RE: Picking Or Plucking For Bass?

[CrisisMoment]

As I oftenly seen on the videos, the long-time bassists like Duff McKagan, they uses picks to play their musics! Not only him, i've seen alot of bassist using pick also... But my friend told me, using fingers to pluck on a bass, eventually it would sounds better; is that a truth..?

Is it the problem of preference of ownself or there is something actually better from picking rather than plucking with fingers?

I'm used to plucking already, the skin of the tip of my fingers is already "hardened" after long time of playing, blistering or even bleeding heh

Sorry i always don't have a chance to ask the picking bassists about this matter

Just very curious about picking on a bass!

[rickylah]

i think fingering is damn damn cool but i always pick. youtube has some expert video abt "pick or pluck". i havent found the "right answer".

[jbarker]

well... obviously you get a different sound. if you like a sharp attack that you can't get with fingers then you'll work better with a pick. there's no 'better' method; it's just what works best for you and your band

[KeDraiv]

or u can be like me
grow nails on ur fingers so it can double up as a pick.
but of course it'll sound differently lah.
haha.

[CrisisMoment]

finger nails!? that could be hell pain if it breaks! haha

[vinestreet]

I started off with picking because it had a 'nicer' sound.

But when I started seriously learning the bass, I switched to fingering and it quickly became more natural to me then a pick. I am now 98% of the time fingering and only go to the pick on certain hard rock songs. (But i've found that playing with the tone and playing nearer to the bridge with fingers is about the same).

If you check out i dare say all the instructional videos and books out there, they all will tell you to use your fingers first, then go to the picks when you've become comfortable with fingers.

I guess it's like an auto or manual car. An auto is easier to drive but you should learn the manual too so that you can drive any car.

[EnEn]

Originally Posted by jbarker

well... obviously you get a different sound. if you like a sharp attack that you can't get with fingers then you'll work better with a pick. there's no 'better' method; it's just what works best for you and your band

+1

IMO, I feel that playing with a pick is as different from finger playing as slapping is. Its just different styles with different kind of attack, tone that is more suitable to the song/band/personal etc etc...

[KeDraiv]

Originally Posted by CrisisMoment

finger nails!? that could be hell pain if it breaks! haha

lol, nt really lah
cause they rarely break.
i've lots of calcium=]=]
haha.

but if they really break then i'll cut off all my fingernails
cause i think ur finger looks ugly/weird if there's like 1 nail short.
haha.


the best thing to do is to see which suits what.
but best if you can do both lah

[CrisisMoment]

Heh, Vine's opinion is kinda weird for me, but it do makes sense :O Learn picking and plucking? Then can play all songs just like Manual or Auto lisence

KeDraiv, i didn't know finger nails need claciums too =/ So what type of song is suitable for picking? Fast playing?

[Oqh92]

lol.. fingernails need keratin, which is a kind of protein.. same thing for ur hair too..