thats too nice...

__________________

You know what i mean .. dont turn this thread into a ''Slipknot suck'' lecture.

__________________

ok. u got a point there cuz its comon fact. i guess pick bassists cant finger tap and thats all i gotta say.

Yeah, the only way to play bass is using your fuckin' fingers. All these pop-punk and emo bassists I've shared a venue with use a fuckin' pick all the time 'cuz they're pussy like that. But I must admit that I do use pick on occasion for tonal purposes only...NOT physical. C'mon its all about fingers. With a pick its TOO easy to play fast. And I can play speed metal with my fingers.

yea, i play guitar 99% of the time, but my friend asked me to play bass for him a little for the band, and right now were workin on shit like art of shredding by pantera and some of our own stuff, and I try to play with my fingers but once it gets to some of the parts im not fast enough to use my fingers, Im used to playin with a small ass pick on the guitar (jazz3), so its hard for me to play bass with fingers. I guess im a pussy...

EDIT: Also when i use my fingers it gets sloppy and the strings thunk around and makes clanks sounds and shit and somtimes i cant hit the note hard enough with my finger to make it stand out, or somtimes i hit it to hard.

__________________

Your not a pussy, if you play guitar 99 percent of the time then you just need to adjust to the whole 'fingering' technique, there are wrong ways of doing it.. and a clanking sound coming from the bass is one..

Unless the bass has really bad action then i guess your doing typewriter fingerstyle when your slightly pressing downwards with your fingering hand.. instead of just walking and coming directly off the strings. If not then, just keep practicing with your fingers.. and if you dont want to, dont.. your a guitarist, its completely natural for you to not totally get the finger thing unless youve tryed it before..

But if its too weird for you, and you cant get a decent sound/feeling out of the bass, then just go with the pick, who cares what other people say.. your a guitarist

__________________

same here i play guitar 99.9% of the time, just i try other genre's like flamenco, i suggest that to any guitar player thinking about switching or trying to play to bass.flamenco(spanish style) is a new thing that im trying to make a connection to metal with. sorta like malmsteen/becker/rhoads classical music. especially the rasgdo's that might break strings on a bass but its still gives it a more evil and more serious sound on a guitar than just normal strummes. if u play bass then just think of the strings as the bottom 4 strings (thats what my friend that playes bass told me) on the guitar, cuz the notes are the same just lower.
E
A
D
G

In my 23 years of playing bass, never once have I used a pick. I've always been of the opinion that bassists with picks are just guitar players that couldn't cut it. I use 2, 3, and alot of the times, all 4 fingers to pluck the strings with. If I'm going for full balls-out speed, then I'll use all 4 fingers (index - pinkie - ring - middle - index - pinkie......you get the idea). If there are tight chugs or gallops, I'll use 3 for the triplet feel, and if there are scalar runs, then I'll use 2 or 3, depending on the needs at the time.

Later.

__________________

I don't understand you guys...why the hell does it matter how you play? I play with my fingers but I don't see what the big deal is about how you play. If someone is good at playing with their fingers then that awesome, likewise for if they can play well with a pick. Just all be friends, have a beer, and share a joint.

__________________

I dunno, its just whenver i put a pick to bass i feel like one of them crappy pop punk bassists like blink 182 or new found glory, that just play bass because they have to for the band, they show no love in the instrument if you just put a pick to it and play root notes, or even fills with a pick..

or even a great huge sweeping solo with a pick on bass, i just feel crappy and fake.. but thats only my opinion, your free to think what you like.

__________________

I've got to agree with Tattered on this one. When I see a good player using his (or her) fingers, I feel that they really ARE a bass player, someone that took the time and effort to learn the intricacies of playing with their fingers. When I see a player using a pick (good, bad, whatever) I immediately think that there goes another ex-guitar player that couldn't cut it, so they think they'll just "down-grade" to a bass player. Most of the talentless bassists out there use picks, just as most of the more talented bassists out there use their fingers. To me, this is self-explanatory.

