Bass players! Fingers or picks?

[Charger]

So which is it?

Should the bass be played by finger or is it okay to play it with a pick?

I have to say I have always been partial to fingers as it does create a bit heavier/darker sound.

Pick playing tends to be bit more metallic.

That being said some of my favourite bass players do play with a pick like Roger Glover, Lemmy, Tom Araya and David Ellefson.

But then there's Geezer, Steve Harris, Frank Bello and Rudy Sarzy for example who create amazing sounds and atmosphere with fingers...and can also play really fast.


I think that (like in the case of Lemmy) if you are playing the bass more like in an effect of a rythm guitar the pick works better as you can play potentially bit faster and have a more riff-like method.

But if you're playing for atmosphere and more like filling the guitar sound instead of emulating it fingers work better....

But at the same time it is kind of funny that picks are more commonly used by bass players who are playing in bands with TWO guitars, which kind of voids the need for a rythm playing bassist. (like in Slayer or Priest or Megadeth)

Also then there are players that can play super fast with fingers too (like Robert Trujillo) so you don't NEED a pick to play bass fast. But clearly someone like Lemmy who plays super fast with his bass benefits from the useage of a pick.

I think in the end it's probably more about preferance than actual sound, but based PURELY on sound I do prefer finger playing...

What about you guys?

[Zzzptm]

Fingers. That's how I play it. My son, though...

... he picks!

[Jack the Stripper]

Considering that my top 3 favourites all play with fingers, Butler, Harris and Burton I suppose I like finger players but then my next 2 Lemmy and Ellefson play with picks. Finger players always came across as being more technical amd having more character in the playing and you can hear the articulation more through the fingers, but the pick style has a better attack on the strings which makes it more powerful especially for playing metal and sounds cleaner and probably clearer. They can also palm mute the strings like guitarist do which adds that extra heaviness to the music.

Dunno, as long as they’re good players and play with a character and style that stands out I probably don’t mind either way but there’s just something about watching finger players play. Steve Harris and Geezer Butler have always mesmerised me watching their fingers flying and hearing the articulation of their notes.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

I've generally assumed that my favourites play with fingers, but to be fair I have no idea what technique some of my favourites use, but I know that Butler and Geddy Lee use fingers and they're probably my favs.

I'm sure I read somewhere that Butler played at least a part of Iron Man with a pick.

[Vyn]

I'm cool with either. Depends on what atmosphere they're trying to create with the song. Stand up bass is perfect for some things, and so on.

[Charger]

I'm sure I read somewhere that Butler played at least a part of Iron Man with a pick.

I don't know about Iron Man but he does play Children Of The Grave with a pick I think.

[Charger]

Dunno, as long as they’re good players and play with a character and style that stands out I probably don’t mind either way but there’s just something about watching finger players play. Steve Harris and Geezer Butler have always mesmerised me watching their fingers flying and hearing the articulation of their notes.

My sentiments exactly. It's just so awesome to watch the great bass players fingers go...it's insane.