McCartneys Pick Technique?

leroy_la_qua · Post by **leroy_la_qua** » Thu May 06, 2004 5:03 pm

I just bought the Beatles anthology dvd this week.
Talk about amazing footage. It was interesting to check out Pauls technique. He seems to hold the pick in an unusual manner..any thoughts on this?
His pick motion as well seems very economical...from what i can tell he tends to use downpicking as opposed to alternate picking...i also noted that he does indeed use fingers on some songs (the slower ballady stuff)positioning his thumb on the actual fretboard ala Stanley Clarke and upright bass players.
His right hand technique is also interesting..he tends to play in a very unique way. Im interested to hear your thoughts on Maccas left and right hand technique.
On a random note listened to the song Nowhere Man last night...superb melodic bass playing...forgot how much i love that song.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Fri May 07, 2004 11:11 am

During the 60's when I was a young aspiring bass player, he was the king, he influenced everyone just about back then which of course continues to this day. There aren't many bass players playing today who don't have at least a small part of McCartney in their playing whether they know it or not.

beatlefan · Post by **beatlefan** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 1:44 am

I'm almost positive that Paul used alternate the picking technique on most of the faster bass lines...I am amazed at his right hand movement up and down the fretboard!! It seems his fingers show hardly any movement other than sliding back and forth across the fretboard, it's hard to tell which finger is pressing what string/fret....amazing...

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 9:12 am

He had a great fretting style, very unique especially for back then. He also started the whole boomy one octave up high note thing IMHO.
Like in Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

beatlefan · Post by **beatlefan** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 9:21 am

I agree Bob....
I especially like the bass line from "A Little Help From My Friends".....

teeder · Post by **teeder** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 9:38 am

"A little Help From My Friends" What a tone too!
"Penny Lane, Hey Bulldog"
I like all those little fills in "I Want You (she's so heavy)"!!!
There's just too many to name!

byu · Post by **byu** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 12:18 pm

"Hey Bulldog" is one of his finest lines IMO.

beatlefan · Post by **beatlefan** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 8:35 am

I was just listening to "Hey Bulldog" this morning on my commute to work....It is an especially cool riff...

teeder · Post by **teeder** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 9:01 am

If you have a copy of the Anthology DVD, check out the Lady Madonna clip. They are actually working on Hey Bulldog while filming. They show a shot of some notebook paper laying on a mic. If you stop the disc you can read some of the lyrics to Bulldog!

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 5:59 pm

"Rain" really caught my ear the first time I heard it, the 60's were a great time for bass players, the bass was often times the loudest thing in the mix (that is until John Bonham came along), and there were also a lot of one line solos in pop songs.

80stingray · Post by **80stingray** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 7:18 am

Paul being primararly a guitarist who switched to bass played with a very guitaristic flair and coupled with the short scale and thin hofner neck led him to play in way "normal" bass players may not have played. His lines higher on the neck like Rain are especially attributed to this.

byu · Post by **byu** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 8:31 am

It seems to me that he didn't really start going high until he got the Ric. The Hofner would play out of tune up high.

80stingray · Post by **80stingray** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 9:29 am

If you watch the anthology dvd, Paul mentions the fact that he watched footage of Let It Be and attributed his playing guitaristic lines up on the neck to the Hofner being "a light little bass".

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 5:37 am

Having had a Hofner, I might add that high notes have a nice ring and sustain to them as well as a natural overdriven sound. I am completly enamoured with these little guitars.

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 5:40 am

P.S. I'd assume on a lower powered amp, the high notes would be the only way of being heard, as I assume Mr. Mac might not have had a lot of juice to cut through in the early days. Higher notes on the Hofner cut through better.