# Picks Vs. Fingers



## swayman (Apr 8, 2010)

So we could all name plenty of players that use either fingers or picks, but what's the general consensus out there on what on the main for heavy music sounds better?

Using a pick has my vote, I love the attack.


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## Hosenbugler (Apr 8, 2010)

Any good bass player should be proficient with both techniques.


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## Origin (Apr 8, 2010)

I like fingers, takes a long time to train to keep speed on fast shit but I think it's worth it for the tone and playing it like it was intended


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## Ruins (Apr 8, 2010)

Hosenbugler said:


> Any good bass player should be proficient with both techniques.


this.

"what on the main for heavy music sounds better?" It is a matter of personal taste.
good sound has alot todo with the player him self and his knowledge of what he does and can do.


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## SnowfaLL (Apr 8, 2010)

I use my fingers altho Im only 1 year into bass (and significantly cutting back to get back into Guitar shape) so im not that good. For any metal, I use a pick but only because im not fast enough with my fingers.

I think fingers just gives better tone, more versatile and etc. Picks on bass sound weird to me. But then again I mostly listen to funk/fusion, esp when it comes to bass playing.


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## sami (Apr 8, 2010)

I mostly use picking because my band's music is fast most of the time. I'm trying to get to where I don't use a pick at all, but that's going to take awhile!!


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## SD83 (Apr 8, 2010)

I tried to use a pick a few times... it works great on open strings, but everything else = fail. I might try to learn it once more once I got my new bass & less string action.


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## Necris (Apr 8, 2010)

I use my fingers more often than not. The pick works it's way out of my hands when I try using one on bass. Although I'm much faster with the pick when I'm not dropping it I still like the sound of fingers better overall.


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## TemjinStrife (Apr 8, 2010)

Depends on the song and sound you're going for. Pick gives a very different 'feel' and tonal response than fingers.


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## Demeyes (Apr 8, 2010)

For tighter metal stuff I tend to prefer the pick because I find it gives a more defined tone with clearer attack. I prefer playing with my fingers though, and you can't beat the tone out of it for most stuff. I think any bassist that shuns one or the other though is being a bit short sighted, both are useful to know.


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## TomAwesome (Apr 8, 2010)

I prefer to use my fingers 99% of the time, but sometimes I just need that pick attack.


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## SargeantVomit (Apr 8, 2010)

Depends on the genre. Playing punk/metal/faster music just screams for a pick IMO, even though I know a lot of guys use their fingers. You can't get clanky tone without it and that's the sound I like for certain bands I've been in. 

On the other side, I've been in lots of other kinds of bands, I would never play any other genre with a pick. Even when I'm doing sludge and stuff I use fingers. Clanky tone doesn't work in every situation.


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## Waelstrum (Apr 8, 2010)

I use fingers. I play guitar as well, and the string spacing on a bass makes it too hard to use a pick. I also use fingers because I play touch style on bass a lot, and I like to switch between them easily.


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## Brendan G (Apr 8, 2010)

Except for the very few times I dick around on my bass with a pick, I use my fingers. That's just how I learned how to play bass, and I see no reason for me to play with a pick. I've never needed the attack nor have I found anything that would be easier for me to play with a pick.


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## sami (Apr 8, 2010)

Man, I shoulda voted pick.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Apr 8, 2010)

TemjinStrife said:


> Depends on the song and sound you're going for. Pick gives a very different 'feel' and tonal response than fingers.


 
 You can various different tones when alternating with either a pick or fingers. I tend to do both. That and add hybrid picking, slapping and tapping to the mix and the sky's the limit.


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## velvetkevorkian (Apr 8, 2010)

Fingers all the way for me. I find pick playing incredibly awkward, and I can get close enough to the pick tone when needed that I don't feel any need to change that. Obviously YMMV.


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## big sal cbk (Apr 9, 2010)

Hosenbugler said:


> Any good bass player should be proficient with both techniques.


have to disagree, everyone has their own style of playing and there is bass players who stick to just pick or fingers who sound amazing playing the one style. i dont believe profiency means you have to do it all.

personally i'd play with my fingers because thats the style i love playing but i do love to hear a good pick attack from certain players.


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## skeletor88 (Apr 9, 2010)

If you doubt fingers can't be as tight or as fast as a pick I suggest you listen to Blotted Science, then turn off all the lights in your house, light some candles and start building your shrine to Alex Webster.


I do agree that being skilled in both pick playing and fingerstyle is a good thing to have down as a bass player.


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## 7deadlysins666 (Apr 9, 2010)

skeletor88 said:


> If you doubt fingers can't be as tight or as fast as a pick I suggest you listen to Blotted Science, then turn off all the lights in your house, light some candles and start building your shrine to Alex Webster.
> 
> 
> I do agree that being skilled in both pick playing and fingerstyle is a good thing to have down as a bass player.


