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January 2006
Posts: 2120
Location: Chicago | Just watched footage of my favorite Jaco P.: two fingers! The speed, rhythm, harmonic sense. Holy Sh*t (so musical). How do YOU pick? Fingers? Fingerpicks? Tapping? Just a thumb like Wes? Mostly octaves? Chords? Single lines? Pick (which pick?) Do you maintain strict alternate picking or is it downstrokes etc? Which is your pick of choice? Tell the story! |
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November 2005
Posts: 1126
Location: Omaha, NE | Fingerpick and flatpick, sometimes both on the same song.
For flatpicks, I use plain old Fender "Heavy" picks. I like them because they wear down, but don't break. |
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January 2010
Posts: 4
Location: argentina | On Classic guitar i pick with my fingers, 3 + thumb i have my nails just a little bit long. cant grow them too long because of my job, and they start to bother me.
i play some tango and folk.
and on steel string i always use pick, i really like the jim dunlop nylon pick, the 1,07mm gauge.
on this case i usually play blues, rock, al dimeola stuff etc.
my electric is stored on the closet.. :) some day ill pull it off again. |
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May 2009
Posts: 131
Location: Yalova/Turkey | Mostly fingerpick, also on the 12-string, but I will have to work on that, precisely picking a 12-string is rather a bit testing... I like folk music, and love to play some songs of Jim Croce...
Why do I prefer fingerpicking? It seems to offer more possibilities for orchestrating a song on the guitar, though a rather hard flatpick sounds great on my 12-string. |
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April 2008
Posts: 1851
Location: Newington, CT | Hmmmmm...Flatpick -- Dunlop 1.14mm my favorite. Good texture for exerting the proper pressure. Dobro, this is a great question! Precisely HOW you make the string vibrate is a determining factor in the character of the note. It's different if you attack it straight on, or at an angle, or do a pinch harmonic, or dampen the note, or grip the pick more or less tightly note-by-note. How tightly you grip the pick (if using a flatpick) is a huge factor. The pick determines how feasible all those things are for a flatpicker. An unsuitable pick can make your guitar life miserable, and a good one can cause a world of improvement in playing. Interesting all the variables that go into guitar playing. And interesting how they all should be optimal to make it good: string gauge, neck width, action, string quality, guitar sound...and, of course, gauge, texture and flexibility of the pick. |
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April 2008
Posts: 1851
Location: Newington, CT | Hey, dobro! YOU need to answer your own question too, ya know! |
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October 2005
Posts: 4075
Location: Utah | Mostly flatpick, but I'm learning to be comfortable with simple fingerpicking when necessary. Travis picking is far beyond my brain's capacity so far.
Pick choice varies. For the wood topped Ovations it is a medium Ultex, .73mm, in the standard "Fender" shape. The Ultex has the best tone to my ears, and the medium thickness feels best. For the Adamas my choice is the thinner .60mm Ultex. The Adamas is a bit mellower sounding, so the thinner pick adds a bit of sparkle to the non-amplified sound. When the Adamas is plugged in the .73mm Ultex is fine.
The Hamer electric guitar preferred pick is the Dunlop Gator Grip .96mm. I prefer the slight point and thicker material.
When I can get my hands on the new Ultex Sharp it may become the pick that works for acoustic and electric.
Sometimes I really like the Dava Grip Tip when I get sweaty, or the Dava Rock Control Delrin pick if a song requires going from strumming to fairly fast lead licks. |
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March 2008
Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | I only fingerpick. But there are a lot of variables in fingerpicking too. My friend Jeff fingerpicks everything too, but his attack is so different from mine that we can play the same song the same way and it sounds different. When I play, my fingers are curled and I pluck each string in an upward position (from the sounhole up). Jeff's fingers are straighter, and he brushed them across each individul string (from the treble side toward the bass side). I admire his sound. He admires mine. He sounds "sure" and I sound "delicate". I guess there's a place for both, depending on the song. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | I fingerpick 99% of the time. I use fingernails with all 5 fingers sometimes and occasionally strum with the backs of the nails or roll across Spanish style, but I'm not very good at that. I do a bunch of different patterns, but have trouble changing directions once I get started.
