Is it easier to play bass with a pick or fingers?
A pick gives you a sharper, more percussive and driving tone and allows you to play faster 8th/16th notes on a single string. Finger plucking gives you a rounder sound and is better for a pocket feel and frequent string changes.
Where should you pick on bass?
The pick is held between the thumb and index finger. Many bass players use this picking grip. When playing with the pick, move your hand from the wrist (do not move your arm). You can support your right hand by placing the palm on the bass guitar body or use your other right hand fingers to rest on the body.
Did Mike Dirnt use a pick?
“I’m still using Fender 45-105 strings, Ultimate Ears for my IEMs and standard yellow [0.73mm] Dunlop Tortex picks. I move my arm a lot, but my sound really comes from my wrist. I like to let the pick move between my thumb, finger and wrist.” Needless to say, Dirnt has acquired some veritable bass gems on his travels.
Why dont bassists use picks?
They don’t like the sound: Picks produce a treble-heavy, defined sound. Although this sound compliments certain genres, some bassists are traditionalists, believing a pick takes away from an authentic sound. If you can shred with a pick, you’ll lay both of these theories to rest.
Is it wrong to play bass with a pick?
Both finger plucking and using picks are perfectly normal ways to play the bass guitar. You can find plenty of examples of famous bassists who use either technique, and there is no harm to using a pick. It won’t damage your strings or create an inferior sound.
How hard do you pluck a bass?
Bass players generally agree that one shouldn’t pluck hard just to get volume. You should generally learn to play with a controlled attack and use your amp for volume. A gentle attack is also best-suited for most types of music. Tone, on the other hand, is largely defined by your pluck.
Does Green Day use a pick?
Billie Joe’s relationship to Dunlop gear goes back to the band’s beginnings—ever since recording Green Day’s groundbreaking record Dookie, he has used Tortex Picks to strum out the band’s memorable and unmistakable chord progressions.
What bass pedal does Mike Dirnt use?
Fender Super 7250
All of Dirnt’s basses, as well as his ’69 P-Bass (“Stella”) and ’71 P-Bass (“the Weapon”), are strung with Fender Super 7250 roundwounds gauged .
Is pick illegal in bass?
Truthfully, there is no right or wrong way to play a bass guitar. There isn’t even a preferred way. Any method you use to get sound out of the thing—fingers, pick, thumb, those weird stick things Tony Levin uses, telekinesis, whatever—works just fine. It’s purely a matter of personal preference.