Fender P-Bass Made in Mexico

Introduction:

Pick, pick, who's got a pick? There are many advantages to playing a bass with one. You can get a stronger attack with a pick. And with a pick, you can also build strength and speed in your wrist, which helps when playing up-tempo songs that would leave a fingerstyle player with chaffed digits. This article will show you tips on how to play with a pick.

There are many brands of picks out there, and it's up to you what sounds best. A good rule of thumb is to get as many different types as possible when you're starting out to hear the differences. Some people prefer the brightness of cellulose picks, but they tend to wear very quickly. Dunlop has Tortex and Nylon picks that sound great and don't wear as fast as cellulose picks do. As to the preferred gauge, picks from .15mm to .6mm are really too thin (in terms of both sound and thickness) for bassists and are really made for guitars. Pick gauges from .6mm to 1mm and above are best suited for bass, the rule being that the thicker the gauge, the thicker it will sound. There are the giant triangle bass picks, but from personal experience this Examiner prefers not to use them due to their size and tendency to break easily. If you have small hands, a giant pick like this will seem clumsy. Smaller picks are again best left for guitarists, an average size will do nicely. Another type of pick to avoid are the metallic ones made of steel, brass, nickel, etc.. They may sound decent and last a long time, but they can also wear out your strings prematurely and scratch up the pickguard and the finish of your bass if your hand happens to slip.

How to Play an Electric Bass - Pickstyle:

Secure your favorite pick in between the pad of your thumb and the side of your curled index finger, leaving the pointed edge sticking out a little over a 1/4 inch. Start with the downstroke, hit the string down and briefly move your wrist away to the let the note ring out. Most punk bands rely solely on downstrokes to get that chunky rhythm essential to their sound. Try out this exercise: see if you can pick nothing but downstrokes for a single minute, then try for two minutes, and so on.

Now try to upstroke. It's basically the same motion except in reverse. Instead of placing your pick over the side of the string, hit it from under and stroke up. Apply the same exercise as with the downstroke: see how long you can continually upstroke until your fingers and wrist get tired. Your wrist should be steady and flexible, especially when your start alternating strings and playing faster.

Now alternate between the two. Start by slowly striking down and up, then speed it along when it gets too easy. Again, try to challenge yourself and switch things up. Practice these exercises daily and soon you'll have the fastest wrist in town.

What to do with the other three fingers of your picking hand is entirely up to you and your comfort zone. Most bassists cuff (curling your middle, ring, and pinky fingers while playing) their hands, while other players let them stick out or combine the two. Also, where to pick is best left up to you. Many musicians (mostly metalheads) swear that picking close to the bridge is key to getting that aggressive sound, however, attacking over the pickups or neck is okay. Experiment to see what techniques you like.

Denouement:

Keep at it, soon you'll be a-pickin' and a-grinnin' in no time. Don't get discouraged if you don't get it right at first. We all make mistakes, it's how you deal with them that matters. Every day you play will be one step closer to playing like a champ.

See also:

Bass 101: Part 1 - The Bassics
Bass 101: Part 2 - Choosing a Bass and Amp

Freelancing 101: Landing a Freelance Gig