How to Play bass guitar with a pick - plectrum

Playing the bass guitar with a pick is another style of playing the bass guitar. The pick is held in the picking hand and picked as an opposite to plucking the strings on a bass guitar. The pick gives a different tone and can produce different sounds from bright to deep. The pick has a whole different attack to the fingers.
Pick playing can be used for fast passages or as another style to your playing or your main bass style.
Playing with a pick is personal preference and what works for you.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• .88mm flat pick or harder flat pick
• bass guitar

1. First of all you need the right type of pick. Picks or plectrums come in all shapes and sizes.
   You must use the same grade and type of pick to develop your pick playing.
   
   Try different shapes and different guages to find what works for you. A good flat pick to recommend is the regular flat pick starting at gauge .88mm (normally the green ones). You will find what feels good in a pick and what is important a good grip.

2. 
    
   Holding the pick.

   Holding the pick with your strumming hand you need a good grip, not too tight and clenched, keep relaxed with your hand. Holding the pick is what is important.
   Hold the pick between the thumb, the first finger and the second finger. This gives a good grip and total control over your picking.

3. 
    
   Flat wrist and picking position.

   With the pick held in the hand you need to keep the wrist flat on the bass. Don't artch your wrist up as this is sloppy for your playing and not good for your wrist. Keep the wrist flat towards the bridge of the bass as this is a good place to get sounds with the pick.
   
   With a flat wrist on the bass keep the 4th and 5th fingers in the air and don't try to wrap round the strings.
   
   Place the pick on the string using the tip of the pick.
   
   For good picking use the alternate picking down - up, down to the floor, up towards you.
   
   Alternate picking: (1)down - (2)up / (3)down - (4)up / (1)down - (2)up / (3)down - (4)up
   
   Count 1 2 3 4.
   
   Good pick playing comes with alternate picking. On some slower songs down picking is good. Use both techniques down - up alternate picking and down picking.
   
   Work the pick over the bass strings working on moving from each string up and down. Remember to alternated the picking when moving around the strings.
   
   Two types of picking are scratch picking where you play with the side of the pick, good for punky sounds. It gives a scratchy gritty sound.
   Flat picking is where you play with the tip of the pick flat. It gives a more clean tone and feel.
   
   Good clean picking is what is needed, good tight rhythm and good phrases.
   
   Two types of picking are open hand position where you open the fingers out with the pick. Closed hand is where the hand like a fist is closed up, this is down to personal preference.
   
   Keep practicing with the pick, 20 minutes a day will start you playing with the pick and learning new bass grooves.

Tips & Warnings

• Use the right pick for you stick to the same pick and gauge
• Play from the wrist with a up down movement
• Keep a flat wrist on the bass, don't arch your wrist on the bass.
• Play alternate and down picking
• practice 20 mins if not more when starting with the pick
• develop your pick sound and style

Resources

• www.andytill.com

[rcryder]

on 10/22/2009 great tips on playing bass using a pick. 5*s and recommended.