Another difficulty is when there is some odd syncopation with the thumb, such as on Tears In Heaven.
Using a pick on anything other than strumming, I have trouble hitting the right strings. I tend to get frustrated and go back to the fingers. |
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January 2006
Posts: 2120
Location: Chicago | Fair enough, Alan!
I use a .90 Ultex Sharp (thumb, forefinger) and I pick in a block or finger-style with the rest (incl. pinky). I find, for example, that a chordal pattern with string skips ("Meeting of the Spirits" "Mood for a Day") is easier "finger-style" where my pick plays the part of the thumb and the other three (med. nails) do the rest of the work. I like octaves, and a sort of "string slap" on the E and A. |
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April 2008
Posts: 1851
Location: Newington, CT | Originally posted by dobro:
Fair enough, Alan!
I use a .90 Ultex Sharp (thumb, forefinger) and I pick in a block or finger-style with the rest (incl. pinky). I find, for example, that a chordal pattern with string skips ("Meeting of the Spirits" "Mood for a Day") is easier "finger-style" where my pick plays the part of the thumb and the other three (med. nails) do the rest of the work. I like octaves, and a sort of "string slap" on the E and A. Lol! I understood almost NONE of that, but I DO know you're one HECKUVA guitar player, Greg! |
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January 2006
Posts: 2120
Location: Chicago | It just means, Alan, that I use a pick AND the other fingers in various combos.
We often forget that the point at which our fingers meet the string(s) is KEY: 95% of our "tone" happens right there... not in a string brand or effects pedal. It's amazing how little even the GUITAR itself matters. It's the player and the hands. |
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October 2009
Posts: 29
Location: Texas | I have tried a variety of styles, 2, 3, 4 finger, flat pick on the same song. It changes the character. Whatever sounds best. |
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December 2003
Posts: 13996
Location: Upper Left USA | Medium plectrum or broken Travis picking!
I like to involve the Thumb and 3 more fingers, with my Pinky as an anchor (Doc Watson).
My nails are soft and even with chemical assistance (formaldehyde) I can't grow them to finger pick with.
Tried the Alaska picks, metal and plastic fingerpicks but they just didn't take. |
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January 2006
Posts: 2120
Location: Chicago | Woody: is there something that "fortifies" the nail so it does not break or chip so readily? I remember Chet Atkins using something.... |
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November 2008
Posts: 1119
Location: Michigan | 90% finger pick. Started out with a "Travis Picking" style and just sort of evolve it to whatever I need. Thumbpick and fingenails for me. I cannot grow a decent thumbnail so I have had to adapt to a thumb pick. (hate to always have to carry one around) I use a flat pick only when I play at church or with other players when required. |
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December 2003
Posts: 13996
Location: Upper Left USA | "is there something that "fortifies" the nail so it does not break or chip so readily?"
Yup, formaldehyde. It is the main ingredient in the "Nail Hardeners" as well as embalming fluid.
I tried the stuff and had some nicely manicured nails for about 2 months but every time they made it to about 1/8" they would bend backwards.
So now my Man Hands modeling days are over. |
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March 2005
Posts: 2791
Location: Atlanta, GA. | Originally posted by dobro:
Woody: is there something that "fortifies" the nail so it does not break or chip so readily? I remember Chet Atkins using something.... Eat lotsa Jello... or so I've been told. |
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March 2008
Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | There's a great fingerpicker here in town who uses his own homemade fake nails. He cuts ping pong balls to the shape of his entire fingernail and superglues them on. I know it sounds weird, but the ping pong balls have just the right curvature and thickness, they can be filed and shaped, and they sound wonderful.