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## XeoFLCL (Apr 9, 2010)

On a normal basses I use fingers or a pick, depending on what I'm playing.

However on my Agile Argus, I use a pick. It's alot more difficult to play fingerstyle on it due to the guitar string spacing..


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## Phlegethon (Apr 9, 2010)

I think that as long as you can achieve what your musical and tonal goals are then what you play with is completely irrelevant. 

however there are a couple of things I'd add: playing without a pick has it's advantages with certain styles (anything requiring a deep punchy tone), and using a pick also has advantages with certain styles (anything that requires an instantly responding sound). I'm generalizing a bit in the above statement but it's to make the point make sense 

the other thing is that if you're going to play a bass with a pick, don't use anything thin. . . . it won't be strong enough to move the string with enough force to get a decent tone out of it IMO 

with that being said I tend to play using my fingers more often than not. . .I have a hard enough time remembering where my picks are and already need them to play my guitars. would like to not rely on them when I grab my bass LOL


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## Phlegethon (Apr 9, 2010)

I think that as long as you can achieve what your musical and tonal goals are then what you play with is completely irrelevant. 

however there are a couple of things I'd add: playing without a pick has it's advantages with certain styles (anything requiring a deep punchy tone), and using a pick also has advantages with certain styles (anything that requires an instantly responding sound). I'm generalizing a bit in the above statement but it's to make the point make sense 

the other thing is that if you're going to play a bass with a pick, don't use anything thin. . . . it won't be strong enough to move the string with enough force to get a decent tone out of it IMO 

with that being said I tend to play using my fingers more often than not. . .I have a hard enough time remembering where my picks are and already need them to play my guitars. would like to not rely on them when I grab my bass LOL


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## All_¥our_Bass (Apr 9, 2010)

I will use both but I greatly prefer picks for what I do, as I'm all about bringing out all of the percussive sounds that the electric bass produces-especially a bright initial attack, which I really can't get with fingers, no matter what I do, plus I'm more comfortable with a pick.


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## EvolDerek (Apr 11, 2010)

I feel like I am playing electric guitar when I play with a pick, which I dont like, I have been playing with my fingers the last month or so and am getting pretty fast. I just incorporated the 3 finger technique to get faster.

nevertheless, i am not against a pick, Mike Gordon, Anthony Jackson...etc all use a pick. and I dig them guys alot.


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## Harry (Apr 11, 2010)

I prefer to use picks because of the attack, but I like to use fingers as well


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## nhersom (Apr 11, 2010)

I prefer to use fingers because of the smoothness of the tone. The bassist from Obscura plays finger style and he is insanly fast.


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## Nats (Apr 12, 2010)

fingers 99.9% of the time. i like the sound. but using a pick has its moments every now and then


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## Våd Hamster (Apr 13, 2010)

Fingers only. Pick attack sounds shitty on a fretless


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## ZachTheRipper (Apr 25, 2010)

I play in a post-hardcore band in the same vein as the Fall of Troy, I generally use a pick for our stuff. But if I'm learning a song by someone else I'll attempt to use the same technique they use.


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## the unbearable (May 3, 2010)

both. simultaneously. hybrid pickers represent!


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## bassbenj (May 5, 2010)

Harry said:


> I prefer to use picks because of the attack, but I like to use fingers as well



Same here. Picks give a hard attack that is hard to get finger style. But finger style give much more subtle control over your sound. Which is why I do both rather than just EQing out the attack to get a finger sound as some pick-only players do. It's your instrument so you ought to learn all the ways to get useful tone out of it! 

I have a lot of different picks for different sounds, but mostly I use those large triangular Fender picks in heavy or medium. I also like them for guitar (bottleneck reso) and there I choose medium or light.


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## iondestroyer1527 (May 6, 2010)

ask the bassist from cryptopsy haha...i don't play bass but when i do i like to use my fingers, i just think it's way more fun and i feel you can do more and have an easier time attempting crazier things. when my buddy and i used to be roomates i would always learn to play a technical guitar part on the bass and it made me better at it on guitar cause the guitar was easier. then i would teach him the part afterwards!


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## Varcolac (May 6, 2010)

I use both. Fingerstyle I use two fingers and floating thumb, so I just palm the pick under my remaining digits until I need it again.

It's a bit like drum triggers. Sounds really good on the heavy bits, but when you're in a quiet passage you don't really need a great big clicky attack.


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## Sepultorture (May 6, 2010)

pick on bass i can do easily, i just prefer finger picking cus it's quite challenging


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## AliceAxe (May 30, 2010)

I love the bass for the fun of playing it with fingers, the pick seems limiting to me , playing with fingers just seems more fun being able to slap and pop the strings and such, to me thats a big part of the charm of the instrument.


