4 Killer Exercises To Whip Your Pick Playing Into Shape! Bass Lesson with Scott Devine
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- Опубліковано 23 жов 2014
- Using a plectrum to play bass!...
Surely not?! ;)
Well actually, if you're aiming to be a versatile and in demand bass player you certainly should be able to play bass using a plectrum (also commonly referred to as a pick).
Just as an example of how effective using the plectrum can be when playing bass I recommend checking out Carol Kaye, Bobby Vega, Chris Squire, Steve Swallow and Justin Chancellor. All are phenomenal bass players... and all of them play with a plectrum.
Unfortunately playing bass with a plectrum has a certain stigma attached to it. In the past I've heard crazy statements such as "you're not a real bass player if you play with a pick"... which is completely untrue. In the video below I explain where this stigma has originated from - and why you should completely ignore it.
With many of students I've worked in the past with I've seen constant bad habits and incorrect techniques when using a plectrum. In this lesson I'm going to show you 4 exercises that you can apply straight away to help you clean up your picking technique.
As always, see you in the shed...
Scott :)
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Paul McCartney, Peter Hook, Jason Newsted, David Ellefson, Noel Redding, Eric Avery, Matt Freeman, Nick Oliveri, Mike Dirnt, Justin Chancellor, Paul D'Amour, Carol Kaye. All brilliant musicians.
Mark hoppus mainly uses a pick
... and Bruce Foxton not to forget. A Jam tune played with fingers misses the salt in the meat compared to played with a plectrum. But that's only my opinion.
lamboman68 hahaha mark hoppus is a terrible example to use. He sucks
Krist Novoselic
Mister Chris Squire.
Scott that's for this lesson on pick playing with bass...I've been playing bass for 32 years.but I'm a finger player and enjoyed it . but recently I got injured in my right hand. and heavy depression set in.I never been away from my bass for more then 2 days . I don't want antidepressants.. it knocks my timing off. I saw your video on bass with a pick. it's hard to do my regular practice at home. but I'm trying and my depression has since gone.....for now. I hope to be back and do my playing but now with a pick. .
Hope it's all good
ermonski thanks.. Its something that many people dont understand. An instrument . does wonders..
Cruise Angel you’ll be back- John Wetton went through the same- and changed to pick for the duration of his career
Jason Rosner- Bass wow. Its nice to hear that. I didnt know. Jason thanks for the encouraging words again thank you
Jason Rosner- Bass i was checked out and was found i had a small bone in my hand that was shifted and it was surgically fixed
"4 Killer Exercises To Whip Your Pick Technique On Bass Into Shape"... bass peeps... here's a brand new bass lesson! ua-cam.com/video/tu7FlXKGXdY/v-deo.html
I use 2.0mm Dunlop plectrums. Those and also I have some cool ones that were made from recycled vinyl records. They are 2.0 as well.
mugglesmonster Also, Dave Ellefson of Megadeth uses that dampening technique when he plays too. I could never get used to it.
mugglesmonster same :D they give you a much more aggressive tone compared to a slimmer one... say, a 0.80mm vs a 1.5mm... I prefer to use between a 1.20mm and 2.10mm pick and sometimes a 0.85mm for lighter stuff, like certain variants of alt rock...
***** I can answer that... he has a neurological skin condition... he wears the gloves to protect his hands and his strings a bit
hi Scott ,I'm learning bass and I find more difficult for me to play with a pick rather than fingerstyle technique .. Should I keep on practicing with the pick?
I can't understand the prejudice towards using a pick...coming from punk/hardcore, I thought using a pick WELL was the way to go, and any "only fingers" ppl were just school band nerds, ha!
i grew up thinking this too hahah. Fingers can be badass too
JuanPablo RB I mean Jason Jewsted played with pick, Lemmy Kilmister
@@SebastianGonzalez-cf1jl Using a Pick might help cause once you upgrade to a 5 String Bass, the spacing of the strings is smaller, & a pick will make it easier to get around that.
@@macdonald715 ah yes, jewsted.
I wanted to applaud you for this video. I use primarily a pick... and people have constantly called me a poser because of it. I have just always used a pick and enjoy the tone better
I'm way better with my fingers. I'm trying to get better with a pick. Thanks for this!
As a musician you should always strive to be as versatile as you can be. I'm guilty of not practising using a plectrum often but I am constantly evaluating my playing. What don't I do well?, what haven't I practised in a while?, what genres have I not explored?, When was the last time I played in 12/8? Then I sit down and find a way to use that technique. Don't limit yourself!
