John being predominantly a finger player. There were times he used the pick. Stone cold crazy rainbow he used the pick then earls he's using his fingers, Wembley the first night he used his fingers alot more, the 2nd night was almost exclusively pick.
What scenarios require pick or fingers.
In an audio sense does the 1st Wembley night vs 2nd sound different regards bass.. Magic does sound alot better the first night. The bass does sound a but more fluid from John
Any bass purist on here think fingers is better than pick viseversa
Prob went to guitar pick on the second night because it was being recorded. That way, nuances or not it'd be generally more full in the mix. It WAS a loud show by most accounts. I really have know knowledge of that because i was not there.
All just a guess but that's sometimes what happens. As for SCC prob cause there's no rhythm guitarist playing live with Brian to fill out the rest
It is hard to say. John very rarely used a pick prior to the mid 80s.
In regards to SCC on the second rainbow show, it was probably just to get a more attacking sound. He probably alternated depending on how he was feeling. At Wembley, there isn't much difference between the two nights, he had pretty much moved to pick for most of their heavier songs. I don't know why. At the same time, more melodic lines in their heavier songs disappeared (TYMD and NIH). I think he was trying to get a heavier simpler bass sound that was becoming more common in the 80s. Another option could be that he developed blisters on his fingers from the previous night and moved to pick for the faster stuff for that reason - I am a bass player, so know the pain from that.
A pick gives a (much) sharper attack and a somewhat louder sound, but slightly less control over the dynamics. Some songs just work better with a picked bass, most don't (IMHO). As for Wembley, I'm with Liam's "another option" - it seems likely to me that his fingers were a bit worn, and he might not have wanted to risk any slip-ups, so went for the pick to be safe.
^especially being live.... not to say that they had never been on camera before but.... THE place where it counts the most.... LiVE at the home of football.... WEMBLY.... Could also been seen as the Last tour of the band had an idea or feeling that it was their last...
Shows that the bassist fhat use their fingers are the hardest mother fuckers hahahaha skin on steel!!! All four fingers getting absolutly hammered
There are a number of Bass players who rely on a clear distinctive sound who play heavy complex music, most (not all) are finger rather than pick players.
Although a pick does usually result in a clearer attack in the sound and more distinction in the notes it's not always the case that that is the only way to go. John Entwiste, Chris Squire, Geddy Lee, Bill Sheehan and Les Claypool are all finger style Bassists who obtained a clear sound no matter how fast they played. There are many others. But the Bass, all the way back to the upright (double), has traditionally been played with the index and middle finger (later more complex or fast Bass lines have involved all four fingers plucking) but not exclusively. Hard leather picks were sometimes used by Double Bass players.
I think John's choice was more down to what he fancied doing, maybe occasionally his fingers felt stiff or tired so he used a pick. Although it's possible that the addition of Keyboards to Queen live shows may have required a harder more distinct sound on some songs and maybe that was easier with a pick. He was a very capable player with a nice rounded sound, although in the 80's when he started using Sunn cabs ( on the advice of John Enwistle his sound became more hard edged.