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## vampiregenocide (May 30, 2010)

For metal music, generally using a pick is better because you have better attack and sharper tone whereas with fingers its generally smoother and a lot harder to do fast plucking. I mean some bass players do fast shit witht heir fingers really well, but I thinkf or fast stuff a pick is better and for grooves fingers.


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## misingonestring (Jun 2, 2010)

I like fingerstyle playing, Most bass players I respect were Fingerstylers. I think it just sounds better then the punchier sound of the pick.


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## 777timesgod (Jun 3, 2010)

I can play pretty much any fast song on guitar but when it comes to bass I cant play fast with the fingers. I'd like to start playing bass as an extra instrument but I am concerned about how long it will take to play fast with fingers and if it will affect my guitar playing pick style. 

Then again so many bass players use a pick but I dont know any virtuosos that use a pick (for example origins bassist and alex webster are both my favourite bassists but use fingers). Can anyone name a few killer bassists that use picks fellas?


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## BrutalExorcist (Jun 3, 2010)

777timesgod said:


> I can play pretty much any fast song on guitar but when it comes to bass I cant play fast with the fingers. I'd like to start playing bass as an extra instrument but I am concerned about how long it will take to play fast with fingers and if it will affect my guitar playing pick style.
> 
> Then again so many bass players use a pick but I dont know any virtuosos that use a pick (for example origins bassist and alex webster are both my favourite bassists but use fingers). Can anyone name a few killer bassists that use picks fellas?









Also, one more Matt Freeman video, this is awesome pocket playing IMHO.



These certainly aren't the the only three either.


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## TemjinStrife (Jun 3, 2010)

Jack Bruce and John Paul Jones have been known to use picks on occasion.


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## Varcolac (Jun 3, 2010)

John Entwistle, while not busy inventing growling vocals or contributing to Pete Townsend's hearing loss, was known to occasionally play bass with a pick.


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## 777timesgod (Jun 4, 2010)

Nice videos, thanks man. They dont sound as good as when people are soloing with fingers. I understand the difference in sound etc etc

I guess I'll have to go the hard way on this one. Tried a 5 string bass today and it was quite nice with the finger picking, felt more comfortable than with a 4 string. Maybe its the width of the neck that got me down before.


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## BrutalExorcist (Jun 4, 2010)

Cool, sounds like a plan.


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## Rogueleader (Jun 4, 2010)

I prefer fingers from a fell standpoint.

I was mainly a bass player but now that I've switched to guitar my finger technique just isn't up to par. Theres some fast stuff where using a pick is much more precise.


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## josh pelican (Jun 4, 2010)

I will be one of the many people to say it depends on the genre. Personally, I use my fingers a lot more though. I mainly use three, but can use four from time to time.

Some genres just sound better with a pick (powerviolence with tube fuzz, for example).


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## Excalibur (Jun 11, 2010)

Fingers all the way!

The chicks dig it.


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## blister7321 (Jun 11, 2010)

i use both pending the type of song im playing

i primarily play as a punk bassist so i use a pick for faster songs with alot of attitude for slower ones i use da fingers
and i suck at slappin


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## Steve08 (Jun 12, 2010)

Fingers are just generally more advantageous, in my opinion... you can get the heavy sound with fingers too, see messrs Webster and Martinie.

But hey, just my take 



777timesgod said:


> I can play pretty much any fast song on guitar but when it comes to bass I cant play fast with the fingers. I'd like to start playing bass as an extra instrument but I am concerned about how long it will take to play fast with fingers and if it will affect my guitar playing pick style.
> 
> Then again so many bass players use a pick but I dont know any virtuosos that use a pick (for example origins bassist and alex webster are both my favourite bassists but use fingers). Can anyone name a few killer bassists that use picks fellas?


Check out Carol Kaye, Steve Swallow, and Carles Benavent, for heavier stuff Jim Sheppard, Sean Beasley, and Colin Marston, and for the less brutal but more experimental metal, Jeff Caxide, Bryan Herweg, Brian Cook and Justin Chancellor.

edit: Oh yeah, how could I forget, Chris Squire anyone?


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## nobu (Jun 13, 2010)

I use to play with finger, but it doesn't means that i hate bass playing with pick =D


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## BrutalExorcist (Jun 13, 2010)

Steve08 said:


> Check out...*Steve Swallow*...



YES!!! +100


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## MetalBuddah (Jun 29, 2010)

Fingers the majority of the time. I love the tone that fingers give to the bass


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## Powermetalbass (Jul 10, 2010)

Fingers is the only way to go. Someone who uses a pick is focusing too much on how a bass looks,and is played like a guitar. Then theres those poser bassists who just couldn't make it as a guitarist.


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## TheAceOfSpades1 (Jul 10, 2010)

Powermetalbass said:


> Fingers is the only way to go. Someone who uses a pick is focusing too much on how a bass looks,and is played like a guitar. Then theres those poser bassists who just couldn't make it as a guitarist.



I don't understand how using a pick has anything to do with how a bass looks. 

