One for the bass players..... Why do so few bass guitarists use a pick/plectrum?

Something I have noticed yet not seen discussed in general: Why do so few(if any) bass guitarists use a plectrum?

 

It seems more difficult to pluck those much bigger strings with a pick as opposed to a guitar. Also, I don’t know if I’ve seen any upright bassists use a pick. Maybe that’s a carryover to the electric bass.

 

Simon Gallup has always used one.

 

Probably a carry over from the upright, where a pick is impractical.

That said, plenty of bassists do use picks, particularly those who play more aggressive music like punk or metal.

Putting that aside, Paul McCartney uses a pick, Chris Squire used one, and then there’s people like John Entwistle, Sting, Adam Clayton, John Paul Jones, And John Myung from Dream Theater who use or used both methods.

 

I saw The Police 40 tears ago and remember Sting complaining that his thumb had to be gaffer-taped because it was raw and bleeding. Good reason to use a pick, I thought.

 

A lot of bass players use pick nowadays, at least a lot more than is 50s or 60s for sure. And if you check any bass community, it's full of "pick vs fingers" endless arguing.

 

And then there's Lindsey Buckingham, who doesn't use a pick on his guitar!

 

Davey504 says use picc have small pp.

 

With a plectrum it's more difficult to dampen/mute the strings that you're not playing. There are techniques to do it either way though. I often use fingers on both bass and guitar, 'cos I can't be bothered to hunt around for a plectrum. I do like plectrum bass though. Great sound.

 

Guitarworld.com posted a new interview with Carol Kaye from the Wrecking Crew and the headline quotes her as saying “98% of bass parts cut in Hollywood in the ‘60’s were done with a pick on flatwound strings.”

 

Most bass players use various techniques, depending on what tone the song needs. Even bassists who are famous for a certain style use others styles too.

Yes. I’m a bass player.

 

I like both picked and plucked bass tones from other players, but I only like my own tone with fingers. I love the feel, and I think that translates into me playing better and being more in control of the tone.

 

Tom Petersson always uses a pick

 

I use a pick on some songs and fingers on fusion or bass chord songs. When playing fretless I never use a pick due to the nature of the instrument.

 

Bass players: What types of picks do you use?

 

I use both, depending on the style of the song. I find it easier to be funky with fingers. Pick is great for straighter rock/pop but there's an art to playing with one and maximizing the low end (ie. don't play too hard). Of course, hammering it is a sound that many have made work.

 

Glenn Hughes is a really good bassist who uses an aggressive pick attack. Lemmy did too. I've always preferred that being a metal fan. Wear that Dunlop down to a nub. Give me that tone that sounds more obese than Marlon Brando in a custard eclair bakery.

 

I am a bassist. I have seen Chris Wood (Medeski, Martin and Wood and The Wood Brothers)use a pick on a his upright for effect more than standard use. It is very awkward to hold a pick in the correct position with an upright bass to his the strings accurately . Not ideal at all which is why you don`t see it done often. Many bass guitarists still hold to this traditional approach of finger plucking based on the upright`s vestigial standards for playing the instrument. I use both pick and fingers myself, depending on what the music calls for. As far as I am concerned both methods are perfectly legit!

 

I think this depends on the genres you listen to. If you listen to a lot of jazz, for example, you could easily think that not many bass players use picks. If you listen to a lot of metal, though, you could very well think that not many bass players use fingerstyle.

 

This is also a minefield. I like to use a 2mm or 3mm BIG Stubby in some cases and a thinner Dunlop 0.88mm

 

I guess it depends what sound you're looking for or what kind of music you're playing. The first ten years I played I never touched a pick.. Wouldn't even look at one. Then I got in a band where the guitar players were so unbelievably loud that it's like I wasn't even there without a pick.

Of course my amp might not have been that great either. That could have had something to do with it. But still . I started using a pick when before I never would have.

 

And sometimes a pick is just right for the music. A perfect example of this would be Jane's Addiction and Eric Avery.

As great as he is, when Flea was in the band it just did not sound right. Because he uses his fingers and the original guy always used a pick.

 

That said, Flea uses a plectrum on several RHCP songs. See parallel universe for example.

 

Some bass players use thick but somewhat soft picks made of felt - such as these...
Dunlop 8012 3.2mm Felt Picks 12-pack