Paul played with a pick from his earliest days on the instrument, and continued this habit all throughout his career. It’s rare to find a Beatles where he plays with his fingers instead. Using a pick has a number of tonal advantages, particularly with the violin-style basses that Paul liked to use.
Is it OK to play bass with a pick?
You can use a pick on your bass guitar if you want to. Both finger plucking and using picks are perfectly normal ways to play the bass guitar. You can find plenty of examples of famous bassists who use either technique, and there is no harm to using a pick. It won’t damage your strings or create an inferior sound.
What type of pick did Paul McCartney use?
“He’ll usually use just a typical Fender (the 351 style) heavy pick. As a Beatle, he’d use a heavier felt pick as well as a Bert Weedon brand “home base” shaped pick. As for strings, he was using Pyramid flat wound (they’re the original manufacturer for Hofner strings).
Did Paul McCartney use a guitar pick?
Sir Paul’s picks cost him just pennies. The former Beatle puts pennies on train tracks and waits for a train to flatten those coins. He then uses the “trained” penny to make his own guitar picks.
How did Paul McCartney end up playing bass?
The Beatles played a series of gigs in Hamburg, Germany in early 1961, and while they were there, original Beatles bassist Stu Sutcliffe decided to leave the band. Paul McCartney, then 18, was tapped to move from piano to bass, which meant he had to get an instrument of his own.
Is it better to play bass with a pick or fingers?
Truthfully, there is no right or wrong way to play a bass guitar. There isn’t even a preferred way. Any method you use to get sound out of the thing—fingers, pick, thumb, those weird stick things Tony Levin uses, telekinesis, whatever—works just fine. It’s purely a matter of personal preference.
Do rock bassists use picks?
Therefore, bassists in the rock, punk and metal genres tend to play with a pick in order to cut through the mix and add a sense of aggression to their sound. It’s easier to play chords: In certain styles of music (particularly hard rock and metal), chords are played on the bass guitar.
Did The Beatles use picks?
What Pick Did The Beatles Use? John Lennon used a celluloid teardrop shaped pick, Paul McCartney used a pick on the Bass, and George Harrison used a pick but he also fingerpicked as well.
What strings did Paul McCartney use on his bass?
Paul McCartney uses Ernie ball 2223 Nickel Super Slinky Electric Guitar strings Gauge 09 -042 for guitar. On Bass he uses Hofner H1133 B Bass nickel flat-wound strings in gauge 045, 055, 075, 095. as well as Roto-sound strings including RS88 Black Nylon bass strings gauge of 065, 075, 100, 115.
What bass amp did Paul McCartney use?
What a lot of people do not know is that the 1964 6G6-B Bassman was actually the most recorded amplifier by The Beatles. The amp was first used by Paul McCartney as his main bass amp from 1965 to mid 1967 (he did use a Vox during this time but not as much as the Bassman).
How many instruments can Paul McCartney play?
In addition to singing and songwriting, Paul McCartney played bass guitar, acoustic and electric guitars, piano and keyboards, as well as over 40 other musical instruments. McCartney wrote more popular hits for the Beatles than other members of the band.
What black strings did Paul McCartney use?
Most famously used by Sir Paul McCartney on the Beatles’ Abbey Road, Tru Bass strings have been utilised by jazz, fusion, dub, and reggae players. The distinctive black wrap and yellow silk ends of these strings have been spotted on basses belonging to icons such as Bruce Foxton, Graham Maby, and Herbie Flowers.
Did The Beatles ever meet Jimi Hendrix?
The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix were certainly friends, though Jimi and Sir Ringo Starr’s relationship was a little trickier. Jimi arrived in London on September 24, 1966, after impressing his later-manager Chas Chandler.
How did Paul McCartney learn to play bass guitar?
How Did Paul McCartney Learn Guitar? Paul McCartney learned guitar by ear and imitation. Paul was born with a great ear and musical talent allowing him to pick apart his favorite records and play them back on his guitar. From there he sought out other guitarists in Liverpool to show him licks and different chords.
How many Hofner basses does Paul McCartney have?
The four basses are: the original he purchased in Hamburg in 1961 – the ’61 bass’; the bass he acquired in the autumn of 1963 – the ’63 bass’; the ‘Jubilee’ bass given to him by Höfner to play at the Queen’s Jubilee concert in 2012; and the 1967 bass he acquired and used for a private concert in 2016 – the ’67 bass’.
Did Chris Squire use a pick?
Squire’s string choice was a standard-gauge set of Rotosound Swing Bass roundwounds. He nearly always played with a Herco heavy-gauge pick, attacking his strings either in front of or behind the bridge pickup, depending on the brightness he wanted.
Is it OK to play bass with your thumb?
There are exceptions to any rule of music, but generally speaking you’ll be better off learning to use your other fingers. Your thumb may work fine for you in certain styles, but the time is likely to come when you’ll be confronted with something you can’t do with it.
Why do bassists use their fingers?
Using Fingers to Play Bass
Usually, bass players report having more control when using their fingers, giving them a richer tonal variety, and beefier tone. In Addition, the popular slap technique used by many bassists can be easily implemented, if you don’t hold any pick between your fingers.
Why do bass players not like picks?
Bassists who have a problem with picking tend to hold one or both of the following beliefs: They don’t like the sound: Picks produce a treble-heavy, defined sound. Although this sound compliments certain genres, some bassists are traditionalists, believing a pick takes away from an authentic sound.
Did John Paul Jones use a pick?
He played both pick and fingers.
Does Steve Harris use a pick?
With the bass now in hand, Harris has the option of playing with a pick or using his fingers. He was told to learn acoustic guitar first, so he was familiar with using a pick, but found it easier to move around the strings with his fingers.
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