Fantastic video as ever Scott :)
Cheers Terence! :)
Sorry to be a pleb, but I'm one of those that came to bass from guitar and I only use a pick. But I mostly play pop punk/metal. The sound of a pick on a slightly overdriven P bass IS what a bass is supposed to sound like to me. So much more satisfying than the sound of a good guitar even. I'm happy to call bass my primary instrument now.
I've never really had an issue with using a plectrum. I play in a rock band where I only use a plectrum because it's appropriate for the style. I also play in a ska / reggae band and a Peter Gabriel tribute band where I only use my fingers (although I should really be using Funk Fingers and a bow too for the PG stuff!). It's just a matter of using the right tool for the job! I've never understood the silly argument against using a plectrum on bass.
Thanks for watching Mat! :)
Scott's Bass Lessons I watch every lesson Scott. Always useful! I'd love to see what you could do with some Tony Levin Funk Fingers! ;)
I spent the first year of my bass playing using only fingers, then I trained myself how to use a pick and now honestly I play mostly with a pick. Fingers are still awesome and I like to slap a bit, but to me the tone and feel of using a pick is just the best to me. This is a really great way to train your wrist to play with a pick because it is really difficult at first :)
Should've talked more about one of the most important things when you're starting to learn pick playing, and that is how to mute the string. Not palm muting but just muting the strings after playing regularly
YES! Exactly right.
I agree. Playing with fingers you have 10 options for muting. Using a pick, you can still use left hand muting, but I think it's slightly different than using your fingers and you need to coordinate with your right hand palm. I like the sound of playing really hard with the pick, I have found that I have really had to up my game on my muting for it to work.
Can you link me a video for that topic?
Ive been looking all day. This is the best one I have found so far. you have to watch for a few minutes before he gets to that topic. ua-cam.com/video/LQANg6fX2kg/v-deo.html Sorry Scott, you have let us down.
Was just looking into the difference between flatwound and roundwound bass strings and loved the tone people got when they played flats with a pick. I've decided to pick up some flats and, since im only a fingerstyle player, learn how to play with a pick so thanks a lot for this lesson; it's helped a bunch!
Dude. I literally put on some rotosound flats on my p bass a few months ago and have now gotten into picked playing. It does sound awesome! The combination of the mellower/more muted sound of flats with the pick is great.
BRAVO, good sir! BRAAAAVO! Finally, someone with clout comes out and says...It's OK to use a pick! The only thing you are doing is changing the tonality of what your playing (and in some cases....adding a little speed)! Thank you! Great lesson!
For rock and metal I like the consistency and bright tone a pick gives. I can't really manage the fast gallops or anything with fingerstyle. For rnb disco and funk i use fingers. Just different tools for the job.
haha, I was playing with my pick during this intro and just as you show the one you use is exactly the same Jazz III pick i was holding.
Great lessons! :)
Thanks a bunch. I'm a guitar player and a purist so I thought I had to play with my fingers only. Using a pick has me actually play instead of going nuts with the fingers.
my problem is my hand gets tired quickly after picking fast for 10 seconds
Braden Vassov the more you practice the more you become comfortable and the less energy exerted progressively on the same amount of picking.
I'm figuring this out. Older metallica, testament as two examples has a lot of very fast gallops and downstrokes. I do a lot of metronome drills, but as time goes on, fatigue is less and less. Just keep at it!
Stick with fingers
at the end of the day it doesn’t matter how u do it, it’s the sound it makes that is important
Absolutely
simple and ez to do. get your chops back up boys! it's 2019, it's the season to make it. thanks man!
Justin Chancellor from Tool uses a pick and he is one of the best you'll ever hear,Anthony Jackson the legend himself does,plenty of great players use one.I don't get this snobbery towards pick players.I'm about 85% Finger ,15% Pick.
Anthony Jackson is soooooo good with a pick! Thanks for watching man :)
To me it doesn't feel right to play bass with a pick.
I worked hard to finger pluck my bass using my thumb and all 4 fingers so it almost feels like blasphemy.
Kind of like when I play guitar, I use a pick always, wether a flat, jellifish, bumblebee or just a quarter from my pocket.
I know that's irrational but I'm sure there's a lot of musicians out there as irrational as myself.