On top of this, I think the sound (tone) of using a pick is just too harsh. Using my fingers, and with a bit of creative EQ-ing, I can get a clean, tight sound, or a soft, mellow tone. My choice. So for someone to say that the only way to get that "attack" is by using a pick, this just tells me that they don't know their equipment, either.

No doubt I'll get a world of criticism for this post (hehehe...) but that's just my informed opinion, based on over 23 years of playing with my fingers.

Cheers

__________________

I'm a strictly fingers player, but i've no objection to using a pick: it's just another technique to be used, like slapping or playing with the thumb. The only reason i don't do it is i find it quite difficult, especially octaves and string skipping. The sound can be quite nice on certain songs, just not the ones i write!

Oh, and hello to everyone!

This is very true. I've seen quite a few pick-using bassists screw up when they try to jump a string, or bounce between the root and octave, but with my fingers, never seem to have a problem.

Cheers

__________________

I go either or, but pick mostly on fast parts. It'd be nice to be able to finger in triplets at 130 bpm, but I can't keep the tempo going for more than 3 or 4 measures.

__________________

I play 50% fingers and 50% pick... I like pick sound... Joey DeMaio (Manowar) play only pick! And i like how he play! I think with pick you can play faster than fingers! Pick tremolo faster than 4 fingers

__________________

actually i think it depends a lot on how much u practice.if you finger pic and practice alot then its possible that you can pick as fast with your fingers as many ppl who use a pick.also i think that the bassist who is your favorite also affects the way of your playing to quite an extent...if he uses his fingers then chances are that you want to play aswell as him and also in the same style that he plays in

__________________

I just play with my fingers until they hurt, then I switch to pick.

that gRim and nekro and kvlt

__________________

Haha, after playing hard and heavy with fingers and them hurting i still dont go to pick.. no pain no gain buddy!

__________________

Sometimes I use a pick for playing fast shit. I am currently working on using 3 fingers so I can ditch the pick.

But meh, using only a pick is gay, haha.

I pick when i want a bit louder, more articulate sound. But Finger Picking techniques are just plain cool.

Agreed

__________________

i burned 2 layers of skin playing as fast as i could once. i just put sand on my fingertips, then some talcum powder. then relaxed for a few minutes. then picked up my war-hammer and played again <--we'll just pretend its a bass.

__________________

Has anyone else got blisters and calluses?

__________________

I've gotten a blister on the same finger twice...it's now callused up thankfully.

__________________

I had a couple of blisters when starting out.. but now its just calluses..

__________________

on topic -> i think that the rounder, smoother tone of fingers is awesome... but picks are good too... just look at clayton ingerson from dysrhythmia... he plays great... and he goes the pickway...

off topic (kinda) -> something i would like to know is if theres any change in the sound of a fretless played with a pick (yeah... kind of a waste, dont u think?)... has anyone tried/liked this?

too be honest i havnt seen any one play a fretless with a pick

__________________

I've messed around on fretless with a pick, although like i said before i'm not particularly skilled with one. You can get some interesting sounds, trem picking (which is always completely different with a plec soundwise) whilst sliding up and down is good fun.

You put a pick to a fretless?!

__________________

Why? How could you do such a thing?

__________________

Exactly.. *shakes head*

__________________

http://www.quovadis.qc.ca/Photos/3r.../images/d33.jpg

__________________

and ive only seen bill"buddha"dickens slap/pop on a fretless.......im not really into slap/popping ...im more of a finger style player

__________________

Who is that?

__________________

The bass player for Quo Vadis. He's good, check them out.

