RE: Picking Or Plucking For Bass?

[CrisisMoment]

RE: Picking Or Plucking For Bass?

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! :mrgreen:

 

[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".

 

[jbarks]

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]

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]

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..

 

[b33r]

So what type of song is suitable for picking? Fast playing?

songs that have bass tones with the attack of a pick. the difference in tone between picking and plucking is quite obvious.

and if you think picks are the way to go for fast playing, just look at Rob Trujillo.


for me, i somehow suck at picking, so i stick to my fingers. i keep my fingernails trimmed all the time, because i find that the sound produced by my fingernails is inconsistent. so, i can't get that elusive attack unless i learn how to play with a pick.

 

[lardylard]

IMO , try to utilise both technique , plucking & picking . its gives you a different feeling when playing songs or even simple basslines . the sound of plucking and picking of a similar song is totally different .

for me , i go with both , i'll switch now and then , when it comes to a more technical bassline , i'll use plucking to cope with it . and when its a fast bassline , i'll use my pick .

just my 2 cents

 

[KeDraiv]

somehow i play faster using my fingers.
i prefer to do only downstrokes when using the pick.
haha.

and yeah,
fingernails need keratin, not calcium
LOL

 

[shinobi]

which is better? no such thing.

but electric bass was initially played with the thumb, or 2 over the top. other styles came later

for me, getting a certain kind of tone is not good enough incentive to learn different styles. to me, it's like buying a 5-stringer so that i can play low E flats.

but that's just me and my interpretation of the instrument. and that's the beauty of bass playing and music, so many people choosing to play so many different ways.

i don't like using a pick. pick playing is a technique that i never practice, and i'm totally shit at it. i'm not much of a slapper either, not that i've put much effort into it.

but when i see a video like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qig3yw5XqQ0

i often get the feeling that i don't have the time to learn other styles 8)

 

[KeDraiv]

somehow it just reminds me of the classical tremolo technique

like this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7O2tD3imy8

been trying to learn for sometime.
can do on 1 string.
but when changing string it sounds like crap.
HAHA

 

[CrisisMoment]

oo i watched the videos, nice technique! why didn't i thought of using thumb to pluck instead of using thumb to support hand =/ And KeDraiv, nice video, u meant u use it on classical guitar or bass..?

 

[KeDraiv]

i'm learning it on classical guit now.
but i think it should be easier on the bass since the strings are thicker and therefore less likely to miss.
haha.

and yeah,
better learn to use ur thumb
haha.
when i play the classical bass i have to use thumb all the way.
even when playing runs.=\

 

[rylche]

To me at least, techniques of playing is a means to the end, which is to better express myself. I find using the thumb and finger classical guitar playing style to be really good for playing with octaves, and for pick style to be great at playing double-stops and the like.

I do agree with shinobi on the sheer variety of bass players' techniques being intriguing, but I really do not see that many people innovating. 10% of bass players are the really innovative and creative, while the rest are content to stick with their comfort zones, be it pick or finger-style.

Even then, learning new techniques would help us avoid falling into ruts in our playing. Innovation in techniques certainly will lend creativity to your musicality.

 

[rickylah]

how many fingers do u guys use to pluck? is 2 enough? or its better to use 3?

 

[mingrong]

start with 2 fingers If you want to move on to 3 later go ahead (thinking John Myung), if you see the need to that is.

If you need a simple analogy of learning bass it's like a MMORPG. As you level up you realise you only have enough skill points (in reality time and practise) to pump one skill. So there's no right or wrong to learning your lightning zap or fire storm, it's really personal preference, no matter what others say. You may start as a warrior or a mage - a finger plucker or a picker - but where you go after that is really your decision.

There'll be pure mages and pure warriors, but also fusion characters that can do both. Of course once awhile it's good to read a strategy guide, and in this case most of the guides say - start with the fingers