller playing "panther" using coin for the  pick

[Rudi]

I no longer (personally) know any bassists that use fingers, even accomplished players that were dedicated to finger style now use picks.

All of them endorse what has been said here, its for the sound (and definition) not technical reasons.

Many pro players have made that change too, Phil Lesh being an obvious example. Offhand I can only recall Conrad Lozano as keeping the faith as a finger stylist / purist.

I wish the bassist in my band would give up picks, or at least give up using MY picks.

[Guest]

No, it's not a personal question!

What do you use and why? Both? Preferred method?

mad

Well.... THERE's a good question... allthough just WHO uses PICKS to play BASS these days, anyway, AS... it is ALL in the FINGERS!!!??!!?!?!?!?!?

I guess You COULD use a PICK, to get a specific SOUND you're after, but these days, NOBODY uses a pick anymore, so it's a "dying breed" at best....

Well.... what the hell... When I played the BASS in my Youth I only used my fingers and I have some professional bassists as friends and they all say picks are for EX - guitarists not willing to learn a new style in playing... and after some thought I have to agree!

So.... cheerio, boyze, and C-ya around!

H.H.  

[Steve]

I have some professional bassists as friends and they all say picks are for EX - guitarists not willing to learn a new style in playing..

H. You're a misinformed heathanistic old fart! I know a few professional bass players capable of playing with or without a pick. To play with a pick is just another style!

Mark Knopfler doesn't use a pick to play guitar, does that make him a crap guitar player?  

[Guest olggu]

H. You're a misinformed heathanistic old fart! I know a few professional bass players capable of playing with or without a pick. To play with a pick is just another style!

You are so right...On the other hand, you get very similair attack if you have a good fingernails, and that is how many of those guys do that. Like that Strandberg-dude; I was looking he's live demo and notice how he change style for the chorus part of that piece; First he was slapping and popping like a madman, and for the chorus he just put his thumb and indexfinger against each other (like when you are holding a pick with thumb and indexfinger), take a "RockStar"-stand and start pounding a way like you do when you play rhythm-guitar, up and down across the strings of he's five string MTB-bass, just using he's fingernails for the pick...Great show, great piece of music and outstanding player with great sense of humour

[Steve]

(like when you are holding a pick with thumb and indexfinger), take a "RockStar"-stand and start pounding a way

Bloody Hell! The dude must be sniffing calcium by the bucket load!!      

[Rudi]

You fellers have inspired me. Im going to play a whole gig soon without a pick. Ive already got the hand lotion and will be lubing the nails daily.

[Guest olggu]

Bloody Hell! The dude must be sniffing calcium by the bucket load!!      

Just practice all your spare time something like 20 years, and there you are, with heavy duty fingernails...

[Rudi]

Actually, once you have acquired the technique, fingerpicking is one hell of a lot easier.

The problem is fingernails, they just wear down (& break). Olggu was quite wrong, you are either blessed with strong nails or you aint!

[thelevellers]

As far as guitar is concerned I love both and if I drop my pick end up using both in one song!

For bass it depends what I'm playing really... Mostly I prefer finger bass, it's more fun (IMO) and sounds better for most of the stuff I play/write, but every now and then I need a bit of punk in my life... Also I tend to have too short nails to 'scratch' so I have to use a pick for songs that have scratching... :S Sadness, I don't like this forum anymore! It makes me want my bass dammit!!

Rohan

*plays bass riffs on his guitar*