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Question: Why do some bass players play with a pick!?
To me it just seems so wrong, i never seen no-jazz dude play his upright with a pick or his/her 4,5,6 string bass with a pick, its not natural, but if you play anyway good for you, keep it up, just try and put the pick down, dont get me wrong there are many,many bands i like whos bass players pick on bass, but i just dont have the same respect for them as someone who doesn't use it!. TALKING BOUT BASS!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
hey Trebor

I taught my son to play with his fingers!. He started with a pick!. One day I asked him if he could play with 3 picks, wouldn't you be faster!. He looked at me dumbfounded!. Today he plays with the 3 fingers and has amazing speed!.

Oh, his fav bass player!.!.!.respect 'bro!.!.Victor Wooten!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Admittedly, usually i don't play with a pick!. But sometimes i do!. To me its very apples-and-oranges, as the sound of a picked bass is very different!. If you don't like the sound of a picked bass, no shame it in it certainly!. But personally if i *want* that sharp, bright rumble sounds i'll go for it!.

But that's just me!. I don't believe there are good or bad sounds!. I only believe there are sounds that express what i want to express in the moment, and sounds that don't!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Listen to Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead) and Mike Gordon (Phish)!. Both of them have very unique bass playing styles, and they both primarily use a pick!. I guess it depends on personal preference!. Personally, I think a bass should be played with fingers, but here are two examples of some great bassists who use picks!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I think bassists should play with their fingers!.
I, on the other hand, am a guitarist, and I suck at playing fingerstyle!. So whenever I mess around on a bass I play with a pick!.
But I definitely agree that a good bassist should learn to play with their fingersWww@QuestionHome@Com

for most bassists' they just get courious and wanna play with one and start 2 like itWww@QuestionHome@Com

Hi Trebor:

I would imagine its just personal preference!. One of my favorite bass players is primarily a pick player!.!.!.!. Chris Squire from Yes!. He's right up there with Geddy, Flea, Les Claypool!. A few others also come to mind!.!.!.!. the great John Entwistle from the Who,(fingers or pick), Paul McCartney, and Roger Glover of Deep Purple, Ive played bass for over 40 years!. On my upright, fingers only!. On my electric fretless basses, and 6,7,and 9 string basses, fingers only!. I will on occasion use a pick on my 4 and 5 string fretted basses, but not that often!. I also play guitar, so when it comes to finger playing, im able to use 2,3,4,and 5 finger techniques!.
Ive done my fair share of teaching over the years, and while I prefer to see a new student to the bass use fingers, I leave it up to them!. Ya, your definately right about the jazz players!. Ive yet to see one use a pick!. Keep in mind, jazz has been around quite a bit longer than rock, and when jazz music started, the upright bass was all that was available to play!. In the very early days of rock, it was very common to see players not playing an electric bass, but an upright!. Took a while for the electric bass to work its way into rock music!. Same with blues as well!. A lot of the blues bass players still liked the upright!.

As I had mentioned Paul McCartney earlier, he is considered to be the first bass player to really bring the bass to the forefront, and yet, a pick player! There really are no rules that are set in stone!. No ones required to use fingers or a pick!.!.!.!.!. To me!.!.!.find the way that works best for you!.!. and JUST KEEP PLAYIN!
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