I like to use both depending on the situation and what kind of tone I'm after. Sometimes I might use a pick and then in the middle of the song I'll then place the pick in my mouth to open up my fingers for something that requires more than one or two fingers on my right hand to execute (such as tapping).


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## etcetera (Jul 10, 2010)

Powermetalbass said:


> Someone who uses a pick is focusing too much on how a bass looks,and is played like a guitar.


Or just, you know, prefers the sound of a pick.


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## punisher911 (Jul 10, 2010)

sound of the pick +1


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## thefpb2 (Jul 13, 2010)

nothing wrong with a pick, the standard that it should be played with fingers is artificial and arbitrary. Use you feet if you want and it gets the sound you desire.


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## BrutalExorcist (Jul 13, 2010)

Excellent points on the above four posts!

[edit:] rather than explain any more points than what's already been stated, I'll just add this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgmVPIRY81M

Jazz legend playing electric bass with a pick. I highly doubt he's a poser of any sort, nor does he probably care about looks.


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## Powermetalbass (Jul 14, 2011)

Been off the boards for a while. My point way back is that many people look at a bass and see a 4 string low sounding guitar. The bass was originally a huge stand up baritone instrument played with your fingers. Kinda like comparing a citar, a guitar and a Mandolin to each other. They are 3 different instruments intended to be played differently. People see the modern bass and think of it as stated above.

I have no problem with Pick playing by other bassists, I just think too many people see bass guitar and think guitar with less strings played with a pick (which is why there is a tendedncy for people to believe bassists are just failed guitarists)


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## MF_Kitten (Jul 14, 2011)

i use my fingers when i want a bright and ringing sound with lots of attack, but fingers when i want a soft and airy sound. depends on what i'm playing. In general i'll use a pick, and fingers are more for the quieter or more nuanced parts here and there.


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## SirMyghin (Jul 14, 2011)

I hate the sound of picks on a bass. Too scratchy. I have used a pick a handful of times in my 10 years on bass.


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## Powermetalbass (Jul 14, 2011)

My thoughts on the pick vs fingers is I can get more of a *thud* sound (which is what I like) and I can get more speed (2 fingers = 1 pick when used both on the down and up stroke, 3 fingers = faster then a pick) MHO.


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## chronocide (Jul 14, 2011)

If you think one or the other is _right_ then you're a fucking idiot. Let's just get that out of the way.

Different approaches for different applications. And if you think it sounds right, it is right.




Powermetalbass said:


> Been off the boards for a while. My point way back is that many people look at a bass and see a 4 string low sounding guitar. The bass was originally a huge stand up baritone instrument played with your fingers. Kinda like comparing a citar, a guitar and a Mandolin to each other. They are 3 different instruments intended to be played differently. People see the modern bass and think of it as stated above.



On this point, well, it's a bit daft. 

A traditional electric bass IS a lower tuned, four string electric guitar. There is a far, far, far bigger difference between a sitar and a guitar and a mandolin, or indeed between a double bass and a classical guitar than there is between an electric bass and an electric guitar. It's a bizarre example and an incorrect comparison.

An electric guitar is a solidbody, electrified version of an acoustic guitar. An electric bass is a solid body, electric version of an acoustic bass. It _is not_ a solidbody, electric version of a double bass.

There's no point in getting precious about something so totally arbitrary because you feel the instrument is due more respect than you feel it deserves.


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## R0ADK1LL (Jul 16, 2011)

Pick playing definitely gives a certain sound that you can't truely replicate playing fingerstyle. But more importantly, I notice bass lines written by pickers tend to follow different fret patterns (note progression?). I mainly notice this 'cause I don't play with a pick. I've picked up guitar recently & my picking skills are still pretty shaky there & I have no ambition to improve my picking skills on bass after playing for well over a decade.

Examples that jump to mind are Money by Pink Floyd, a sweet bass line that just doesn't sound good played fingerstyle & is more difficult than necessary if you try. The main riff to Schism by Tool sounds fine fingerstyle, whereas 46 & 2 just sounds wrong so I strum with my fingernail as if I was holding a pick, a pretty similar sounding technique I use alot for metal/hard rock but not too acurate for shredding over alot of strings & doesn't really work for an upstrum.

The band I'm in decided to cover Feel Good Drag by Anberlin recently (not super heavy, I know) which has a pretty cool bass line in the verse. Fingerstyle just doesn't really capture the right sound, so I strum with the tip of my thumb, kind of a bastardised version of what Larry Graham or Victor Wooten does. Sounds alright & I'd rather work on that technique than picking.

Call me a pick hater if you like, but alot of pickers are just guitarists who have picked up a bass & don't really _get_ the intrument. Sure, there are some great pickers out there, but most who pick *only* are pretty average bassists. They are a guitarist who plays bass. Much the same as I am a bassist who plays guitar & claims no great skill at it.

