Developing with MAMP, if so then use mysql on the command line (terminal app). Update your ~/.profile file to use the MAMP mysql PATH. If you use textmate…

mate ~/.profile

Edit your path in .profile adding /Applications/MAMP/Library/bin:$PATH

export PATH="/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/mysql/bin:/Applications/MAMP/Library/bin:$PATH"

Also after you start MAMP to use mysql on command line :

sudo ln -s /Applications/MAMP/tmp/mysql/mysql.sock /tmp/mysql.sock