If you’ve played bass for any length of time, you have no doubt heard the phrase, “real bass players don’t use a pick.”
I don’t know what anyone means by “real bass player”. If you’re a person that picks up a bass guitar and plays it regularly, then you’re a bass player. And of course there are no rules when it comes to bass playing as any bass player knows; you simply use what works best for you.
A large reason why many bass players shun the pick is because they believe it’s only suited to one type of music, that being hard rock or metal. Well, that’s not true and you can use a pick for other styles, such as funk:
Notice however that the type of pick used in the video above isn’t a “bass pick” but rather a guitar pick.
Many bass players who use picks don’t necessarily use the wide type but instead stick to the “351” size (that’s a Fender standard size).
In addition, players who use picks typically stray away from anything that sounds “flappy”. For example, if you attempted to strum a bass with, say, a Fender Classic Celluloid pick, then yeah, you’ll probably break it in short order. But if you use something which can flex properly, not flap as much and keep coming back for more without snapping (such as delrin which is what Dunlop Tortex Standard Picks are made from), that’s something bass players can take to easily and play with confidence.
What pick has the absolute least “flap”?
If you’re entertaining the idea of using a pick but hate the flap/strike noise, the least-flappy are picks made of wood. Thick wooden picks “roll off” the strings almost effortlessly, feel good in the hand and you will barely hear any pick noise when using it.
Said another way, if you want to use a pick where you only hear the hard attack of the string and not the pick itself, wooden picks do the job in fine style. The next best thing are picks made of delrin as mentioned above.
No, it is not a sin to use a pick. You just have to use the right kind that suits what kind of sound you’re going for.
As a bassist I believe we should attempt to be versatile in our sound and playing abilities. I think the negative feedback about pick playing is because it limits what you can do with your right hand and thumb. The more advanced you get as a player, the more you realize how important the right thumb can be. It also limits certain muting and attack abilities and eliminates certain styles of playing. In addition, many guitar players pick up a bass to fill a position in a band and play it like a guitar using the pick attack they are used to. It doesn’t sound right to many bassists and furthers the idea that picks are not acceptable for bass. That being said there are styles that can be best played with a pick- punk, metal, surf and others. If used it must be executed well as it is harder to transmit emotion with a pick. A couple good pick players are Mike Gordon from Phish and “Schools” from Widespread Panic, but there aren’t many in popular music who play more than quarter notes and roots with a pick. In my opinion it should be used as one of many tools in your bass basket- but don’t limit your expressive ability by using it exclusively.
Pick or no pick what the hell does it matter as long as you get it done !! It all depends on what I’m looking for in the sound ! I used a thumb pick that so I could use it and turn around and still use my fingers ! It’s works for me !!
What about Chris Squier of Yes? One of the greatest players ever and has always played with a pick.
Carol Kaye and Bobby Vega. In my opinion, ’nuff said.
Whatever works for the particular player
i use dunlop big stubby nylon, works just fine….