I reckon picking is just another technique in a bassist's repertoire, it's there for a certain sound when you want it, but you should in no way limit yourself to it. There are a few standout basslines that feature picking, but by & large I don't like the sound for most applications. If you're picking just to play fast & not for the sound you want, you should probably spend some hours working on your finger speed.

Hopefully I've offended someone out there, but more importantly offered some alternatives to the evil pick. Other than growing a crazy thumbnail, I can't think of any others, but feel free to add to the list/flame me for my ignorant opinions.


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## SirMyghin (Jul 16, 2011)

You were doing fine until you broke out your accusations accompanied with pick hating. There are no wrong ways to play an instrument. Chris Squire (Yes) plays with a pick, and I definitely wouldn't lump him in 'guitarists playing bass' or an average bassist by any means. I am sure there are many others but he is rather prominent. I can do all the styles you have listed, generally for strumming I take a more flamenco approach though, over mimicing a pick like Knopfler with thumb and finger. Using tip or nail with finger style (angle of attack) can also make a world of difference in timbre.

I kind of figured this site would be relatively exempt to elitist nonsense like 'you are doing it wrong' considering ERGs in and of themselves are rather experimental. However it looks like Talk bass is taking vacation lately in this thread


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## Deadnightshade (Jul 16, 2011)

Aren't there a couple of picks that are supposed to be nearer to the finger sound?I think there used to be a special dunlop pick for this purpose.I can't find it in the site now though.Also felt picks?

Sounds like a good compromise for someone that has to play really fast,or a guitarist that just needs to put some bass in his mix without having to devote lots of time to develop stiff 3-finger technique or generally play something way simpler than what an average bassist would do


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## SirMyghin (Jul 17, 2011)

Felt picks, often used on uke's as I understand get very close Deadnightshade, you are correct.


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## Explorer (Jul 17, 2011)

Felt picks definitely get rid of the sharp pick attack noise. I use them a lot on autoharp.

Yes, I said autoharp. 

*laugh*

----

Wasn't the original loud bass instrument the serpent?







So, really, if one were getting back to one's roots in terms of holding down the low end, one should be looking more towards one's breath technique, neh?


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## R0ADK1LL (Aug 4, 2011)

Yuss! Insulted for my idiotic elitist opinions again!
Apparently I am both.

You could list a bunch of great pickers, but the point is that they are the exception to the rule. _Most_ who pick _only_ are pretty average bassists. I'll stand by that statement.

Bassists who only pick don't choose the sound because it suits the song, they choose it because it's all they have. Occasionally it's a very good sound. Just like 'one hit wonder' bands who have the same sound for a whole album & one song happens to really work & get them some airplay. A band who has one great song is not necessarily a great band & a bassist who can only play a limited range of styles is likely not a great bassist.

I personally don't learn to pick because I just can't see any way it fits into _my sound_. I have ways of doing similar sounds as I've said above, so that I'm not too limited in my range of sounds I can make. I say sounds rather than playing styles, because that is really the main point, not how it looks but how it sounds.

So am I elitist, saying picking is _doing it wrong_? I would hassle someone who only plucked with one finger, rather than walking with two or three. They are definitely doing it wrong. A one finger bassist is not a bassist, they are a person who has picked up a bass. I don't think picking is doing it wrong, I think it's more like going for a run in your business shoes because you only have one pair of shoes. Great in some situations, not all.

Anyone dare to agree with me?


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## SirMyghin (Aug 4, 2011)

Keep digging that hole chap, folks, have done well enough with one finger too. I don't personally, but there is more to the game than a bunch of notes. Jamerson wasn't a bassist by your definition you realize, and he set the bar for a lot of soul, and every measure was different. Quite the precedent, no repetition in his playing.

If you feel the need to discount players for how they choose to play, I think you need to go back and figure out what music is and why you do it. Some humulity would go a long way for you, keep in mind there are likely thousands (minimum) of players out there who could school you in technique alone. 

The bottom line is music is about expression, not technique employed. There is no wrong in music. I'll cut you a bit of slack though, as when I was a teen I was that closed minded also.


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## TemjinStrife (Aug 4, 2011)

Wasn't James Jamerson a one-finger bassist?

Kinda hard to be *more* of a true bassist than that.

EDIT: Sniped on that count! 

You're being an elitist douche. One technique does not make one more or less of a guitarist, nor does it make anyone less a bassist. Is Tommy Emmanuel any less a guitarist because he fingerpicks? Mark Knopfler? Or is Steve Vai not a guitarist because he uses a pick?

It's a pretty ridiculous argument when you break it down. It's more than possible to hold down the low end and be a bassist with a number of techniques, from finger to pick to slap. Only using one or being able to use one does not remove the fact that you play bass, therefore you are a bassist.


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## GRUNTKOR (Aug 4, 2011)

I think these guys know a thing or two about bass playing and all are pretty much exclusively pick players...


