Fingers vs. picks?

[Whoopysnorp]

The description of this very forum mentions this topic but I don't think it's been covered here. Does anybody here use fingers or picks exclusively? At one time I used to consider fingers the only real way to play bass and looked down my nose at people who used picks, until I started hearing some really great sounds from bassists who use picks (Tom Fowler and Scott Thunes from Zappa's bands, Jim Smith from Cardiacs, Rob Wright from NoMeansNo, etc etc). I've warmed up to using picks on some of my songs and now I think that's the only way to get that kind of force and power from a bass. I still think some basslines sound more appropriate played traditionally with fingers, though. What's everybody's take on this?

[GearJunkie]

i play about 75% of my songs with my fingers, but some songs need a pick. having a bass with P and J pickups on it, i'll use the P bass for the fat, rounder fingerstyle stuff, and switch to the J for the bitey, rock oriented pick stuff.

[smopo24]

i wish i could play with my fingers as well as with a pick; but that's not to be (for now)....but i prefer the sound of a picked bass on record most times anyways. a picked bass has a faster attack and easier time cutting through other tracks. but nothing impresses more than a bassist with finesse and good fingerstyle live!

[dolivas]

What little bass I do play I use fingers just because I like to have a more muted bass sound with a little bit more sustain and drawned out attack.

[dagosto]

I play with a pick most of the time because I prefer the sound for rock and I can play a little faster and louder for longer periods that way.

I use fingers for hip-hop and dub beats. Sometimes I just use my thumb and play all rest strokes to get something in between the two. I can't play very fast with this technique.

[Whoopysnorp]

I'm trying to master the technique of tucking the pick up under my ring finger when I don't want to use it so I can keep my index and middle fingers free for plucking, and then I'd already have the pick in hand when needed. This may be too much of a pain to really work though.

[dolivas]

Originally Posted by Whoopysnorp

I'm trying to master the technique of tucking the pick up under my ring finger when I don't want to use it so I can keep my index and middle fingers free for plucking, and then I'd already have the pick in hand when needed. This may be too much of a pain to really work though.

I know this would be unorthodox but have you tried a thumb pick? I play just standard electric guitar that way most of the time. I have the pick on the thumb for when I want short stabbing notes or play chords but i have my fingers lose to do very intricate pick patterns. Im not a good bass player since Im not classically trained to play it but does that sound like a good idea?

[Professor Riffs]

In my opinion, it's foolish to leave out any option, on any instrument. Picks & fingers on bass sound totally different, so if you automatically exlude one you're leaving out a whole lot of tonal options. Maybe a pick instead of fingers will make that track you've been working on suddenly come alive, but you'd never know because you've already decided that it's fingers or nothing. And that, my friends, is the poops.

[Gareth*]

I play with fingers almost exclusively. I like the sound of both but I can't play fast stuff with a pick as of yet. If I could only do one, I would pick fingers because it pretty much works for everything and a pic seems to work only in rock and similar genres.

[Nubus]

Both. The guy in Ruins was really good at that trick where he would hold the pick between his pinky and ring finger during the finger parts, then fling it into the index and thumb for the pick parts. AMAZING to watch. Practice it.