I'm with you, jplb96 (and also go about 85/15). I understand that certain people prefer to play solely with their fingers, but I don't get why some of them feel the need to put down those playing with a pick. As Scott mentioned at the beginning of the video, you get tones that you won't get with your fingers.
SrTubular YES! I actually like playing with fingers, but sometimes you just want the attack and brightness only a pick can give you :-)
Justin Chancellor is a genius...
Thanks. I can use a pick ok on bass but I learned acoustic (you don't use a pick on that) And I'm now learning to use a pick in electric as I just played with my fingers. This helped me even on electric so thank you :)
4:05 after the 3 notes, you filled my head for the rest of my day with processed beats by Kasabian
For a suggestion on picks: my favorite pick to use would be an Adam Clayton Raven pick. They're large so you have plenty of room to dig in and they don't really get rid of any punch in your tone.
I started playing bass a few months ago, and started out using my fingers. And I can already tell, I'm a natural with fingers, I find it much easier. But I really want to get into the pick, since my 2 favorite bass players (so far) are Paul McCartney and Chris Squire. And, I just think the pick is cool. :)
Your videos are helping me a lot, thanks!
Hey... great to hear you've decided to be a bass player! You're gonna have a ton of fun! :)
Thanks fir the lesson scott. I wanted to start practicing pick
Awesome. Thanks for watching :)
A few years ago my friend had a car crash, and broke his right arm. One of solutions he found was a thumb pick. After a while i experimented with it, and found it great! It took me about two weeks to make it sound fluently, changing between fingers and plucking. So, i recommend to try it out :) It is fun
Great exercises. Thanks a lot
Using a Pick is great cause once you get to Basses that have 5 (or more) Strings which are very heavy, the strings are going to be closer together which means you might find it easier to play with a Pick. Using a Pick is great for Double Bass players that wanna play a 2nd Instrument & for Guitarists it's great to be able to use a Pick the bow is a tricky little piece of work.
My friend your the best. I’ve learned so much from you, thank you
Big up dude!
Those are all good exercises which are also described in the book, "Mel Bay Encyclopedia of Bass Chords, Arpeggios, and Scales", 1974. If you use a metronome to practice these, you'll find the three picks per note (triplets) is by far the hardest, and coolest sounding. Start increasing the speed of the triplets and you'll find that if you can do those accurately, the others are easy. Nowadays, I just work on the triplets as eyre the hardest (for me, anyway). Thanks for validating s part of my practice/warmup routine!!
Thanks for this one Scott. I used to be a real snob about bass players using plectrums...but recently I discovered a few bass players, in bands that I love, who use picks and get amazing tones. The bass player with Poliça - Chris Bierden - is fantastic especially. Thanks for reiterating what I've only now realised! Maybe a 'Riff Of The Week' with a pick? Cheers!
Hey Charlie, thanks for watching! :)
Yeah I didn't use a pick when I started cos I thought it was a noob move but then I used one to try a chili peppers song and loved the heavy tone. I can use both now and I like what you can do with fingers vs a pick. Another skill to have handy
Cheers for stopping by and checking the lesson out man :)
Joe Osborn played on hundreds of hit records,all with a pick.What a sound he got(not to mention note choices,phrasing).Of course,Paul McCartney.
Joe Osborn is one of my favourites Michael! Thanks for coming along and hanging out :)
I used to play finger style for like 6 years (lol), and then the same bass 'asked' me to try picking. First time was a disaster but then i develop a good tone with this video!
I use the same style pic! (Jazz 3) Great video, very detailed and informative- Keep it up!! #Rock
Ive gotten ok with the pick. What song im currently trying to learn is livewire by motley crue which this is a key tip to help me. And i found to like your way of holding the pick which was a start
"...recommend getting a pick..."
I'm sorry, but you can't just get one pick. Any guitarist will tell you that you need more than one for when you lose it.
Thank you Mr. Devine!
I have many picks, but mostly just 5 that I use on the bass. They are different materials and gauges. I use the pick that is right for the song. I have one with an extreme attack for metal/rock. Another one for blues or slow songs. And one for speed. I play with fingers also. Again, depends on the song and which one is best for tone/speed. I couldn't agree more that it is a good thing to have everything available in ones arsenal.
awesome perspective! subbed up! :) thank you
Great tips, thanks!
Learning the entire Avenged Sevenfold catalog whipped my picking into shape pretty well. Food for thought 🧐
Great tips! Which colour glove is best btw?