__________________

speaking as a guitar player, i believe that bass is easyer with a pick for fast playing and easyer with fingers slow... i think bass is easyer on your fretting hand but harder on the picking or "fingering"(?) hand... when i trem pick on bass smetimes i dont get all the notes in cause the strings are bigger and i dont get accross it in time before i need to hit the next note....

it soundes stupid i know but its what happens

__________________

You can't get calluses without going through the blistering stage...so just suck it up and be a bassist (aka...man) and not a guitarist (aka...woman)

Cheers

__________________

Hahaha, fairplay,

__________________

__________________

i use both fingers and picks but i like the sound better with fingers but im better with a pick probably becuase i started playing guitar but i learned bass by using fingers and i dont know what i like better

__________________

i switch between a pick and fingers although i am probably about 95% fingers, when i play lamb of god i have to use a pick, dont believe me? try playing ashes of the wake with your fingers i have trouble keepin up with the damn pick.

__________________

I play many songs off Ashes of the Wake. All with my fingers. Try harder.

__________________

I can play faster with my fingers than I can with a pick, it's just what you're used to.

I can play all of Ashes Of The Wake with my fingers, just try.. and learn 3 finger technique, it helps the triplets..

__________________

tulvox not the cd itself the song ashes of the wake try to play that at the same speed with your fingers tripplet 32'nd notes

__________________

its not like i dont try hard enough like i said im almost 95% fingers

__________________

Easy. You just have to practice.

__________________

ok

__________________

Dont like practicing to get good?! Give up then!

__________________

Best advice I've heard in a long time.

__________________

never said i diddnt like to practice lol im 2 stoop'd to learn 3 finger though lol

__________________

Indeed

I like both techniques. Mainly it is what ever I'm going to play, fast-very fast=pick and slow-moderately fast=finger. When i first started I made the mistake of not playing w/ fingers, so I'm spending all of my free time working of 3 finger technique.

Skip straight to the 4-finger technique, then burn your pick as a sacrifice to the gods of bass!!!

Seriously, you can't play faster with a pick than you can with 4 fingers, no matter what anyone tells you. I pluck with my fingers in the following pattern: I-P-R-M-I-P-R-M-I-P-R-M-I-P-R-M etc. (you get the picture) It takes a little while to get the proper attack with the ring finger, but when you get it, you'll never use that pathetic plectrum ever again!!!

Cheers.

__________________

I actually use a pick when I play slower and want a different sound of attack, and I agree with subsonic. Using four fingers is wega faster than pick, no one can pick faster than that.

Actually, that reminded me of the only time I ever used a pick in (now) 25 years...it was a slow, droning song on the Infernal CD "Unholier Than Thou". The guys wanted a specific sound of attack, and insisted I use a pick for it. It was a learning experience on a VERY limited timeframe...we were in the studio when they suggested it to me.

Forgot all about that! Must have blanked it from my memory as one of those traumatic experiences we all read about in the papers.

Cheers.

__________________

I play with a pick, its faster, and more aggresive. Since anger rules, I dig playing with a pick. Shun me if you like but i dont think we should be shunning each other. I mean c'mon, guitarists already look down on us. We should be able to rely on our fellow bassists for respect

i agree with that other dude you can only play music angrily with a pick but remember hand-slapping eg. korn

Korn sucks.

__________________

Ignorant post. I have the impression that you have no idea what you are talking about.

__________________

WHY THE HELL DOES EVERYONE HATE ME ON FORUMS AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Do I ........... Do I hit him?

__________________

because you make stupid posts.

obviously, he thinks Korn is angry or something like that, whatever the hell he was trying to get across. Either way he seems like a nu - metal fag, so I have no respect for him at all.

__________________

I don't remember saying I hate you, maybe you should think for a good 5 minutes before you post.

__________________

Hmmm...Need I mention a nice little band named Cannibal Corpse? I suppose Alex Webster isn't playing fast/angry enough for you? That has to be one of the stupidest things I've ever heard!!!!! Outside of Cannibal Corpse, have you ever heard of the band Malevolent Creation? Jason Blackowitz plays with all 4 fingers, and is incredibly fast, AND angry-sounding...the list goes on and on.

Obviously you are either new to bass playing, completely ignorant, or, quite possibly, BOTH!!!

