McCartneys Bass Technique?

leroy_la_qua · Post by **leroy_la_qua** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 11:16 am

I have a couple of questions about Pauls technique in playing the bass.

1. Did he always use a pick? He is always talked about as being a 'pick player' but some of the tones(rain) and fast string crossing passages(taxman var riff ) suggest to me that he might have used his fingers as well on some tracks.
Especially since he is such an obvious fan of Jamerson.
If i am right in this summation i would be curious as to which songs he employed these techniques on.

2. When picking did he alternate or downpick?

Thx

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 11:57 am

He used his fingers quite a bit, I would say the majority of The Beatle songs are fingers. I've also seen more pictures of him using fingers than picks. I think his pick songs are obvious like Helter skelter etc. he seemed to use a pick a lot on The White album.

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 12:02 pm

As far as I know he used a pick on everything. There is early live footage of him using his fingers on a slow/mellow tune occasionally, and during parts of the Hello Goodbye video he's using his fingers, but some of it he's using a pick, and they're not really playing I think. Check the Anthology CDs, there's a part where they're rehearsing and Paul doesn't have a pick. He's having a VERY hard time playing without it and a "discussion" ensues between he and John about it.

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 12:04 pm

Bob, you've GOT to be kidding.

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 12:16 pm

Paul was/is primarily a pick user on his basses. The only songs I can think of off the top of my head that were played finger-style are 'Til There Was You' and 'You've Got To Hide Your Love Away'....There are probably more, I'm sure...

frosty · Post by **frosty** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 12:33 pm

Here's a link to a Macca interview. While it's about his guitar playing and not his bass playing it may provide some insight as I'm sure his technique carrys over. He says he plays with a pick but occasionally does some fingerpicking.

http://archive.guitarplayer.com/archive/artists/mccartney90.shtml

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 12:42 pm

Ronn if you are talking about "one after 909", he's just complaining about having to play the same note over and over again, (It's murder!) I didn't hear anything about him not using a pick. I know he used a pick but I also know he played with his fingers quite a bit, you can hear it. And there are many pictures of him like for example on the Magical Mystery Tour album with his psychedelic Ric where he is playing with his fingers.
He uses his fingers on the video for "All You Need is love" doesn't he?
Well if I am wrong I cherish my illusions anyway, haha!

leroy_la_qua · Post by **leroy_la_qua** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 12:46 pm

If he does use a pick on everything then i have to say the man has a bloody impressive picking technique, the variation on the main riff he plays in taxman is very hard to play with fingers let alone a pick. it does sound to my ears as though he uses his fingers on some stuff, i find his lines more condusive to being played with fingers though thats probably because i dont have maccas picking technique.
ive also heard that the rick is alot easier to play with a pick then fingers.
Noone passed comment on the alternate or downpicking part of my post? Thought?
im curious to hear more of your opinions of which of Maccas lines were played with which technique.
Heres a few for starters

Taxman?
Something?
I saw her standing there?

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 1:48 pm

I've always been under the impression he was mostly picks. I saw him on his Driving Rain Tour and he picked almost exclusively. Also, I thought he played guitar on taxman and George bass.

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 2:48 pm

Guys, just watch the Ed Sullivan Show videos, and it'll give you an idea of how he does it. Aside from this there is millions of feet of video of Paul playing his Hofner and his Rickenbacker, MOST of the time with a pick.

Bob, I see him using a pick on 'All You Need Is Love'...

'Taxman','Something', 'ISHST', --ALL with a pick.

apollo11 · Post by **apollo11** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 3:50 pm

Hello,
I think McCartney used a pick almost exclusively. Most video shows him with a pick. I've seen some ballads played with fingers, and he is often high on the fretboard when using fingers.

For the anthology bit, if I remember correctly, McCartney was complaining that the pace was murder and he was having trouble (without a pick?). Lennon is short with him and McCartney says they were left in the bags or van (the picks?).

Also, on Taxman, McCartney played the guitar as an overdub---I'm pretty sure he played the bass, too---not Harrison.

Over the years I've taped many concert videos of McCartney--I've seen him live a few times as well. I don't recall ever seeing him in concert play a song without a pick. Accoustic guitar without one, yes, but not the bass.

A few months ago, I came across the following website about McCartney's bass playing and his role in revolutionizing the way bass is played in rock music---it is a great site---very informative:
http://www.alstrand.com/evolution/introduction.htm

For great insight into his playing, see his latest DVD "Back in the USA." For me, the highlight is All My Loving. Singing and playing one of the great walking bass lines, at the same time, is worth the price of the DVD. Or listen to the CD release---the bass is so deep and crisp, and he never misses a beat. On the DVD there is a video of a soundcheck, and McCartney plays a killer solo on the guitar. Another good video is McCartney Live at the Cavern from a couple years ago---great up-close shots of his bass playing.

Andrew Messer

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 4:52 pm

I must say I am SHOCKED. As a Ric bass fan(I have three currently),and a HUGE Macca fan, and a major Beatle fan, and a bass player in a Beatles tribute band for the last 13 years, and as a left-handed bassist, and as someone who has spent YEARS picking apart Macca's playing, I am AMAZED that anyone who has any idea how to play bass, and even has the slightest clue who The Beatles were could possibly have even the SLIGHTEST idea that Paul mainly played with his fingers as opposed to a pick. You might as well say Ringo didn't use drum sticks.

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 5:19 pm

And Bob, yes I was refering to One after 909. Paul is having problems playing and then says "I haven't got one". What do YOU think he's refering to?

dave4004 · Post by **dave4004** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 5:54 pm

Ringo used drum sticks?

Seriously, I have never seen Paul play without a pick. And though I haven't seen anywhere near as many videos as some of you, and I haven't analyzed his playing like Ronn has, Paul's tone is easily recognizable to my ears as pick tone.

bigbajo60 · Post by **bigbajo60** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 9:23 pm

While I have no doubt that Paul almost always picks on his basses, it was his actual picking technique that always left me scratching my head.

If you review a few pics (Beatles-era, Wings-era, solo), Paul seems to "contort" his picking hand into its playing shape; his fingers all seem to be folded tightly against their inside (palm-side) surface, and then his thumb runs tight against the side of his hand.

The best I could ever determine was that he holds the pick between his "thumbprint" and the side of his "hooked-over" pointer finger.

This might not be a "contortion" for him, but it just don't feel natural to me... "knowhatImeanVern?"