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## Tapaska (Aug 4, 2011)

Yeah, a good bassist should be familiar with any style. All pick vs. finger style just reminds me too much of youtube..


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## Necris (Aug 5, 2011)

R0ADK1LL said:


> Call me a pick hater if you like, but alot of pickers are just guitarists who have picked up a bass & don't really _get_ the intrument. Sure, there are some great pickers out there, but most who pick *only* are pretty average bassists. They are a guitarist who plays bass. Much the same as I am a bassist who plays guitar & claims no great skill at it.



And a "pretty average" fingerstyle bassist is better how? 

I play with my fingers because that is the sound that best fits the music I write. If the speed required to play a song competently was beyond what I could achieve with my fingers I would play with a pick (and pull out the metronome until I could play it with fingers too), do I suddenly not get the instrument due to a small change in how I get the sound out of it? 
As a musician I am far more worried about the quality of my performance because that's what really matters.

Reject the term Elitist if you like but it describes you perfectly.


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## R0ADK1LL (Aug 9, 2011)

SirMyghin said:


> Keep digging that hole chap, folks, have done well enough with one finger too. I don't personally, but there is more to the game than a bunch of notes. Jamerson wasn't a bassist by your definition you realize, and he set the bar for a lot of soul, and every measure was different. Quite the precedent, no repetition in his playing.
> 
> If you feel the need to discount players for how they choose to play, I think you need to go back and figure out what music is and why you do it. Some humulity would go a long way for you, keep in mind there are likely thousands (minimum) of players out there who could school you in technique alone.
> 
> The bottom line is music is about expression, not technique employed. There is no wrong in music. I'll cut you a bit of slack though, as when I was a teen I was that closed minded also.


 
Oh yes, I love to dig. I'm probably closer to grumpy old bastard who is set in his ways than close minded teen though.

Mainly I'm sick of people being agreeable & I like a bit of healthy debate when it comes to these things.

I'll conceed that making music is making music & it doesn't matter how it's done. I'm pretty sure I've seen footage of the Chili Peppers banging pots & pans on Blood Sugar Sex Magic. However technique is technique & someone like Jamerson is another exception to the rule. Almost every one finger bassist I've seen has been someone who knows a bit about music, but bass is not their primary instrument.

I noticed in the poll that started this, that a total of zero people said they picked only, so I'm a little surprised to see how defensive everyone is of this sacred technique. I'm not adverse to trying different techniques. When I first started playing bass well over a decade ago, I picked up what ever I had lying around from coins to shells; I tried some crazy snappy plucking technique that broke far too many strings (my E string twice). I soon learned that as cool & crazy as it was to run a shell up a string with the gain turned up to maximum, that a lot of these techniques weren't that good & made a unique novelty sound, but not a sound worth using in regular song writing. Picking was another of many techniques I tried that I didn't really like for my own style. I can understand how some people would choose to add it to their repertoire, but I don't know why anyone would want to limit themself to it if they were going to play the bass on any kind of a regular basis.

If any of you have seen the doco 'Dogtown & Z Boys' or the movie 'Lords of Dogtown' about the skateboarding revolution, maybe I can use an analogy from something entirely unmusical. When skateboarding contests first started, people were doing some pretty dorky moves, coming from a background of rollerskating. Some of these moves (like headstands) required alot of skill, but you could tell they didn't really _get_ skateboarding. Then the Z Boys come along & bring their surfing background to the sport & change skateboarding forever. Now if in this day & age someone chose to do nothing but the old school tricks & never learn any newer tricks at all, you might call them good at what they do, but they would never be an amazing skateboarder on the level of Tony Hawk etc.

Lets clear this up right now, I'm not a skateboarder & never have been, but if you've seen the movie I'm sure you'll understand what I'm talking about. Picking is a throwback to the days of guitarists picking up a bass & thinking it's just a guitar with lower strings. You might argue that technically it is, but if you think that's all it is then maybe you don't _get_ the instrument either.

That one's bound to rile a few people up, but think about it a bit longer. You don't play a double bass the same way as you do a violin. There are similar techniques you can use, but primarily they have different roles. A double bass is not just a big violin. A bass drum is not just a big snare drum. A tank is not just a big car.

I'm bound to get some more hate & disdain for this if you're not sick of me yet, but I don't mind hearing some views that are different to my own. Go on, convince me.


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## Soubi7string (Aug 9, 2011)

personally I like finger more than pick


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## iron blast (Aug 10, 2011)

Live im fingers only but in studio I use a pic at different parts for the attack and clarity.


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## MassNecrophagia (Aug 10, 2011)

I"m at work right now, so I'll make this brief. I want to get out of here soon and climb into the 12-pack waiting for me at home.

Oh, and develop the techniques that work for you. Some of you may want to switch back and forth, play only with picks/fingers/coins/eachother, whatever. At the end of the day, if your technique still sucks, _you _still suck, no matter how much you _get_ anything.