Bottom line: If you want to play with a pick, play guitar.

Cheers.

__________________

Well said, Subsonic.

__________________

Angry pssshh thats retarded. Any great bass player metal and beyond knows that tone is most important and you arent going to get a good tone from a pick. I have played both. If you expect to play anything technical( like spiral architect/ cynic technical) you almost cant play with a pick!!!! lol angry lol the last angry bass sound I heard sounded like crap.. Ill take a clear sound over an angry sound anyday geeessshh

faster, come on listen to steve harris, pete perez, alex webster, sean malone, they destroy most pick players any day.

personally id recommend everybody become proficient BOTH with your fingers and a pick. dont look down on playing with a plectrum if you cant muster it, and if youre strictly a pick player stop being lazy and learn to use your fingers (you can play anything just as fast sometimes faster w/ your fingers as a pick). versatility is key.

If I want a "pick" sound or am supplementing a riff, I pluck downstroke with my three dominant fingers. Fuck picks.

__________________

I perfer finger picking sounds better and i can play faster without a pick,unless its a song that changes strings constintly.

Well, I am a guitar player but I play bass in a rock band. I use a pick on bass. For some slower songs, I try out some finger picking. I do not put in enough practice to learn finger picking on bass. I prefer to stick with the pick because of my guitaring priority. Anyone who watches me and knows what's going on will be able to instantly tell that I am a guitar player that's playing bass. I'm not going to hide it, that's for sure.

I'm pretty quick with the pick but I am sure that fingering would be much faster for string skipping lines.

I do sweeps on the bass and the pick helps out for that. You finger players, do you do sweeps as well???

__________________

i believe i have one sngthat i just cant do without a pick.
cryptopsy: open face surgery

i can do the riffs its just my hand feels like its going to explode after about 3 minutes im doing a 3 and sometimes 4 finger technique but its still just to fast and its got trills and everything any suggestions would help.

__________________

Yeah, i sweep, i use my thumb for sweeping up and down.

__________________

There is one advantage of pick over fingers that is pretty hard to dispute. Through my 'bass lifetime' I've literally played fingers for 99% of the time and pick for 1%, and yet I can sweep faster with a pick than with fingerstyle. I'm actually trying to learn pick right now for that very reason (it will take me a very long time to get used to though).
That sounds interesting, but can you explain this more clearly? What I mean is, (I'm guessing you mean these three fingers: i, m, r) do you use a wrist motion or just use finger motions to pluck the strings? If it is wrist motion, isn't it exactly the same as using a pick except that you can't do upstrokes? And if it is by finger motion, I'd like to know if you have (or indeed if it is possible) to get enough power that way.

I would do this but you run into problems when you want upstrokes, it just doesn't work out well when you use your thumb and index to form a "pick" with the respective nails hitting on downstrokes and upstrokes, especially since the 'pick' that is formed is wider than the distance between two strings on 5 string (and maybe even a 4!).

__________________

Damn! you posted this before I finished my last post. Now I have more to add.

This seems to solve the problem (well, at least once you finally get used to this technique) but the big problem is that the nail gets in the way, so that downsweeps sound fingerpicked and upsweeps (since the nail hits the string) sound like pick sweeps.

__________________

Well...holy detailed question...the technique is mainly used to downstroke, and to my knowledge Les Claypool does this as well. I used to to quickly chnage from fingerstyle to "picked" chords. You can upstroke but the notes are a lot harder to hit because you have to snap your wrist away.

__________________

I see.

Also: I sometimes play chords fingerstyle by doing one upstroke with my finger over the strings I want. The problem with this is that, well, you just can't play chords quickly and it can get tiring pretty damn fast if yoy try, because the wrist motion that is required for every strum.
I guess that's another advantage of the pick, you can play chords quickly.

__________________

when you talk about sweep picking with your thumb, how fast are we talking? is it possible to play something from necrophagist using your thumb for the sweeps? if so can you elaborate on your technique, it sounds very interesting.