My own nails are thick and tough so I've never needed to strengthen them, but the next time I break a nail when I have a gig coming up, I will be going to the store for ping pong balls. It's worth a try. |
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November 2008
Posts: 1119
Location: Michigan | :)
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April 2008
Posts: 1851
Location: Newington, CT | Originally posted by CanterburyStrings:
There's a great fingerpicker here in town who uses his own homemade fake nails. He cuts ping pong balls to the shape of his entire fingernail and superglues them on. I know it sounds weird, but the ping pong balls have just the right curvature and thickness, they can be filed and shaped, and they sound wonderful.
My own nails are thick and tough so I've never needed to strengthen them, but the next time I break a nail when I have a gig coming up, I will be going to the store for ping pong balls. It's worth a try. Great! Human ingenuity is a wondrous thing. And NEVER in short supply! |
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March 2002
Posts: 15678
Location: SoCal | Flatpick w/ fingers. Fender medium picks which are also the cream colored OFC picks...... |
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Joined:
April 2008
Posts: 1851
Location: Newington, CT | Originally posted by MWoody:
Medium plectrum or broken Travis picking!
I like to involve the Thumb and 3 more fingers, with my Pinky as an anchor (Doc Watson).
My nails are soft and even with chemical assistance (formaldehyde) I can't grow them to finger pick with.
Tried the Alaska picks, metal and plastic fingerpicks but they just didn't take. It was GREAT to read this! I didn't know that others used their pinky fingers as an anchor...I figured I was the only one who did that. I figured further that it was a BAD habit as it had the effect of dampening the vibration of the guitar top. Does anyone know whether this DOES indeed have that effect? And, if so, is it a dramatic difference? |
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December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by CanterburyStrings:
He cuts ping pong balls to the shape of his entire fingernail and superglues them on. FINGERNAIL FALSIES instructions. |
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December 2005
Posts: 109
Location: Alabama | Ani Difranco uses Lee press-on nails. I read somewhere she thought she would have to give up playing if the quit making then. I use a pick or my fingers: with or without nails depending on if I have them. If one is broken or short I will usually just grab a pick. |
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November 2008
Posts: 1119
Location: Michigan | Originally posted by AlanM:
Originally posted by MWoody:
Medium plectrum or broken Travis picking!
I like to involve the Thumb and 3 more fingers, with my Pinky as an anchor (Doc Watson).
My nails are soft and even with chemical assistance (formaldehyde) I can't grow them to finger pick with.
Tried the Alaska picks, metal and plastic fingerpicks but they just didn't take. It was GREAT to read this! I didn't know that others used their pinky fingers as an anchor...I figured I was the only one who did that. I figured further that it was a BAD habit as it had the effect of dampening the vibration of the guitar top. Does anyone know whether this DOES indeed have that effect? And, if so, is it a dramatic difference?
The teachers I had told me you limit the movement of your right hand by anchoring it. Neither mentioned that it would dampen the top. |
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March 2008
Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | They SAY you can do muscle or tendon damage, but I've never heard anyone complain of that. On some songs I use thumb and all four fingers, on some I use thumb and three fingers, and on some of the faster stuff I have to keep it down to thumb and two fingers or the extra fingers get in the way and seem to get tangled up. On those songs I find I often anchor the pinky. Hasn't hurt me yet, and I have never noticed it dampening the tone. As a matter of fact, there are some songs where I change around from all fingers to only some fingers during the course of the song. Nobody has ever noticed a tone change on the parts where my pinky touches the soundboard. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15678
Location: SoCal | Jerry Reed used a thumbpick and fingers and on really fast stuff, he curled his index finger up, not using it at all. Couldn't tell you why he did it, but said that it gave the music a different feel.... |
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January 2006
Posts: 2120
Location: Chicago | How 'bout Tony White and "Polk Salad Annie"?
