Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

As a Squire-influenced bass player (like many on here, I suspect), I've been playing bass primarily with a pick for about 35 years. Over the years, I've had one or two curious people ask me about the way I play...I primarily use upstrokes, much like I would if playing fingerstyle. Until someone commented on it, I never really thought about doing it that way, I just did it automatically. But apparently most pick bassists don't do it that way...even Bass Player magazine seems to assume downstroke-oriented pick playing:

http://www.bassplayer.com/story.asp?sectioncode=15&storycode=7632

I'm just curious if I am really an anomoly or if there are lots of others who do it this way. I suspect the Ric forum has a lot of pickers, so this shouldn't degenerate into a finger v. pick flamefest here! Obviously, everyone will use both strokes, but if you are just playing one note and letting it sustain, how would you hit it--up or down?

DOWN

I've always picked a Bass like I pick a guitar.

The first stroke is down and second is up. Just like strumming a guitar.

Would depend on where the previous note finished.

I've been using a pick like you for a long time, over the years I've trained myself to use both up and down strokes evenly, so if my last note was a "down", I'd use an up. with most of the pick open to strike.

I also hold my pick in my thumb and index finger, and use my middle and third finger to play fingerstyle, this way I've always access to both styles immeadiately.

Picking in general is a much maligned skill that looks easy at face value, but takes practice to really do well.

I am primarily a finger guy, but some years ago I broke the tip of the middle finger of my plucking hand and had to resort to using a pick for about a year. I play guitar, so it wasn't a hard transition...

As far as I remember I did it like Craig, alternating pick strokes up and down.

up and down, fingers, picks, thumbs, slap, pluck, whack, hammer, ... all in the same song!!!

When I do use a pick, it's mostly down with a few up-strokes thrown in.

Mostly use fingers, but when I pick it's about 75% down, also depending on where the last note was.

"Obviously, everyone will use both strokes, but if you are just playing one note and letting it sustain, how would you hit it--up or down?"

down

Down.

Playing mostly punk/hardcore all my life, on the rare occasion I'd use one I'd use 95% downstrokes and now that I'm playing different stuff I actually use it more (20%?) but thanks to how I picked back then, I'm 27, been playing for 12 years, and I'm just now working on the fine art of alternate picking.

But as for the title question... for one note down. Or like Jeff said, whatever.

When I use a pick (once or twice a year sometimes even more frequently!) I use primarily down strokes, always sounded stronger to me that way, but it may be my lousy technique at upstrokes that's the fault.

I almost always use a pick and because of my Punk roots, almost all downstrokes...In the past few years I've gotten better about upstrokes and now use them about 25% of the time. I love the attack that I can get from picking and, of course, the mute.

always down unless i'm triple picking, though lately i've tried to incorporate more upstrokes into songs that i can use them in.

Okay, it definately looks like I am weird...always nice to confirm that scientifically!