Should You Play Bass With A Pick?

"I need oxygen to the stage, please..." - Mark Hoppus, 'The Mark Tom and Travis Show'

As I’ve gotten older, certain things that used to seem world-defineing have firmly been moved to the “no big deal” folder in the ol’ brain hard drive. Here’s one of the more horrifying things from my 30s: younger people not only exist and are younger than me, but sometimes they get embroiled in the same stupid debates my friends and I would get embroiled in.

When I first started pitching Cracked, the internet was new enough that there was a “no recycling information from earlier articles” rule. Sure, one article might be “The 6 Most Baffling Decisions In Superhero Movies” and another article might be “The 6 Most Mind-Blowing Decisions In Superhero Movies,” but those would be entirely different articles. By the time I was there full-time, everyone was recycling stuff from earlier Cracked articles. I was tasked with taking a 7-item column and blowing it out into a 15-item listicle. Then I did it again, two for one this time.

Think what you want about that practice. I came around to at least understanding it. In pitch meetings, this was referred to as “re-introducing things to a new generation of readers.” Sure, I’m optimistic enough to buy that. Besides, repeating things isn’t the worst. Information changes, the world changes, you approach things with fresh eyes.

All of this is to say: how are we not done with the bassists using picks debate?

My instagram and YouTube algos, at least, won’t let this die. Personally, whether or not to use a pick has been decided for a long time. But who cares what I think? Let’s look at some bassists.

The Case For Using A Pick: Mark Hoppus

You might think a better punk bass player to bring up would be Matt Freeman, and you’d be right. I want to highlight Hoppus, though—widely regarded as and self-admittedly a pretty bad bass player—for his understanding of texture. I read an interview with him when I was in, like, middle school where he talked about thinking of himself as a rhythm guitarist sometimes. Blink 182 is a band that’s very much the sum of their parts. Travis is always doing something wild on the drums (they’d be nothing without him). Tom more or less controls dynamics with his guitar. But Mark holds things in place—root notes most of the time, chords to boost heavy parts or add urgency to soft parts, the odd fill here and there.

Even if you’re not playing a ton of notes, your bass contributes more than people hear at first blush.

The Case For Not Using A Pick: Flea

Now, you wanna talk about understanding texture? About knowing when to play chords? About being the bassist in a three-piece (I pretend Anthony Kiedis isn’t there most times I listen to the Chili Peppers)? Then you gotta talk about Flea. This famous Los Angeles Lakers fan is probably the most mainstream slap-and-popper, with apologies to Victor Wooten and Jaco Pastorius (big in the bass community, unknown to normies) and the Seinfeld theme song (played on a keyboard). The Chili Peppers don’t have the range they do without Flea. He’s melodic, he’s aggressive, he’s restrained, he’s energetic. Who else could play “Suck My Kiss” and the sample for Crazy Town’s “Butterfly,” RIP Shifty Shellshock? My personal favorite Flea bass lines are “This Velvet Glove,” “Blood Sugar Sex Magik,” and far and away the best: “Under The Bridge.”

The answer is lots of people could play both those songs, but no one else can play both those songs and afford courtside Lakers tix.

The Case For Using A Pick: Clay Gober

Well here’s another guy who can get some slap-and-pop tones. But while using a pick! The world is vast. Clay is the first bassist I’ve seen use hybrid picking—where you play with a pick but also use your fingers to pluck higher strings—which is pretty cool. The most impressive thing about Clay, though, is I’m pretty sure Polyphia’s song construction starts with guitarists Tim and Scottie writing to an autodrummer, then the two Clays have to figure out how to make it a coherent rhythm section. Impossible ask. The way that Clay holds down the groove/chords while also filling gaps and augmenting melody—that’s good stuff. He’s an incredibly ostentatious and showy person who is restrained and tasteful as a bass player. My favorite Polyphia bass song is “Icronic,” which does all the things I just mentioned. The studio version has a fill he doesn’t quite do live, but let’s listen to the live version because it’s easier to hear component parts:

Speaking of taste and restraint, I’m genuinely impressed with Polyphia for dressing that way for their live album filming. If you’ve seen the “Look But Don’t Touch” video, you know what I mean.

The Case For Not Using A Pick: Thundercat

Finally, we get to the most tasteful bassist alive. Maybe the best bassist alive, although such title belts are kinda silly. Still, the man’s everywhere, from Kendrick records to DOMi & JD BECK records to Suicidal Tendencies records to the Yo Gabba Gabba reboot. Thundercat’s bass playing is varied, the way you have to be when you’re a solo artist, sought-after session player, and all-around weirdo. His biggest single is a song made of three-note chords. He holds a groove well enough that he can get Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins featured on the same song. Let’s watch his whole Tiny Desk and take copious notes:

Thundercat is incredible. As he would say, it’s cool to be a cat. Meow meow meow.

What Does A Deity Have To Say About It?

Carol Kaye used a pick. That settles it. Use a pick if you want. Watch this video! Julia’s easily one of the best people on YouTube. She’s so joyous! So stoked about bass! And yeah, do what Carol Kaye does, when it comes to playing bass.

What Do I Have To Say About It?

Use one or don’t. Who cares? I do both. Depends on the song.

Just don’t be that guy. That bass player. That keyboardist. That guitarist. That sound guy. That dad. That music writer.

Be cool. Play bass.

Sorry you got an email,

Chris