Pick or fingers?

ICBM

Fingers only. I can't get used to the feel of a pick either for bass or guitar, even though the finger styles are certainly very different.

littlegreenman

Fingers mostly, but then I occasionally watch Scott Thunes playing with Zappa and think I really should give plec style a more serious try.

Apparently he was a fingers only man before joining FZ, and Frank made him learn to play with a plec!

DavidRees

and thank you all for the more recent contributions ...

Mosfed

Anytime...

I have been trying some more traditional guitar style finger picking techniques lately and have been loving it.  There is a Grateful Dead tune called Spanish Jam that works really well in this regard.

therose789

It depends on the style of music. Heavier styles i normally use a pick for a more attacky sound and other styles fingers. 

DanielT

I'd "like" to play with fingers however I find when I use a pick my timing is better and I need less compression. Odd really because I never play an acoustic guitar with a pick.

Anyhow, given that I only dabble with the bass occasionally I therefore stick to the pick.

chrisj1602

I use both, but mostly fingers on bass and mostly pick on guitar.

jpfamps

ICBM said:

Fingers only. I can't get used to the feel of a pick either for bass or guitar, even though the finger styles are certainly very different.

Are you left handed?

jpfamps

I prefer to play bass finger style as I feel more in control of the instrument, and thus am probably more competent (sorry less incompetent) playing finger style than with a pick

Interestingly I'm the opposite on the guitar; I feel much more comfortable playing with a pick.

Whilst most of my favourite players use finger style, there are also plenty who use a pick, eg Phil Lynott (although interestingly he used finger style earlier in his career).

Whatever works for you is fine.

ICBM

jpfamps said:

Are you left handed?

No - although I'm quite ambidextrous. I am actually right-handed, but not very strongly. There is a lot of left-handedness in my family, which may be related...

I'd never thought about that as a possible reason for my unusual playing style, but it might make sense.

ChrisMusic

ICBM said:    ... my family, which may be related...

I do hope they are   

ICBM

ChrisMusic said:

I do hope they are   

Sadly I'm sure they are. I'm starting to catch myself doing things like my dad...

(Although the left-handedness isn't from his side.)

jpfamps

ICBM said:

jpfamps said:

Are you left handed?

No - although I'm quite ambidextrous. I am actually right-handed, but not very strongly. There is a lot of left-handedness in my family, which may be related...

I'd never thought about that as a possible reason for my unusual playing style, but it might make sense.

I only asked because Wilko Johnson said his playing style came about because he is left handed and found holding a pick hard.

ICBM

jpfamps said:

I only asked because Wilko Johnson said his playing style came about because he is left handed and found holding a pick hard.

Ah... Wilko . I never realised quite how much I play like him until I saw myself on video for the first time - not the manic stage antics, I don't do anything like that at all - just the way he attacks the guitar. Same sort of hand movements.

You may be right!

maw4neu

Ive just got into playing bass and Im loving it . . . Ive also struggled with the same question . . . !!!

I use a pick all the time with my Telecaster, I use a pick or finger style on my Acoustic but the finger / plucking action used by

real Bass Players is a little alien to me at the moment. I need to practice more untill it becomes second nature I suppose !

Dave_Mc

I think I prefer fingers for most things.

I'm probably better with a pick though since I only took it up recently and use a pick with guitar.

I just use whichever is more appropriate for the type of tone I'm going for.

topomorto

Dick if she seems clean, otherwise fingers.

Lev

I bought my first bass about 18 months ago and made the decision that I would learn with fingers only, mainly because it suited the type of music I like. It was definitely tough to get the fluidity into my playing and I'm still struggling with stamina - after 2 songs my right hand starts to struggle to keep in the groove. 

However one major benefit has been that my right hand technique for playing guitar has greatly improved. I've started using much more hybrid picking thanks to the additional strength and dexterity in my fingers from practicing bass. This has opened up new musical territories for me as a guitarist like country and bluegrass that I would always have struggled with using just a pick.

tauzero

I started playing bass after playing guitar for two or three years, both with a plectrum and classical style fingerpicking. I mainly play with fingers but play a few songs with a plectrum, sometimes for tone and sometimes because I find a particular piece of right-hand work easier with a plectrum.

Kebabkid

I've recently switched to bass and use a pick. I also introduce the pick and fingers for octaves and 5ths/chordal stuff.

I'd like to use the fingers too but I haven't developed the strength to hit the notes and produce a uniform volume. Ironically, I can now slap n' pop but before that, I was getting a similar effect by doing the John Entwistle thing of fretting the note and tapping high up toward the end of the fretboard. I liked the sound rather than trying to look flash.