There is an opinion among some musicians that bassists who use picks are not true bassists, yet some of the greatest bassists like Mike Dirnt, David Ellefson, Paul McCartney and Chris Squire all employ picks as part of their skill set.
Use of a pick can open up new horizons for bassists. It can make the instrument sound brighter while cutting through mixes more efficiently than fingerstyle playing alone.
Ronnie Wood
Ronnie Wood has become known for playing bass using a pick, yet not all bassists opt to do the same. Some believe using a pick ruins an authentic sound and that playing without one is more honest approach to playing the instrument. But many bassists have successfully utilized picking throughout their careers – among them John Deacon from Queen and Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers as examples.
An unconventional bassist who chooses to use a pick can find that playing with one helps them stand out in a mix as it allows for more precise mutes and articulations, creating a harder sound that may be useful in certain genres of music. But it is crucial that they understand how picking affects their overall tone as this choice could alter it significantly.
Use of a pick can also make playing fast bass lines simpler for bassists, making this practice especially useful for musicians in rock bands or genres that demand fast bass lines. Without using your fingers to do it yourself, keeping up with fast basslines could prove daunting and cause frustration for musicians who use fingers exclusively when it comes to playing fast lines can become extremely challenging.
Bassists who utilize a pick may also benefit from its use for controlling how much gain their bass uses – this may prove especially helpful when working with producers who wish to increase distortion levels on their instrument.
Wood started his musical career as a guitarist before transitioning into bassist with the Rolling Stones in 1976 after playing with various bands such as Jeff Beck Group and Small Faces. Additionally, he recorded several solo albums during this time including 1981’s 1234 and 1988’s Standing and Plugged In.
Ronnie Wood was born in Hillingdon, London, England in 1947 to water gypsies living on canal boats and developed an early passion for art and music through drawing, painting and studying at Ealing Art College. At age 18 he joined his first band The Birds before eventually joining The Rolling Stones as their frontman.
Mike Gordon
Michael Gordon is an American bass guitarist known for using a pick to produce sharper tones that cut through the mix. Although best-known as one of the founding members of Phish, he is also well-versed in other music forms including banjo, piano and visual art – in addition to authorship and filmmakerry. Gordon draws heavily upon country influences while using pick to achieve sharper tones that cut through mixes better. His musical career includes stints with Phish, Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann’s SerialPod band as well as Ramble Dove honky tonk band among others.
Many bassists use a pick to allow for faster playing; however, there are those who prefer fingerstyle playing due to its sound and feel. Both methods offer their own benefits; it all comes down to each individual player.
Some musicians may prefer one method over the other, while others switch it up depending on the situation – for instance, bassists often switch between playing with pick and fingerstyle for live shows. It is essential to fully comprehend each technique so as to determine which will best meet your needs.
Some bassists advocate that all bassists use only their fingers. Such musicians have been referred to as “fingerstyle snobs”; they typically consider pick-playing inferior to fingerstyle. Yet many great bassists do use picks; there may be various reasons for doing so.
One reason bassists may switch between picking and fingerstyle is due to different genres requiring different attacks. For instance, metal bassists usually prefer picking as it produces more aggressive sounds without harmonic overtones as would otherwise occur with fingerstyle playing.
Joe Bonamassa
Joe Bonamassa was born to play blues music – an artform which requires both finesse and dexterity. Growing up in Utica, New York he began learning the guitar at age three before beginning professional performances by age fourteen, inspired by artists like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Clapton. Soon enough his prodigious abilities had earned him spots in veteran Nashville bassist bands – while at the same time making an imprintful mark as an artist himself.
Bonamassa has released several albums under his own name since 2002, beginning with 2002’s So, It’s Like That and followed it up in 2003 with producer Kevin Shirley’s Blues Deluxe release. 2007 brought forth more muscular releases like You & Me and more acoustic ones such as Sloe Gin.
Bonamassa and drummer Kevin Shirley collaborated again in 2010 on SeeSaw and its accompanying live concert doc, Live from Nowhere in Particular. He also contributed his talents for Mahalia Barnes’ Betty Davis tribute Ooh Yea! and recorded Different Shades of Blue alongside veteran Nashville songwriters.
Arguments surrounding bass players using picks have long been ongoing. Some argue that their use is cheating; in reality it comes down to personal preference and what feels best for you. Picks may help speed development more rapidly than with fingers alone while giving a cleaner sound overall.
Bassists should experiment with both picking and fingerstyle techniques until they find one that best suits their musical genre and performance environment – for instance, metal bassists may prefer using picks as it allows them to produce louder and more defined sounds than fingerstyle playing can produce.
Paul McCartney, Mike Dirnt (Green Day), Carol Kaye, Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead and Ian Hill from Deep Purple are among many famous bassists who primarily use picks as bass instruments; other successful ones such as John Deacon of Queens of the Stone Age and Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers who primarily employ fingers are John Deacon of Queens of the Stone Age and Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers respectively.
John Petrucci
John Petrucci is an American bass guitarist and songwriter best known as one of the founding members of progressive metal band Dream Theater. Additionally, he performs alongside Jordan Rudess, Mike Portnoy, and Tony Levin as part of their popular side project known as Liquid Tension Experiment.
John is also the founder of Sound Mind Music, which released his debut solo album Suspended Animation with guest musicians such as legendary drummer Dave LaRue and bassist Chris Squire in 2005.
Over the years, John has collaborated with numerous celebrated artists and has made appearances on many notable albums. Additionally, he has performed worldwide as part of various projects and festivals supporting them.
John has not only contributed his skills and talent to Dream Theater but has also released two solo albums. Additionally, he performed on Joe Satriani’s G3 tour alongside Eric Johnson, Paul Gilbert, and Steve Lukather.
Although debate over using a pick or not when playing bass may never end, both methods offer several distinct advantages. Picks can add more definition and treble-heavy sound to your playing, which may complement certain genres. Furthermore, some bassists find the feel of using one makes them better bass players while some dislike picking due to believing it reveals an absence of skills and dedication on their part.
As with any musical instrument, there is no one right way to play bass. From using or not using a pick, to slapping and tapping techniques or electric bass, acoustic bass or U-bass, everyone has an opportunity to find their own style and succeed with it. Whatever method you select it’s important that regular practice takes place so that your style becomes second nature when performing live; successful bassists often switch between picking and fingerstyle throughout their careers without issue; whatever route you take be sure that whatever method chosen have fun while learning!