Real bassists don’t use picks… except for when they do (a lot). Let’s bust this myth and find out how to play bass with a pick.
By the end of this lesson you’ll be able to answer these questions when your dumb (but endearing) friends ask you them:
Okay seriously, do legit bassists use a pick?
Why in god’s name would you want to use a pick?
Picking the right pick (so you can pick while you pick)
How to hold these weird little triangles
Basic bass picking technique
Different (pick) strokes for different (bass) folks
If you’re doing the Beginner to Badass course… this lesson is highly irrelevant, because I demand that you learn to use your fingers through the whole course until the pick masterclass in Module 16.
Alright @terb, our resident pick evangelist, how did I do? :PPP
Nice! Great coverage. Hopefully you’ll encourage some more pick players
I think the only nit I would pick (sorry!) is that I would consider 1.0mm Tortex to be a medium pick for bass, not heavy - dead average. It happens to be my favorite but it’s right in the middle of the range I would consider viable. Generally .88-1.2mm is what I would consider a nice middle range of thickness.
I liked the description of Economy Picking - good to have a name for it!
Great video! I especially like the more detailed explanations of how to hold the pick and how to attack the string. In my opinion, this video explains those concepts better than the pick module in the B2B course.
Some guys like Davie504 HATE the pick being dedicated slappers and tappers but there are some who swear by it like Rick Savage of Def Leppard, and even Cliff Williams uses the pick a lot.
I’m trying to use a pick. It hadfully evaded me. I got thumbpicks and it improved immensely. I actually like the difference in sound. I’m still a fingerstyle guy, but I’ll play with it.
Sweet, new.
This looks interesting.
I prefer fingers, but find somethings really hard to impossible to play with fingers.
This should help.
Thanks @JoshFossgreen
I go back and forth from pick to fingers and haven’t really decided which method I like best. I did do one of my covers with a pick (Psycho Killer), and it seems to have come out okay.
After much experimenting, I’ve settled on 1.14 tortex or ultex as my favorite.
I can’t wait to watch the video. When I get to a point where I’m able to play bass again, I’ll focus on my pick playing again.
Great video @JoshFossgreen! Will incorporate in my practice regimen as able.
Thinking now I really should have tried a pick with Alternate picking on that last cover I did of Killing Floor - as technically, there was a triplet in there that I played as a double (theory is escaping me right now, so I can’t think of the proper term).
