How to Strum a Bass Guitar With Picks

Many top bassists use a pick.

Playing with a pick is a must-have skill for any modern electric bass player. Not only does playing with a pick give the bassist an entirely different sound, but it allows for speed and accuracy usually not achievable with the traditional finger plucking. While playing with a pick is associated with more aggressive music types like metal, punk and power-pop, it is not limited by genre and is a useful skill for playing almost any type of music. Playing bass with a pick takes some practice, but is relatively easy to master and is a useful skill in the toolbox of any bassist.

Things You'll Need

• Electric bass guitar
• Amplifier
• Cable
• Electronic tuner
• Medium-to-heavy-gauge guitar pick

Instructions

1. 

   Tune that bass!

   Whether you are playing with the band or just practicing by yourself, it's a good idea to get in tune first. Plug your bass into your electronic tuner and turn the tuner on. Make sure the volume knob on your bass is turned all the way up. Start with your high strings first and work your way down until all strings are in tune.

2. 

   Position is key.

   Position your bass at a comfortable playing level. When you're learning a new technique, function comes before style. Sit down, with the bass on your lap. Or stand up with the strap holding the bass at the same level on your body as if you were sitting down. You may not look cool, but you will be able to progress more quickly if you are positioned correctly.

3. 

   Hold the pick correctly.

   Hold the pick between your thumb and forefinger. This photo shows someone playing a guitar, but the pick-holding technique is the same.

4. 

   Keep your hand in position!

   Place the heel of your hand on or near the bridge of the bass. This allows you to anchor your picking hand while maintaining good access to the strings. You will be making contact with the strings near the bridge, which will get you the best picking tone. As you move on in learning to pick the bass, you can experiment with different right-hand positions.

5. On open strings, pratice the downstroke, which is picking the string in a downward motion, toward the floor. Counting from one to four out loud as you do this is a good way to provide a beat for yourself. Do this on each open string in successsion, then swich it up and move from one open string to another.

6. Repeat step 5 in the opposite direction, picking up toward the ceiling. This is called the upstroke.

7. Now you can combine the downstroke and upstroke. Try this back-and-forth picking on open strings and then as you fret various notes. If you know a song to play, go ahead now and try it with a pick.

Tips & Warnings

• Experiment with different gauges, or thicknesses, of picks. Hard picks will produce more volume, while softer picks will allow for more speed.