Playing electric bass with a pick

On the double-decker train, there are those who always sit at the top and those who sit at the bottom. There are Migros children and Coop children. Even the wolf has friends and enemies. We divide many aspects of our lives into either-or. Yet a little more diversity would do us a world of good. Not only as a society, but also when playing e-bass. It's the little things that make us realize this. In this case, the little thing is about 3 by 3 centimetres in size and is called a plectrum.

Most bassists play exclusively with their fingers or with a plectrum. The other technique is simply ignored, if not devalued. For me, this imprint led to a real awakening experience when I spent some time with the plectrum. It's not just a different world, it's a wonderful addition to my playing. But how exactly does it work? How do I practise it properly and who can give me some advice on how to get started?

As always, you can try it yourself. At some point you'll get the hang of the fire and then it won't be so difficult with the pick. But with the book Bass pick by Christoph Herder, success comes a little faster. And he doesn't make it complicated. He sheds light on the world of plectrum playing in a serious overview, gives tips, organizes the technical aspects and provides practice material. The basically simple exercises build on each other and help both beginners and those who are just starting out. Practicing will be rewarded with fascinating (new) soundscapes and sound technical know-how.

The only disadvantage: teaching aids for plectrum bass are still charming niche products. This is also the case with this one, which dates back to 2020 and comes with MP3 files on a CD. But if you can still find a drive somewhere, you can also use the crisp play-along grooves.

Christoph Herder: Plectrum Bass for four- and five-string, Everything you need to know about the Plectrum technique must know!, with CD and Plectrum, 128 p., order no. 20287G, € 23.95, Alfred Music, Cologne