Hey, Scott :) just curious, what's your signal chain in this one? :)
P.S. I'm a huge fan :D your lessons on scales have helped me take my playing to another level :D
I’m gonna add something to consider here:
I have an injured ball joint in my right hand-
Pick playing with a heavy pick hurts it real bad due to the impact-
Some players may want to try med light gauge, the move a little with the string and still sound good.
As well, the big triangular fenders in medium are easy to feel in your hand, joe Osborn used a triangle- it helps me with trying to rehabilitate my pick playing, although I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to dig in with a pick like I did when I was a kid.
Fingerstyle doesn’t bother my hand.
Chancellor and Squire are my two favourites, also happen to be pick users
I just thought of this: Bass players who used a thumb pick! CF Fred Turner of Bachman Turner Overdrive can be seen using one in photos from the BTO album Four Wheel Drive... but the most famous thumb pick player I know of is Prescott Niles of the Knack.
Hi Scott, great lesson as usual. ive been using a pick for years but my stamina is poor, some good excercises here. just out of interest, why do you not recommend dunlop picks?
Very useful tip
Dragonheart (dah best you can get) and Mick's Picks felt. Respect the pick!
Speaking of picks regarding dunlop picks, I actually really like 2.0mm gator grips.
The only people who say real bass players don't use a pick usually never even held one.
Jazz III's are super versatile. They're great on both guitar and bass.
Great lesson Scott thanks I think all bass players should be able to use a pick or fingers both techniques have there place and both should be in the players tool box why would you choose to only carry a hammer in your toolbox if there is also room for a screwdriver
Had a carpectomy on my right hand...partial fusion of the wrist and two fingers reattached, hand is numb across the fingers.....a pick is why I can still play. And in all honesty, a lot of good, really good bassists use the pick. I can kinda play without a pick, but the pain in the wrist is bad....I'd last a set of music and that'd be it for the night. Last time I looked they pay you for three 45 minute sets..lol.
Thanks for the video! Excuse my ignorance and curiosity but... What's the glove for?
I've been using a .6mm triangle from dunlop instead of fingers lately. It adds a lot of punch
An excellent tutorial. I have a question. Say I'm moving from the E string to the A string in a bar: F F F F F F G A - do I hit the A string on an up stroke or down stroke?
Hey, Scott, got any tips on how to improve fingerpicking?
I get a bit tired after a while of playing, I can probably get through Whiplash (barely) but I get really tired.
Got any tips?
Thanks.
Hey Scott, does the type of bass make a difference with which pick to use, or is personal taste?
I get a lot of fret buzzing when I play with a pick compared to my hands. I also play lightly with my hands and a little harder with a pick. do I need to soften the picking or raise the height of the strings to compensate for my heavy picking?
The mighty Carol Kaye only uses picks when she plays. When less attack is required, Kaye would use a pick wrapped with velvet soften the sound, but keep the presence you get when using a pick. Great trick
hey Scott! i'm sure not the first one asking but what kind of strings are you playing? cheers!
I have a curious question. Why do you use a glove and if for beneficial benefits where can I usually buy one and one type?
That's cool Jason newsted play's with a pic mostly and I like to I play using my fingers to but i have more fun with a pic
I PLAY WITH A TRIANGULAR 3MM STONE PICK. STAINLESS STEEL FLATWOUNDS. THE SMOOTH BEVELED EDGE OF THE PICK THUMP THE STRING. NO CLICK. THE TONE IS LIKE A HAMMER HITTING A BELL !!!
That lesson would of sounded great if you used a P Bass instead of a Jazz but with a maple neck. The sound you get from a P bass with a maple neck using a pick is insane! A nice bit of 2k grit!
Using a Pick will also work great when you're playing a 5 String Bass since the strings are closer together.
When playing with a pick, how do you stop the pick scratching in the string when stringing the string? I am able to do your techniques easy but it sounds a little scratchy... is this a thing with bass strings due to their thickness? Ive just switched from electric 6 string guitar to bass
use felt or rubber picks to get a softer sound without the grinding of the strings
@@cegbe23 bullshit
Dunlop Jazz 3s are probably the best picks for bass ever👍
You seem to put an angle to your pick like I do playing surf guitar. Just picked up a bass and im worried doing that will affect my tone. Should i try flatwounds?
Hi Steve. What pick gauge do you recommend to play
Any advice for playing things like gallops? Pretty much anything that involves alternating downpicking and alternate picking. I want to play thrash metal, so it would be really helpful to be able to do that.
