FINGERSTYLE vs PICK vs SLAP - Battle of the Bass Techniques

Let's settle this once and for all.

Thanks for watching, guys!

0:00 - The Premise
0:42 - Funk
1:35 - Rock
2:28 - Cast Your Vote
2:46 - Nate's Bass Books
4:04 - Pop
5:03 - Metal
6:02 - Food for Thought
6:43 - Leswar Guitars
7:58 - Recording Setup
8:11 - Isolated Bass Parts
11:56 - Thanks!

[ivnbass]

I think you just proved whichever technique works best for the player.

[flamulated]

My take after years of thinking about the topic and using a wide range of techniques in various contexts is this:

Divorce the technique from style/genre so you can play and think more freely.
Slapping a line does not "make it funky". Playing it with a pick doesn't "make it rock/metal or guitaristic".
In my personal world my funkiest stuff is played fingerstyle and most aggro is slapped. I use a pick for extra clarity in a dense mix and center technique around thumb pluck/and index middle fingerstyle.

I would also add a fourth main category of palm mute with thumb plucking and 2/3 fingers. That is a huge area that players are getting a ton of mileage out of

Some tones and rhythmic figures and shapes/patterns will always be easier and more natural with one particular approach even with (like Nate) the ability to fluidly shift between them. Use the physical technique that makes it easiest achieve what you hear in your head or what is written and be intentional with tonal choice - instrument/string type/effects. All of the techniques will vibe very differently on a passive bass/hot active bass/with flats/with a drive pedal, etc.

Electric Bass is a glorious young instrument for us all to enjoy!

[warriorclasskravmagasamiin]

Whatever works for the song. Sometimes one song requires all three options. One is not better than another. What is impressive is another option. Slapping is the most impressive. It's also what I'm not that great at, so there's that.

[johnforetjr]

I’m in the family of giving freedom to each bassist/whatever works for the song or whatever you’re going for. That being said, I think each way for the styles sounded dope as hell. It gave a different feel/sound and I am/was here for it all lol

[philm]

What stands out to me in this is how similar you get the three different techniques to sound, which is an advanced skill in itself. I think the choice of music helped, but with most players, finger style usually sounds quite different to pick and slap. Imagine playing a Jamerson line slapped 😂. There are songs that employ all 3 techniques and really benefit, but many players can’t do all 3. In 30 years of playing, I’ve only started using a pick in the last year or two, but have used finger style and slap all through.

[Thrustql]

I knew I'd absolutely love fingerstyle and slap (playing bass can simply not get any better than this) but the pick shocked me. Before I didn't like the sound they gave, however you made them sound so good - the sharp tone picks make can apparently compliment a song too. Great job.

My opinions?

1st round, funk, my favorite was slap (of course, slap and funk are great together!
2nd round, rock, my favorite was pick.
3rd round, pop, my favorite was also pick.
4th round, metal, my favorite was metal (I really love the fast 4-finger technique!)

[jmsmikey]

You really kicked the hornet's nest with this one. I transitioned to bass from guitar in the 80s, so pick was natural to me & I got no end of poop about it although my picking technique is impeccable. Bass is the only instrument where people seem to think that they can tell you how to play it. When was the last time you saw someone tell a drummer NOT to use drumsticks? You can't change the laws of physics~ a pick sliding off a bass string is going to give you more articulation than a finger sliding off a bass string.

[mackymaca]

With a player like you, it doesn't matter. Any technique you use sounds awesome!

[Marksleftboot]

Personally I think the techniques work equally well, personal preference ultimately decides what fit with what. Just don't get a "Producer" that immediately removes all the mids leaving just fundamentals to leave room for the banjos!

[WilDBeestMF]

Fingerstyle and slap sound really good on this bass, but that pick tone is just 👌in every example imo.

[DWdawgable]

It wasn't even difficult for me to choose.

I think for the Funk riff, it was *hands down* your slap technique. The shape and character of your slap technique absolutely suited it best.

For the Rock riff I think the finger style had the best tone, at least in this mix.

For the Pop riff, I don't think the finger style wins again.

For the Metal riff, I have to choose your slap style (although I'm biased). You are by far my favorite "metal slapper" and I'm currently striving to get the quality of finger tone that you get out of any bass when you metal-slap. Idk of anyone who approaches it the way you do.

Overall I believe all methods have their place, they're just different tools in your box.

(I wish you put out more straight forward performances, especially prog/metal stuff, not that I don't love your gear demos. The world deserves to see how phenomenal you are!)

[leswarguitars]

Thanks so much Nate, this is awesome! 🔥🔥🔥

[pman]

Love the sound of a pick for metal. I played finger style when I first started, but all my favorite tones were from pick players like Rex Brown. Still, all kinds of techniques and players have produced awesome sounds.

[FarrinD]

Perfect technique with all three! They all fit easily in each genre, it’s up to the player to decide 😊. Awesome video as per usual!!

[bassman]

Your fingerstyle is so aggressive and hard it’s insane. Nothing else needed.

[bebopjazz]

Just amazing. On my side and based on you performed these techniques can be used as you showed, providing different flavours in a same song. However not so easy to perform. Hats off

[JoshuaLTRyan]

I like finger style and slap. I don't really like the attack of a pick on bass strings, but it's just my preference, not any kind of rule. Whatever floats your boat is what you should do. I do agree with you though, it's up to the individual bassist and whatever they prefer.

[iplaybass]

well this was impossible to decide, you made them all sound so damn good, that i believe the technique does not matter, just get Nate on the track and its golden....also that bass is pure 🔥🔥🔥

[gonzalotrejos]

I like what you did on all styles. Seems like, well executed, you can get away with any technique. I'm not that good with slap or pick, but use them when required. Most of the time, each song kind of "asks" for a technique that suits it better.

[IrisvS_]

Hello Nate! Thnx for this video, I like it 😊 Although I'm not a bassist and I'm not so much into the techniques, I do have an opinion and personal preference. It's nice to become aware of that through a video like this. For me it is:
Funk: 🖐 & 👍
Rock: 🖐 & 👍
Pop: 🔺️
Metal: 🖐 & 🔺️
And for your other question: I think it's important that a musician stays close to his or her own preferences and styles that are comfortable for him or her. Yes, composers and other band members will certainly have their preferences, but personally I don't think anyone other than the musician self, should decide how he or she wants to play a song. If you manage to stay close to your preferences as a musician, you will deliver a style and quality that you can also be satisfied with. How quickly are we inclined to judge ourselves? If someone else decides what you should do, it is even more difficult to be satisfied with what you have achieved. Working on authenticity and staying true to yourself, ensures that you create an unique blueprint that only yóu can put on the music. Others can be in charge or play the boss what they want, but I think staying true to yourself and what and how you want to play it, is the most important thing if you want to be and stay happy with what you are doing.
Of course, this also depends strongly on the type of contract or the role you fulfill within the assignment, but I will leave that out of my answer for now.