Yeah of course its possible, anythings possible if you practice it..

The sweeping technique is pretty simple, right hand (if your left handed its the opposite which you are right?), with your thumb sweep it down across the strings like a guitarist would with a pick, and then back with your thumb for the upwards sweep.

__________________

yes i am left handed. it never wouldve occured to me to use my thumb for sweeps, im sure its a sight to see at high speeds. ill give it a shot. thanks.

i use my thumb when playing upward sweeps ( away from you) and my middle and index fingers to sweep down ( towards you). It is a little more difficult to master than one thumb, but has a much more even sound.. plus it looks really rad

double agreed very true behemoth

I don't really think that finger bassists are much better than pick bassists. I mean, just because you use a pick doesn't mean that you have to be a wannabe guitarist or fast like Billy Sheehan. That's just my opinion, correct me if i'm wrong.

Edit: But most of the great bassists plays with their fingers.

I play bass with a pick but then i do play guitar but i think finger picking looks better but i guess it doesnt matter as long as the stuff is played well.

__________________

I do like to use a pick for playing extremely slow doom/sludge stuff, it gives a more bludgeoning feel on downtuned strings (listen to Pieces of Quiet by Khanate)... but other wise i would rather leave the picks to the guy playing the smaller instrument

fingers or pick, really doesn't matter to me. I think that a player should become fluent in both styles. Plus, just b/c someone plays w/ a pick doesn't make them a wanna be guitarist. Are guitarists that play w/ their fingers wannabe bassists? however, i do agree w/ iron90 most great bassists do play w/ their fingers.

In my opinion, a true bass player plays with their fingers. But I know a guy named Luke Coatney that plays with a pick, and he puts us all to shame!

lol, how you can say this guy puts us "all to shame"? I'd like to see his "picked" slap technique.

__________________

As raised multiple times in this thread, I fail to see what is so much superior about either technique. Both have advantages and downsides as established. One might look cooler than the other or whatever In the end the sound comes out and every one is happy. The difference is so pathetically significant in the scheme of music - it's almost like the 'trOO kvlt' of bass playing to play fingers and be anti-pick.

Either way, whatever rocks your nuts.

TRoO KVLT OR FROST BITTEN DEATH!!!

__________________

i think the reason that you'll find a bit of snobbery towards pick playing is that plucking with your fingers is an art form. it takes years of practice to coax the perfect tone out of your instrument ,and your fingers will give you a tonal quality that a pick simply cant. i also think (and you might laugh at this) that playing with my fingers allows me to play better because i can feel what im playing better through constant and direct contact with the body/strings.

He can play with his fingers, he just usually uses a pick. If he wants to play, then he uses his index and middle fingers ona four string, and his thumb on a five and six.

I know, I play both. And I know for a fact there's a lot of things I write I couldn't with my fingers and can't be played with fingers and vice-versa. Just comenting on the general attitude of this thread.

sorry if this has already been brought up, but i havent had time to read more than half the thread.

I personally despise the sound of a pick played on the bass. i hate it (especially amon amarth's and jason newsted). does anyone else feel the same way about that sound?

Yeah, that's a bif reason I despise pick playing...it sounds so generic.


Why play bass with your a pick when you can play with your fingers? It's was DESIGNED for you fingers! What would Charles Mingus say!!!

__________________

People weren't playing metal in the 50s when the electric bass was invented, either. Especially Charles Mingus . I think saying that it was designed to be played with the fingers is going a little too far.. I wonder if guitars were "designed" to be played with the fingers and nails too, back in the day before anyone thought of using something rigid to rake across the strings. There's certainly no "pick vs fingers" argument among metal guitarists; if you started playing riffs with your fingers you would probably get laughed at

That's because you can't get the same speed tremolo picking on a guitar with fingers...

What about the classical/jazz/blues players that use their fingers?

__________________