Fingers vs pick?

[Jorgebassguy]

I was wondering do y’all use fingers or pick. Not to be all school like but why do use use this technique?

 

[FatStringer52]

Both. The more tools you have in your toolbox the more adaptable you will be as a player!!! You use the technique that the song calls for . . .

Do you slap?

Do you pop?

Do you use three-finger picking?

Do you use four-finger picking?

Do you use your thumb?

Do you palm mute?

. . . and on and on and on . . .

They are all simply techniques that you use to acheive very specific sounds.

Why limit yourself . . .

 

[ctmullins]

Poll needs to be multiple choice.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I switched to all-plectrum all the time a while back & wish I'd done it sooner.
The attack is sharper & brighter & strings last longer:

V-Pick Dimension

• Killed_by_Death
• Jul 1, 2019
• vinnie

 

[lz4005]

I was wondering do y’all use fingers or pick. Not to be all school like but why do use use this technique?

Both. Plus slapping, tapping, popping, fingerpicking, thumb plucking, ebow, smacking the strings with a drum stick and any other technique that makes the sounds I need at a gig or while recording.

Poll needs to be multiple choice.

If OP knew that they wouldn't have made the thread in the first place.

 

[geesharp]

I only used fingers, but the past two months I use fingers and pick.

 

[cheapbasslovin]

Same. I'm better with fingers than with a pick, but a pick sounds like a pick and if you can't pick then you can't get a picking tone.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

I used a pick on 6-string electric but always admired fingerstyle, so started with fingers on bass.
I intend to try a pick soon. Haven't yet, not even once.

I know what will happen: I will like the clarity, and that is very important to me. Then I'll have to keep both fingers and pick I guess.

 

[twinjet]

I do what fits. I don't usually slap, though. I'm pretty bad at it.

 

[farmertom]

I pick Cuz I’m a failed guitar player lol. For serious

 

[Bboopbennie]

Thumb with 2,3 or 4 fingers. Love the pick sound so 5 years ago I got into picks. Anything goes, snap, slap and flicking the strings. Even used a bow on a Fender once. Can't just...finger pick with today's music, or can Ya ?

 

[Ric5]

I use finger, picks, swap, whap, elbows, feet, drum sticks, power tools ... what ever I am in the mood for


There are no wrong ways to play the bass

 

[Wasnex]

I was wondering do y’all use fingers or pick. Not to be all school like but why do use use this technique?

I use all three, but primarily play finger-style.

I used to also practice a little bit of tap, but I don't think I ever used it in a performance...My #1 does not really work all that well for this technique.

Years ago I tried an Ibanez AFR105 and it seemed perfect for tap. I have thought about that bass for for over 20 years now, but never pulled the trigger .

 

[nilorius]

I use fingers and as i only play fretless i don't slap at all.

 

[gsquare]

Another for all of the above, depends on the situation. I’m a fan of using the technique that fits the style, not subjecting my preferences, as if I had any, to the music. I love grinding away with a pick through some distortion, or playing smooth finger style, or slapping although I’m called in less now than say 10-15 years ago to slap. Maybe because it’s not so much the style or maybe because my chops aren’t what they were 10-15 years ago

 

[Gustopher]

Fingers and pick. I like how the pick sounds with some songs. Otherwise I am typically using fingers. Fretless and I can’t slap to save my life.

 

[Resonance129]

Definitely both.

I'd consider myself more of a fingerstyle player since I started off that way and it's the most comfortable/natural to me, but I've been working on my pick technique for about a year. Absolutely love the pick sound and would make it my new "default", but I'm still learning. Trying to get better with accuracy, and I also notice that after playing for more than maybe an hour, the muscles in my picking-hand thumb cramp up . Usually, if I'm playing for longer than that, I just stretch my hands/fingers a bit, and alternate between the 2 techniques.

 

[SLPimp]

Almost exclusively fingers, but that's just because the stuff I typically play calls for it. When I first started playing I used a pick (switched from guitar), but I personally find picks limiting since I can pluck with 3 fingers.

Neither is better, it's what the song calls for.

QUOTE="Jorgebassguy, post: 24618166, member: 374108"]I was wondering do y’all use fingers or pick. Not to be all school like but why do use use this technique?[/QUOTE]

 

[whero]

When I started (in my teens) I was a 100% pick user. Then I took a couple of years of folk acoustic guitar lessons and that made me even more (more than 100%? ) a pick guy. In my mid 20s I started trying to use my fingers properly and over time got less picky and more digital. These days I'm about 90% fingers (interesting visual image ). I just prefer the tone - it sounds more like "me". I use two fingers a lot, the third finger a bit less, and the fourth finger a bit more less. There are some songs that need a pick so I do still use 'em. But I voted fingers because there was no "mostly fingers" option.

 

[Sanshiro]

Generally I use a plectrum (pick), probably 75-80% with a pick and then 20-25% fingerstyle. I just like the way a pick on bass sounds, it really makes things sharper and brighter like Killed_by_Death said, which I adore, plus picking just fits the music I like to play better. I'll use my fingers if the song calls for it, some songs just don't sound right if you don't use your fingers (the opposite also applies of course).

I'll just straight up admit that I can't slap at all, it's just noise if I try, and not the right kind of noise, just a mess of clank, buzz, and the wrong strings ringing.