No more pick jokes

[Tim Skaggs]

I wish I could use a pick well, but I can’t. I don’t care if other players use a fork or their elbow. The method in which a bassist puts the string into oscillation is of no concern or wish of mine.

 

[Low Main]

I grew up watching The Wild Wild West on TV so to me, pick bass is a normal part of everyday life.

 

[Whale guy]

It all depends on the music. Can you imagine James Jamerson with a pick? Can you imagine Chris Squire with fat fingers? Go with your gut, and what best matches the music.

Good luck!

 

[Michedelic]

Ever pick your feet in Poughkeepsie?

 

[J33]

I thought there were going to be flying cars in 2024. In this Universe however...we talk about whether or not a small piece of plastic makes one cool or not.*

*Pic or Pick related...pending on how you look at it.

 

[Low Main]

I use Wedgie rubber picks. I like the added definition without the click. They grab and drag on the strings though more than plastic picks though, so they take some getting used to in order to get your time where it should be.

 

[Pdaddy1978]

If you want my picks, you'll have to pry them from my cold dead fingers.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

You can play bass with your fingers, you can play with a pick, you can slap. It's all good and depends on the sound you need for a particular song.

 

[JIO]

From an interview with Joe Osborn:

On switching from guitar to bass:
"...I was the new bass player. Still got the pick, lotta treble on the amp. I didn't know anything about playing the bass or what it's supposed to sound like. I got it where I thought it sounded just fine. I wanted to hear the notes instead of booming around. Some of the upright bass players and electric players who had converted from upright, were busy trying to get their new electric bass to sound like that. And I got a lot of flack playing this clicky sound with a pick. "Oh no! One thing you need to know," they were telling me. "It's that the bass needs to be felt and not heard." Well, that snowed me for a second, And I thought "Well, if I gotta do that, I can't do it, so forget that, this is what I like." I don't care whether it sounds like a bass or not. Sounds good to me! So I stuck with that, and it eventually proved to be good."

Totally agree. I've only played bass (since 1966) and have used a pick (& palm-muting) for the last 10yrs. Right hand near the bridge. Occasionally if the song requires it I play finger-style near the neck, sometimes both in the same song.

Like this...

 

[slagheap]

I'm not much of a pick player but this guy is one of my idols. Honestly, I would have been a much better interviewer. Joe was one of the true OGs. Just how OG? Played with unknown Johnny Rivers back in Louisiana. Tight friend & room mate with Roy Buchanan. Toured with Ricky Nelson. Opened the Whiskey.
Discovered & produced the Carpenters. Hundreds of monster hits including The Association, Mamas & Papas, 5th Dimension, Simon & Garfunkel. Made the stack knob Jazz Bass a thing. Yeah, he qualifies.

 

[JIO]

I grew up watching The Wild Wild West on TV so to me, pick bass is a normal part of everyday life.

Could have been Carol Kaye!

 

[MCF]

Carol Kaye used a pick also, and sometimes a mute. Might be a studio/recording thing, I dunno. I've tried it over the years and have always found it awkward as opposed to using my fingers. I use a pick to play guitar but it never worked for me on bass.

With you there. But I continue to try and get better with a pick. And unless someone has rewritten history, Paul uses a pick.

 

[retslock]

From an interview with Joe Osborn:

On switching from guitar to bass:
"...I was the new bass player. Still got the pick, lotta treble on the amp. I didn't know anything about playing the bass or what it's supposed to sound like. I got it where I thought it sounded just fine. I wanted to hear the notes instead of booming around. Some of the upright bass players and electric players who had converted from upright, were busy trying to get their new electric bass to sound like that. And I got a lot of flack playing this clicky sound with a pick. "Oh no! One thing you need to know," they were telling me. "It's that the bass needs to be felt and not heard." Well, that snowed me for a second, And I thought "Well, if I gotta do that, I can't do it, so forget that, this is what I like." I don't care whether it sounds like a bass or not. Sounds good to me! So I stuck with that, and it eventually proved to be good."

If you like it that's all that matters. There's no right sound except the one you like. I came from guitar many years ago but I couldn't wait to lose the pick. I can make it bite without a pick and I can also make it nice and smooth if I want.
I still use a pick on guitar.

 

[A.K.]

Been playing bass for 31 years and have never used anything but a pick. Love the way the string responds and the clarity of the notes. That said, probably half of my favorite bass players are finger players only.

 

[JIO]

With you there. But I continue to try and get better with a pick. And unless someone has rewritten history, Paul uses a pick.

I toyed with picks since starting out Marshall, but it wasn't until joining Bond Girl that I focused on it. It's second nature now and I never drop a pick. I can also cup a pick, play finger-style, and return to the pick within one song.

Play along with songs every time you practice that are played w/a pick to start with, and little-by-little you'll get the hang of it. Paul McCartney's many songs are a given. It's also about finding the right pick for you. I narrowed it down to Dunlop 1.14 textured pics. Otherwise I have a sizable collection of sizes/shapes/thicknesses/materials and still use a felt pick (now referred to as Uke picks) depending on the need. Once you are comfortable using one - it expands your world as a diverse bass player.

 

[JIO]

Been playing bass for 31 years and have never used anything but a pick. Love the way the string responds and the clarity of the notes. That said, probably half of my favorite bass players are finger players only.

I agree - I dig the articulate "plunk" a pick brings to the table. It's usually a blend of bass/strings, amp/speaker and technique. I favor mid-centric basses with nickel strings (rounds or flats) and a 15" or 18" speaker cab. The amp-cab brings the low-end and the bass/how I play it delivers the articulation/tone.

 

[Plectrum72]

See user name. About 60/40.

 

[HelpImaRock]

See user name. About 60/40.

And here I thought it was 72/28...

 

[Esteban Garcia]

"Bass needs to be felt and not heard" is such an anti-musical thing to say.

I like to hear all the notes, but I don't care much for pick playing. Using a pick isn't the only way to make the notes heard.

 

[MasterMonkeyMan]