These bass players that people are constantly posting pictures of and mentioning in their arguments have something in common. They figured out what technique they wanted to use/were best with, and got better.

Back to work, now.


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## Milotts (Aug 30, 2011)

this is a very interesting post as there will never be a right or wrong way to play bass, personally i am a pick player have been for many years but have recently ventured out of my comfort zone and started to learn finger, popping and slapping techniques. i love both different tonality i can get out of all 3(finger, popping and slapping) this is where the dilemma comes in, i play in a band with two guitarist using mackie hd self powered pa speakers(running axe fx's processors) trying to get the bass to cut through isnt exactly easy lol playing with a pick opposed to fingers gets the bass to cut through just that little bit more so that i and everyone else in the band can hear the bass. so whilst playing with my band i love playing with a pick but when im in my living room there are no limitations to what im playing with  ahah


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## SirMyghin (Aug 31, 2011)

Milotts you need to tell your guitarist to cut some of his bass frequencies if he wants to play readily in a band setting  Sounds like a frequency hog.


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## BucketheadRules (Aug 31, 2011)

I like to use a bit of both. I used to use a pick quite a lot, then for a while I went fingers-only. Now I've decided to use a pick again for some stuff. I'm only ever playing covers in my bedroom anyway so it doesn't matter too much sound-wise, but I split it roughly equally. I like to have the attack of a pick for some harder-edged stuff.

I use my fingers for soul and funk-based stuff (think Jamiroquai, Stevie Wonder, Jackson 5, occasionally Tower of Power if I'm feeling brave ), and most kinds of rock music, up to Iron Maiden (because I'm trying to perfect the three-finger walk)... but for faster thrash I use a pick, same goes for punk. If I'm playing Dead Kennedys or Rancid I tend to use a pick, you need a hard sound for that stuff.

tl;dr: A bit of both, because sometimes only fingers will do it and sometimes they won't cut it. All depends on what I'm playing.


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## Milotts (Aug 31, 2011)

SirMyghin said:


> Milotts you need to tell your guitarist to cut some of his bass frequencies if he wants to play readily in a band setting  Sounds like a frequency hog.


 
ahah there set around the mid range freqency lol but they play axe fx's through mackie self powered pa's (both gutiarist) and there LOUD ahah


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## davisjom (Oct 3, 2011)

I use a pick more often. simply because thats the sound im going for in my music. But i can use my fingers just as well.
but Is one better than the other? hell no!
i guess it all comes down to sound preference and what you are most comfortable playing.


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## avenger (Oct 4, 2011)

Definitely both. I don't think you can get around not using a pick for some metal stuff to get that more "focused" attack. At the same time running smooth bass lines with fingers under slower parts is pure sex!


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## Konfyouzd (Oct 4, 2011)

Fingers. I don't like the way picks feel.


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## Swedjent (Oct 5, 2011)

To me both styles has its' advantages. Personally I like to play with heavy yet defined distortion and I prefer the attack from playing with a pick. But with a non-distorted sound I kind of like the chug achieved from playing with fingers. I still play with a pick 99% of my metal time though.


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## MassNecrophagia (Oct 5, 2011)

Some of this "I use a pick specifically for attack/definition/butt-scratching, but use my figures otherwise" just blows my mind. It really surprises me that people, in 2011, believe you can only get X sound by using Y technique.


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## Swedjent (Oct 6, 2011)

Yeah, it really blows my mind how people believe that different techniques have different impact on their sound and choose technique accordingly. Oh, mankind..


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## broj15 (Oct 6, 2011)

i use both. i use picks when i need lots of attack, not definition, etc and fingers when i need a more mellow sound and , of course, for sweeps and tapping. Every good player needs to know both.


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## MassNecrophagia (Oct 6, 2011)

Swedjent said:


> Yeah, it really blows my mind how people will give up and change their technique instead of finding a way to get it to work for them.


fixed that for you.


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## Swedjent (Oct 7, 2011)

MassNecrophagia said:


> fixed that for you.


Oh my bad, seems like I forgot ignoring the laws of physics that actually means that different materials have different properties for sound. I apologize my good man.


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## Nag (Oct 10, 2011)

I'm primarily a guitarist, so... when I play bass, I use fingers if I can, and when it gets too fast/complicated, I use a pick. Combo !


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## ericsleepless (Oct 12, 2011)

I play in a Deathcore/Metal with fingers. Get all the triplets down. It's the only way to play.


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## Nag (Oct 15, 2011)

People saying "bass must be played with fingers exclusively" are a bit narrow-minded IMO. Playing with a pick and playing with fingers doesn't quite sound the same, so sometimes it even depends on the sound you want to produce. I mean, playing with a pick gives a more aggressive tone for example, that you can't reproduce using fingers. But fingerstyle has different qualities as well...


