Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Yeah bob is right i believe. He plays with his finger by the neck. Using the next as a thumb rest i believe. Even if he played with a pick.... doesnt matter i still would of liked his stuff.

At 1st i hated pick players but after awhile I opened up to it and decided it would be useful to know how to play with one.

Yeah, I used to be one of those guys who say a person playing with a pick and scoffed, "Wow, are you stupid or just too lazy to learn to play with your fingers?" Obviously, that was a stupid attitude. The important things are the sound you're going for, the style of music you're playing it in, and your comfort. If you can get a pick to sound like you're using your fingers (via lots of tweaking of the EQ), use a pick by all means for stuff that would normally be fingerstyle. Just don't limit yourself because of the preconceptions of others.

I'm trying to teach myself to pick, but with limited success. I just want to be able to get that "pick noise" bit down, because I think that that sounds very cool in the right situation. I can actually get "Roundabout" to sound great using my fingers, but still, it's not the same without a pick, so I'm pushing myself a bit more.

Slapping for me is one of those things that I think is cool and useful, but too many people overdo it. It's "THE THING" to do right now, so every young bass player is like, "Teach me how to slap!" I really don't care to learn it, though, I'm sure one day I'll make an effort. Right now, I'm not really interested.

Iv been playing for a year and a half. So far iv used just about only my fingers. I practice with pick some on my own. My teacher just now showed me the bassist to slap. Without my asking by the way. Which i think is pretty kool. Alot of young players like you said thats all they know how to play. Most of them cant play with their fingers. And whatever happened to having form? They make it harder then it has to be. Im thankful my teacher made me work on form cause it made playing fretless alot easier.

I use softer derlin picks ... they don't sound as harsh ...

I would say 95% of bassist's use fingers nowadays

Maybe in your world, Bob. Or maybe on the Boston scene. But when I see a rock band, locally or on TV, I'd say at least 75% of the time the bassist is using a pick.

Let's face it. There are plenty of fingerstyle rockers (myself included) but there are very few non-rock pickstyle bassists. That's just the way it is.

Picks mean rock. And, no surprise, many anti-pick bigots I've met are also anti-rock snobs.

But to get back to Christopher's original question: bias or not, if a teacher won't teach you a style you want to learn, look for another teacher.

I don't care if you pluck with your toes, if you're good! McVie only plays with one finger and he does tons of tripletts/sixteenth note thingies! I play a little rhythm guitar and the ability to cross pick or double pick comes in handy once in a while on the bass. I do a thing on a ballad that is just the root - fifth - octave. A pick makes that arpeggio ring out like my fingers never could! I refuse to slap (it's a religious thing) {:^). So count me in the class that says whatever it takes!(except for my slap decision)!!!!!

If there was any anti-pick snobbery in this thread it certainly wasn't from me as I use them sometimes and I haven't seen it from anyone else either. I stated my opinion earlier and won't waste my time repeating myself. I really don't care if people play with their elbows or knee caps to tell you the truth. I think another poll is called for, haha!

Against your religion? Oh well. As important as religion is... if it gets in the way of my bass then its out of here. Music is more important to me then any god. If i end up in hell well i be saying that? That depends if the devil is as good at that fiddle as i heard he is.

Fiddle or Harp.... hmm i wonder.

Bob, I didn't mean to imply any snobbery from you or anyone else in this thread. But they're out there in the world, no doubt about it.

I think you should start a poll on whether or not you should be allowed to start any more polls. But only if you agree to abide by the results.

Hey Dave, I think you are right, and I'll keep looking for a more open-minded teacher(BTW, I don't care if he/she is a fingerstyle bassist, just open-minded).

Hey, how's about a Picks vs. Roundwounds vs. fingers vs. flats vs. tubes vs. solid-state vs. oatmeal discussion?

I had a teacher for a month who was very biased. It had nothing to do with playing a bass and/or using a pick. His bias had everything to do with me playing left-handed.

speaking of polls, I gotta go check my new poll at the Ric forum Dave moderates at the Dudepit, haha!

Ok all you pickers! We have a fingers, pick, slap, showoff, poll at Al's Nudie Bar at the Dudepit, go check it out and stack the deck if you like, haha!

"My teacher just now showed me the bassist to slap. "

So, who did he say to slap?