anti-pick prejudice

[Aussie Mark]

I started off on guitar, so when I switched to bass I played with a pick.  Over the next couple of years (this is 30 years ago) I gradually moved to mostly finger style, with pick when needed.  Around 1985 I had 10 years off bass playing and almost exclusively played finger picking acoustic guitar, doing solo singer/guitarist gigs.  Because of that, when I got back into bass playing again in around 1997 I played fingerstyle all the time, because I hadn't used a pick for anything for so many years.  These days, I pretty much always use fingerstyle at gigs, but have recently started practicing at home with a pick again, just to give me more flexibility if I need it for a fill-in gig or recording or whatever.

[ilan]

35+ years with a pick. I have always felt that other musicians appreciate that I sound a little different (90% of the bass players around here play fingerstyle).

[leftybass]

Been playing bass since 1976, have never played a song without a pick, it's part of my "tone equation". Anyone tells me there's any steadfast rules for how you pluck a bass string is someone who's opinion means nothing to me.
Out.

[TBird1958]

 I think some basses lend themselves to pick playing, I loved playing my Rick 4001 with a pick and of course the T Birds almost seem to catch fire when you get a pick and some rounds going on. Certain pickup designs really come to life when the bass is played with a pick.
The inverse is true as well, my limited experience with Fenders taught me that fingers seemed to get me closer to a desired tone and a pick just didn't make sense.


 

[Rhythm N. Bliss]

Seems like a pick is necessary sometimes.
Glenn Hughes is RIPPING IT UP on Black Country's song Black Country--my fav on their COMMUNION album.
That's GOTTA be a pick!

[OldManC]

Depends on the song, and I almost always just "know" which is right for what I want to achieve.

This is exactly how I feel about it. For me the song really does tell me which method to use.

[Hornisse]

I'm 100% fingers now.  Back in 1977 when I started I was really into the Dave Hope tone (Kansas) so when I finally got a Precision Bass in 1979 I played it with a pick.  It was a large heavy triangle tort pick.  When I lost that I used Dunlops.  I stopped playing for several years around 1985 and when I started back up again in 1996 it was strictly fingers. 

[uwe]

Glenn Hughes always plays with a pick, pretty close to the bridge, unless he  slaps. All Purple bass players - Simper, Glover, Hughes - were pick players.

[Muzikman7]

I went through a brief period of playing with a pick in the late '70s I haven't used one since.

[exiledarchangel]

I go both ways, and enjoy it equally.

[Droombolus]

Started out playing with picks because finger-style was way to difficult on a baritone ( stringed E to E ) but changed to finger-style with my first 4 string. When I joined my 1st semi-pro outfit the guys in the band insisted I'd play with a pick, so I did ..... no problem.
Nowadays I can play both ways but finger-style comes natural to me so my playing sounds more fluid that way ......

[maxschrek]

Both pick and fingerstyle for 30 years now...gotta serve the song.


T

[TBird1958]

I go both ways, and enjoy it equally.

 Does your wife know?  










You Greeks, always goin' 'round the world 

[exiledarchangel]

I was talkin' 'bout picks and fingers stuff, not the other thingie, your Hornyness...

[TBird1958]

I was talkin' 'bout picks and fingers stuff, not the other thingie, your Hornyness...

 You rang? 


I remember that clip you posted of some fingerstyle kind of jazz on your Epi, Nice!