Famous Bass Players who use a [gasp!] pick.
An audience member came up to compliment me on my bass playing after a show I played a couple of weeks ago. He commented on the fact that I used a pick most of the night and said “isn’t that unsusual?”. I replied “not really, did you know that Paul McCartney used a pick on nearly all The Beatles records?” He was surprised.
Truth is, a lot of great players have played bass with a pick, at least part of the time. I talked more with a friend about it and we named a bunch of players we could think of, all of whom played with a pick (at least sometimes).
Here are a handful (mostly favorites of mine):
- Graham Maby (Joe Jackson, They Might Be Giants, Marshall Crenshaw, Natalie Merchant)
- Colin Moulding (XTC)
- Paul McCartney (The Beatles, Wings)
- Bobby Vega (Quicksilver Messenger Service, session musician for Sly Stone, Santana, Joe Satriani and many more)
- Carol Kaye (session musician for The Beach Boys, Ray Charles, The Monkees, Frank Sinatra, Simon and Garfunkel, many more)
- Joe Osborn (session musician for Ricky Nelson, Johnny Rivers, Mamas and Papas, Simon and Garfunkel, The Association, The Carpenters)
- T-Bone Wolk (Hall & Oates, Elvis Costello, BB King, Carly Simon, Shawn Colvin, Jellyfish)
- John Entwhistle (The Who)
- John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin)
- Chris Squire (Yes)
- Mike Mills (REM)
- Sting (The Police)
- Tom Petersson (Cheap Trick)
- Rick Danko (The Band)
- Bill Wyman (Rolling Stones)
- Jack Bruce (Cream)
- Roger Waters (Pink Floyd)
- John Deacon (Queen)
- Noel Redding (Jimi Hendrix)
Often guitar players who switch to bass favor a pick (McCartney, Kaye) but other times, they just like the attack. Some players switch between the two often, depending on the needs of the song. Personally, I use a pick about 90% of the time and play fingerstyle when it fits the song better.
Here are some videos I found of some great bass playing, with a pick:
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I think Gene Simmons of KISS and Cliff Williams of AC/DC used a pick on the majority of their studio recordings and live performances.
You left out Greg Lake. He’s grossly underrated cross picker on bass
I wasn’t trying to list ever bass player who ever used a pick, just some of my favorites.
Also, I’ve yet to see or hear a song where Jack Bruce plays with a pick. He originally played a Double Bass before his Cream days and in his later days played a Warwick fretless instead of his old Gibson SG. I’ve heard he played with a pick several times, but I think this isn’t quite 100% true.
You left out Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead and Mike Gordon from Phish.
My list wasn’t meant to be comprehensive, mostly a list of some of my favorite players who sometimes or always used a pick.
Lemmy Kilmister … R.I.P., playing a Rick with a Pick.
So happy to see this! As a pick player, it’s exhausting dealing with the amount of prejudice people have on this topic. I was actually recently denied entry to even auditioning for a band because I’m not a “finger only” player. Talk about getting in the way of art. Since when were there rules in art?! Thank you for this!
You list Jack Bruce and John Entwhistle as pick users, but I don’t believe either of them actually did use a pick, especially John. Fingering those strings was too much a part of his sound. John Paul Jones used either his fingers or a pick, depending on the bass and recording. McCartney did record some songs without a pick, as far as I know when he was using his Rickenbacker over the Hofner.
John Entwhistle most definitely used a pick sometimes, especially in the early days. The bass solo on “My Generation” is played with a pick, for example. I did not say McCartney never played with his fingers, but he mostly played with a pick.
Jason Newstead, enough said.
I know he’s not considered a great or even good bassist, but Chas Chandler of The Animals used a pick.
Jason Newsted, how can you omit Jason Newsted?
Music is music just be creative and stop with the nonsense debate. I’m a guitar player but I play bass with a pick. Every bass player we’ve ever played with that we had to teach how to play the parts it never mattered if they used their fingers or a pick. Guitar players and drummers don’t give a dam if you use a pick or fingers. We only care if you’re playing the right part and you’re playing it well.
Entwhistle used a black Dunlop nylon pick half the time, I stood 5 feet away and got the pick. Greg lake used a thin??? Red Dunlop tortex. Jack Bruce only used pick to play guitar as far as I know, I forgot to ask him when I met him. Chris Squire used a pick on 90120, but I didn’t get it so don’t know. Geddy used a pick for the guitar double neck Rick on ESL. Wyman used a pick as does Darryl. Tons of metal band bassists used picks = VH, Dokken, Winger, Scorps, Helix, Accept, etc. Southern Rock = Hatchet, .38, Skynyrd, ARS. I sold my collection years ago, so I’m wracking my brain trying to remember. Most punk Bassists used picks, like Offspring, DGen, Circle Jerks, Buzzcocks. From being a collector down on the front row for 200+ shows in the 80s and over 500 picks, I’d say more bassists use picks than don’t. Hope this helps…
Thanks, Ace!
“How can you omit…” “You did not include…” Please. Marvin Forte, the author of this site, said, the list is “a handful,” meaning, not exhaustive. A “handful” is not going to include everyone. Seems obvious to me.
LOL, thanks for sticking up for me! People don’t read. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