heymisterk Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Okay, let me get right to the point: I suck at playing the bass. The ONLY time I ever play bass is when the bass player in my church choir is absent and I swap my acoustic guitar for the bass. As it turns out, I have to play bass today - Holy Thursday - and Easter Sunday. Anyway, I use a pick. Even though my best guitar playing is fingerstyle, I struggle with swatting at the bass strings with my bare fingers. I usually make more mistakes when I play this way. When I play with a pick, I at least feel I get a decent sound and make fewer mistakes. Keep in mind: these bass parts on our Catholic hymns don't exactly call for Geddy Lee; just a lot of G-GC-CG-GC alternating notes. But whenever I see good bass players play, it seems like nearly all of them play with their fingers. (A notable exception is I have seen Macca use a pick.) What do you say? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Using a pick is NOT cheating. You achieve a completely different sound with a pick than using your fingers, but it's perfectly fine. I do it both ways Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I agree with Fox, both ways is cool. I prefer the mellower sound of fingers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlashPerryBurst Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Yeah. I wouldn't consider it cheating. I play a bit of bass and I prefer to use my fingers. I just prefer the sound. I've also found that I get a sore wrist playing bass with a pick. Which is strange because I have no problem maintaining a high bpm with a guitar. Just down to the thickness of the strings. Other notable bass players who used a pick include Gene Simmons and Phil Lynott. Edit: Slightly off topic, but Steve Harris of Iron Maiden is what inspired me to play bass with my fingers. He's an unbelievable bass player. Whenever I try and emulate his bass playing, I last about four minutes before my fingers just give in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruznolfart Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Either way is fine, mon. There are all kindsa picks for bass, 'though I'm more of a finger stylist m'self. If it makes music, it's not cheating. Long as we're not talking about sampling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaleb Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Yeah. I wouldn't consider it cheating. I play a bit of bass and I prefer to use my fingers. I just prefer the sound. I've also found that I get a sore wrist playing bass with a pick. Which is strange because I have no problem maintaining a high bpm with a guitar. Just down to the thickness of the strings. Other notable bass players who used a pick include Gene Simmons and Phil Lynott. Cliff Williams and Tommy Shannon are notable bass pickers as well. I also believe that Paul McCartney used a pick. It all depends on the sound. For bluesy bass or fancier stuff such as all the Rush tunes I like to jam on I use fingers. Picks are suitable for the simpler rock stuff (Kiss, Thin Lizzy, Priest, AC/DC, VH, etc.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Not cheating at all, like on guitar it is simply a different style/sound. I am terrible at bass because I do not play it much at all my biggest problem is note control, a compressor/limiter would help that would be a bit like cheating IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heymisterk Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 If this guy plays with a pick, I guess it's not cheating! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82jGgsYkTJo&feature=related Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabba2203 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Most bass players I've played with do a combination of pick or fingers depending on the attack they want on the strings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 If this guy plays with a pick, I guess it's not cheating! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82jGgsYkTJo&feature=related Yeah, I'll give up for Sir Paul - a pretty darn good bassist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Not cheating at all, like on guitar it is simply a different style/sound. I am terrible at bass because I do not play it much at all my biggest problem is note control, a compressor/limiter would help that would be a bit like cheating IMO. Naahhh. I'm a guitar player not a bass player. I use a pick on my delightful J & P, and wouldn't without use them without a comp/limit in front of the amp. I see it more as A Man Gotsta Know His Limitations than cheating. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 "Cheating?" No. Different? Yes. Since your first instrument is a guitar, you probably are used to a pick. Guitar strings probably feel like rubber bands under your bare fingers. The bass is a whole different animal. Bass players pride themselves on having the perfect callous for the job. Unless you play finger bass a lot, you won't the right callouses. The 'right' callous is on the thumb side of the index finger. It takes months to develop. Since you're pinch hitting, play it the way you can play best. If someone comes up and says, "I can play it better." Let him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Is playing guitar with a pick cheating? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Not at all. It's much the same as asking "Is playing a six-string guitar with a pick cheating?". Different musical styles and different playersmight require / prefer differing techniques. Neither is right or wrong. P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahKeen Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Even if you play with a toothpick in your mouff, it ain't cheatin'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QjuYb_g2_o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valeriy Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Crazy video, Big Bill. Perhas, it would be nice to gift a guitar with the Gibson robots tune or with the new Peavey Autotune for this guy. Different musical styles and different playersmight require / prefer differing techniques. Neither is right or wrong. P. I agree with Pippy. This is where the bass plays well with your fingers, time from as 4 minute. Plectrum evident here would be worse. Wise Paul gave to play to other bass player: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaysEpiphone Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 While I'm not a real Bass player (not in my book that is), I do play it from time to time, depends on the sound/feel/style I want as to if I use a pick or not. No, it's not cheating, for me, it is easier to do some things with a pick then with my finger's but on the other hand, some sounds/style's I just can't get the same result with a pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeppelinguy Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Yes, but never as a practical resolution to a dilemna. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahKeen Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Is it cheating? You'll have to answer that to the Music Police. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyMoon Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 You do what it takes to get the job done..if ya have to play with a q-tip to get the sound you want then do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Nuff said... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ln9T76ieaA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Playing with a pick gets a sound you can't get without one. I played bass without a pick for 20 years. Only recently have I started using one and I was a moron for limiting myself for so long. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhLDLDdRZl8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 I played bass for a while during the psychedelic era, when nobody wanted to hire saxophone players. I mostly played with my fingers, but as others noted, playing with a pick creates an entirely different sound. On those few songs I played that needed that attack, I used a pick. It's up to you. In your situation, I think most people won't care one way or another. Either way takes some practice. If you plan on playing bass a lot, I encourage you to learn both methods, if you only do it on occasion to fill in, do whatever is comfortable to you. That's my advice - which may or may not be the best advice. Insights and incites by Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 This may not fit the situation exactly but I was itching to use this pic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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