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## Speculum Speculorum (Oct 15, 2011)

I use a pick for some things, and my fingers for others. As a classically trained guitarist, I'm more than comfortable playing bass with my fingers. I really like the tone that Justin Chancellor gets, and so I also love using a pick. Love it to death.

But ah, nothing like a morning wake-up call of "Oh I must be on a forum" like the desperate troll-ery of some individuals. While you guys are at the petty arguing, why not ask a few more questions that will invariably cause endless debate?

Active or passive pickups? If Mike Tyson and Bruce Lee fought, who would win? Is Jesus better than Buddha? Who was the better composer - Bach or Mozart? Dogs or cats? Did Bush cause 9/11? Does dark matter exist? How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?


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## Nag (Oct 16, 2011)

Speculum Speculorum said:


> I use a pick for some things, and my fingers for others. As a classically trained guitarist, I'm more than comfortable playing bass with my fingers. I really like the tone that Justin Chancellor gets, and so I also love using a pick. Love it to death.
> 
> But ah, nothing like a morning wake-up call of "Oh I must be on a forum" like the desperate troll-ery of some individuals. While you guys are at the petty arguing, why not ask a few more questions that will invariably cause endless debate?
> 
> Active or passive pickups? If Mike Tyson and Bruce Lee fought, who would win? Is Jesus better than Buddha? Who was the better composer - Bach or Mozart? Dogs or cats? Did Bush cause 9/11? Does dark matter exist? How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?


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## isispelican (Nov 23, 2011)

fingers, but there are some sounds that you can only achieve by picking, like in this song :


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## Tyghor (Nov 30, 2011)

It's nice to see that i'm not the only one who is using both techniques. I play a lot of tapping / slap & pop in my solo project, so i use my finger exclusively. Same thing for my metals bands, but i also play fretless... The attack is kinda weird on a fretless bass played with a pick.

But i just love digging trought my strings with a pick on those death metal riffs, i've played almost two years with a pick before switching to fingers and i just loved the high attack tone coming out of my amp!


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## Augury (Nov 30, 2011)

I'm not a bassist but I prefer finger picking, like the sound more


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## Bronzehydra (Dec 7, 2011)

I'm a bass player so I personally prefer playing with my fingers. I can get ALL the sounds I want from it, from really round, mellow tone to extremely punchy, agressive sounds. I also do use picks for some songs in which I use distortion; to me distortion sounds better with picks haha. I feel like im fairly well rounded at bass, so I like using all the different techniques I can learn!
And personally, the people who say that Picks are better for metal, you should listen to TesseracT. Their bassist Amos Williams plays fingerstlye and slap in their music and it makes it awesome sauce 
Plus, fingerstyle has its uses elsewhere... tehehe


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## Cad P Crayon (Dec 8, 2011)

I love the feel of fingerstyle playing. There's a certain physical attachment that makes it more comfortable than having my hand floating beside the strings. But I also love grinding away with a pick at times, although I do plan to transition the songs I play with a pick to fingerstyle eventually. Has anyone tried any kind of "freestyle" technique or anything radically different, such as using a cello's or double bass' bow? I've tried a drumstick (smacking the strings vertically) a few times; the attack produced is unreal.


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## velvetkevorkian (Dec 8, 2011)

I tried a DB bow on a bass guitar at one point- it's difficult to use musically as you just end up mashing all the strings at once. 

Tony Levin marketed the drumstick idea as Funk Fingers.


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## Beowulf Von Thrashmeister (Dec 9, 2011)

Cad P Crayon said:


> I love the feel of fingerstyle playing. There's a certain physical attachment that makes it more comfortable than having my hand floating beside the strings. But I also love grinding away with a pick at times, although I do plan to transition the songs I play with a pick to fingerstyle eventually. Has anyone tried any kind of "freestyle" technique or anything radically different, such as using a cello's or double bass' bow? I've tried a drumstick (smacking the strings vertically) a few times; the attack produced is unreal.


 

That drumstick idea sounds really cool, I`ll have to try that sometime !!!.


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## Murmel (Dec 10, 2011)

Cad P Crayon said:


> I love the feel of fingerstyle playing. There's a certain physical attachment that makes it more comfortable than having my hand floating beside the strings. But I also love grinding away with a pick at times, although I do plan to transition the songs I play with a pick to fingerstyle eventually. Has anyone tried any kind of "freestyle" technique or anything radically different, such as using a cello's or double bass' bow? I've tried a drumstick (smacking the strings vertically) a few times; the attack produced is unreal.



I have tried playing with a bow. I could only play on the B and the G though, because of the radius.

The low B was fucking insane


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## 4String (Dec 17, 2011)

With the strings that I use on my standard 4 string; I find the tone of using picks to be quite terrible. I enjoy the GHS Precision Flats for a nice mellow tone and easy feel which is what I use.


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