I’m also going through the Groove Trainer, I’m about a third of the way through Module 2 (where the grooves start).
I’m doing both fingerstyle and picked. Once I get the groove down with my fingers, I do it again with a pick. The first grooves were easy, but they do get more challenging as you work through them. Also, the theory section from the first module is reinforced during the grooves. When Mark goes over the grooves, he explains the theory behind their construction.
Back when I was in a band (1984) I switched between pick and finger as was needed by me. My guitarist used a heavy teardrop shaped white pick and convinced me to split a gross of them. I hated them and every once in a while find one kicking around.
I only using fingers in the B2B. I use a large thin triangular shaped pick when playing guitar but the same shape and heavy for bass. Not sure I will pick on bass again.
@Andrea_FI and @DirkTungsten thanks so much for sharing your Groove Trainer experiences! I really like how Mark explains theory so it’s good to hear how it’s integrated into the grooves.
Finally getting the hang of it. @bella inspired me to play some AC/DC after listening to her covers. Cliff Williams plays (seemingly) mostly with a pick and a lot a root note chugging. Great way to get comfy with the pick. Have played Shot Down in Flames and What Do You Do For Money to completion. For sure need some refining but working it out. Gotta say, it’s a cool way to play with the right song
I have done some little progress with the pick. I haven’t practiced it enough yet, because I have other bass exercises to practice. But from time to time I try the pick.
It is weird how some days one pick is best, and some days a different pick works best for me. I don’t know why, but my guess is I’m always holding the pick a little differently each time, I mean, I haven’t found the best way to hold it, or maybe I have, and I forget it. Who knows. I keep making mistakes. A lot.
Apparently I shouldn’t type on my phone too much. I noticed when I have to send too many WhatsApp or Signal messages, later my right hand hurts (sometimes the wrist, sometimes the fingers). This was one of those weeks. Very stressful and unending exchange of messages with an aging parent who is getting forgetful and angry. So having to explain things again and again. But, to keep a long story short, now I can’t pluck with my fingers for a while (my hand, fingers and wrist hurt).
However, I noticed I can practice with a pick instead! It is a different movement and felt OK. So today I practiced Blitzkrieg Bop by the Ramones, at a slower tempo. And it was fun! Then I tried some other songs at a very slow tempo. (Now my plucking hand’s shoulder hurts The curse of hypermobility!)
But, it seems I might still learn to play with a pick with time.
I’ve managed to become decent with a pick, although I used a pick back when I played guitar so I’m not starting from scratch either. It’s different though, you have to pay more attention to muting so you don’t anchor the same way. I did the last cover I recorded (Lucretia My Reflection) with a pick and that really helped get back up to speed.
I’ve experimented with different picks and I think I’ve settled on thinner picks than I used with guitar. Blue Tortex (1.0mm) were my favorites on guitar, but for bass I like the green Tortex (0.88mm) or heavy Fender celluloid picks, which I think are about the same thickness. Interesting, I would have assumed I’d go even thicker on bass because of the thicker strings.
That’s a great cover! You are a lot better with a pick than I am. I need a lot more practice.
This song seems to be a great choice for practice. At the moment I’m trying with songs that don’t need much string changing. Two adjacent strings is perfect to practice. I would eventually like to learn how to strum and play something like Love Will Tear Us Apart.
My choice of pick goes back and forth. I noticed I’ve played more with a Tortex Flex 1.0 mm, and a Tortex Dunlop 1.14 mm, but for some reason yesterday the Dunlop Max-grip 1.0 was the only one that worked, not because of the grip though, but maybe because of the shape of the edges and the flexibility.
When I started to learn to use a pick, my yellow Dunlop .73 mm was the only one I liked. I think maybe I’m always holding the pick at a slightly different angle or something, so I need a lot of picks to try, as I never know which one will do.
I also imagined thicker strings would be easier to play with thicker picks, but it seems to vary a lot from person to person.
And muting, I’m practicing that, and it is so different with a pick. I’m muting the E string with the side of the picking hand. Many people do it with the fretting hand’s thumb, but I find that a little difficult.
I tend to deliberately hold the pick different for different songs. I hold it different when I do a song with all down picking. For alternate picking, the way Josh shows how to hold it works quite well, for downpicking, holding it more like a pen works well for me. I tend to hold my pick more in between those two extremes, though, shifting more to one or the other depending on what I am playing.
I struggle with my wrists all the time, as I am a software developer and am typing a lot. I think the key thing is: Always make sure to rest your wrists in between. I had the tendency that while I am reading something or thinking, my hands were still hovering over the keyboard or the mouse, still tense, so I can start typing or moving the mouse immediately. This is a killer for your wrists.
Now I always make sure to make a conscience effort to relax my wrists when I read something, or even just in between, give them at least a few seconds of total rest.
Thanks! Chugging on one or two strings is a good pick workout, the real challenge with Lucretia is being consistent for the entire song. U2 - With or Without You from the song pack would be another good one for practice.
just out of interest,how are most of you anchoring when using the pick? i find myself mainly keeping pinky on G string, but i also try to mute with the outside of the hand too on the E and A but sometimes find myself accidentally muting the A if im playing a note on it.
i find it easier muting if im finger plucking, but just curious as to techniques for using the pick.
Most often with the side of my hand on the bridge. Then I shift positions to achieve more or less palm muting of different strings either for palm-muting effect, or just general open string muting.
When I’m going HAM for acrobatic strumming/hits, I’m resting my forearm on the body of the bass to keep a sense of alignment.
I have a question about strumming. I’m still practicing to get better at playing with a pick, and my tone is still uneven and I make mistakes, but I’m getting better.
I would like to give a go to some songs that demand strumming, but it seems more difficult than it looks like.
For instance the song in this video. It is an “easy song”, and I can see how he’s playing, and mostly it is 2 strings played at once, and sometimes one open string is picked, followed by 2 strings being strummed. I can’t get the technique right. When I try, I hear more the lower string, which means I’m not strumming both evenly. I can’t get them both to sound right.
What kind of pick is better for this? How thick? What angle? I also find it hard to pluck normally an open string and then strum 2 strings. This alternates during the whole song. Which is good for practice. This song might be awesome for practicing. I can’t believe how much I suck at this!
I would like to be able to play Love Will Tear Us Apart, by Joy Division, but I can’t even attempt it before I manage to play this simpler song.
Any tips for picking and strumming are greatly appreciated!
It’s also because the lower note will sound louder and cut through more.
Totally personal. For me, I like a somewhat thinner pick (.7) for playing “chords” with. It’s just a bit easier for me to strum. I play those somewhere between flat and 45 degrees. Play around with it and find where it sounds good to you.
We all suck at it until we get comfortable doing it. I still suck at it. Love will tear us apart is a hard song to get right. Keep finding songs (easier than that one) and work up to it. She’s Lost Control is a good one, also the one I just posted over the weekend, Only Shallow by My Bloody Valentine is worth looking at. The verse is all chords but they’re static and a decent pace. You aren’t trying to play them at 150 bpm.
The biggest tip I can give is to try and find the sweet spot between gripping the pick tightly enough that you don’t drop it but relaxing your hand while you strum so it sounds decent.
The curse of hypermobility!)