Just practice down down up, down down up
i have a question i pay bass with my strap very low thats what I'm used to and every time i strum with a pick it makes this horrible scratch noise anyway to prevent this without adjusting my strap, thanks
How you do the string muting so the sympathetic vibration does not affect your sound? Do you do it using your fretting hand?
Rob wright and Joe lally - only pick
and still awesome
What is the purpose of the glove on your fretting hand?? I don't believe I've ever seen that before.. Is it to soften or even kinda mute the sound or tone a bit?
When I play witha pick it always keeps rotating in my hand/losing grip on it but if i hold it tighter It sounds worse when i hit it on the strings - any tips?
Jazz playing requires finger picking punk rock I almost always use a pick
Meatwood Flac Not ENTIRELY true. Just listen to Steve Swallow. Amazing jazz bass player, uses a pick.
Which pick do you use or you recommend to use?
holy shit this actually helped!
What is the advantage of using the gloves I’ve tried gloves on fretless but a fretted bass I don’t know what is the reason for it
It's basically palm-muting and alternate picking. Standard guitar stuffs which also do wonders in bass.
Also... No one ever in any forum or dialogue on pick playing mentions this: Holding the pick with the "leading edge" up, instead of down. Think like an airplane wing.. leading edge/trailing edge. I have NEVER been able to grasp (pun intended) how to play with the pick leading edge down. It makes a obvious scraping sound, and it 'spins' out of my grip. But if I hold it with the leading edge UP... it sounds super clean and doesn't 'spin' out the grip. I've tried, off and on for decades to use the leading edge down style and simply can't do it. I would need an "in person" lesson.. can't get it from watching vids.
Are you anchoring your picking hand with your pinky?
when ever im playing the bass, the pick causes a scratchy noise. i have my bass strap low. is it tht thats causing that noise ? let me know
It's a pity you didn't cover the movement of the right hand at all. Where does motion come from? How strong should we hold the pick? I am also curious about the angle of the pick in relation to the strings during a stroke! (Sometimes it tends to get a bit diagonal so I have to focus on that during picking.)
Rita Karpati... Hold the pick like a crayon, between the pads of the thumb, index and middle finger. Use the thumb to adjust angle. Though told to hold the pick tightly to avoid loss, I found that a little less than tight allows more control and articulation. I then move the pick like I am coloring a small area.
As for the angel, let your ear and feel be your guide. Thick beveled picks like the Dunlop 2.0 or Dragonheart (A-ma-zing!) work well.
a question i always have is that do i move my wrist only when i play with a pick? or do i use my whole lower arm to move when playing. It is because i am afraid i may injure myself if it become a habit of mine as i regularly play the bass with a pick.
Maiko Yakuta... For guitar I hold the pick between the thumb pad and second index finger knuckle. I then pick from the wrist or elbow depending on speed and number of strings involved. On bass I hold the pick between the pads of my thumb, index and middle finger, like an ink pen. I then pick with both wrist and finger movement, mostly finger, like I am coloring a small area.
Nice tutorial, hiting double or tripple stroke per note looks like u doing more than what u r exactly doin.
Thanks for watching Sam! :)
Once you can play with all three styles (pick,finger and slap) I suggest learning how to be able to transition between all three effortlessly and unnoticed.
Matt Freeman... 'nuff said.
good stuff but i also feel that there should be some attention to just fast down picking, its a great useful technique. maybe its a lot more useful with guitar but still. im looking into buying a bass soon too.
+maredevil1 I agree, that's actually exactly why I ended up at this video: I'm searching for tips to get better at rapid downstroke picking. Hopefully I'll find something soon that gets me there.
the way i found it to work is to completely loosen your arm when doing it, its still gonna be hard at first but you just have to keep on practicing. make sure to warm up real good too.
Wonder what tone would be like on a fretless. Or a cello ;-)
I like using my fingers for the most of time i play, but when i'm playing hard rock, I found using a Pick way better
What brand is your bass bridge?
Is Scott anchoring using his little finger as well?
please make a tutorial on alternate picking i am very frustrated with downpicking
Same here...
Where can i buy these gloves 🧤? Merchandise? Is there a Video about the gloves?
I cant play while hovering where can I reset my hand to be more presise
I started playing guitar wth fingers then picks, and then started bass without a pick but I cant use a pick on bass only fingers XD
hello Scott , im an 18 year old who just started playing just this year , do i still have the potential to be like you?
How are you now?