Oh yeah!!! |
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December 2001
Posts: 7237
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Originally posted by dobro:
How do YOU pick? Fingers? Fingerpicks? Tapping? Just a thumb like Wes? Mostly octaves? Chords? Single lines? Pick (which pick?) Do you maintain strict alternate picking or is it downstrokes etc? Which is your pick of choice? Tell the story! All of the above? I can't do flamenco style or most of the fancy Jazz or Classical finger picking, but basic stuff when it's appropriate. I try to not make it appropriate by not playing songs that require that. As far as picks... it just depends. My favorite picks are the Graphite Adamas picks. Held normally most of the time, but for speed I hold them vertical. My other favorite pick are .60mm and I think they are Tortex picks from Dunlop. The ones I have are imprinted from VOX, but they seem to match the Tortex description. They are pretty normal, just not shiney, so they grip easier.
I have used finger picks and thumb picks, but only when the tune seemed to need it for some reason.
My third favorite, just carry around, nice picks are the ones I used to carry for the OvationFanClub. The heavier ones were heavy but not too heavy, the lighter ones light but not too light.
You asked.... |
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Joined:
March 2009
Posts: 715
| I flatpick because I've never really done that much fingerpicking. I do know where to position my hands to fingerpick, I just haven't concentrated on it yet.
I was using a Fender heavy pick because the size was big enough for my big hands, but I've recently changed to a Dunlop 1.14 mm pick. I think it helps give my guitar a "softer" sound. The Collector's tends to be a boomer, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.
Michelle |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 2120
Location: Chicago | Can't explain it, but when I was a kid (13-15) I used the Fender "Jazz" (tear drop) picks exclusively. I rather abruptly switched to full-size "regular" format. Now I can't remember why I EVER used the little ones.... Maybe "fat hands" syndrome? (Microdot) brain damage? |
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January 2006
Posts: 2120
Location: Chicago | I'm willing to bet that few of us have used these weird alternative gizmos:
First there's the THE JELLIFISH
or these:
1) THE E-BOW
2) HARMONIC CAPO
3) STONE PICK
Now there's even a patent pending for a
MECHANICAL GUITAR STRUMMER (go to p. 64)
looks like the patent is pretty old (1993)! |
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February 2004
Posts: 34
Location: here | Clayton .45mm pics.
I don't drop these as much as others and they sound and feel good to me. |
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February 2005
Posts: 36
Location: There's no place like 127.0.0.1 | I've got 2 out of 4. Need to order a harmonic cahpoh from Al. |
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September 2009
Posts: 144
Location: SW Washington | When I first started getting really serious about guitar I was a huge fan of Leo Kotke and John Fahey and Hot Tuna so I started out mostly finger picking with my nails. Now I think I actually use a flat pick more than my fingers but I use both heavily. I still rely on my fingernails...could never get the hang of thumbpick and/or thimbles. So if I break a nail, I use mostly flat pick until it grows back. For the most part, it seems like almost everything I write at least starts out as a fingerpicking tune, but some of them morph into flat picking things. I just got some Dunlop Tortex 88's that I really like the sound of. They sound great on my LX...nice warm sound. |
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December 2008
Posts: 1455
Location: Texas | I mostly finger-pick my acoustics. When I do use picks, I have always preferred lighter/softer picks, regardless of the guitar. That's probably because I don't pick with the "pointy" end of a standard-shaped pick, I use the less-pointy corners, actually almost the long edge, with only a sliver sticking out to pick with so it can only bend a little. I originally learned to play on a solid-body electric guitar (a long time ago) and I convinced myself that I had more control that way, and it became habit, although not necessarily a good habit?
But recently I've been experimenting with lots of different picks, including trying metal finger-picks on an electric 12. (So far, that works much better for Roger McGuinn than it works for me…)
;)
Although inexplicable to SWMBO, this is a great thread… |
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Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 1017
Location: Budd Lake, NJ | Almost always finger-pick, pinkie (feminine spelling ;) ) planted, but strumming I do with fingers on the down-strokes and thumb on the up-strokes. (I feel like I have more control that way.)
I like the really thin nylon Dunlops (.38) if I absolutely have to use a pick on a guitar, a little heavier for the mando, and about a .60 if I need one for the bass. I have used the .46s (I think that's the size) when I play blue grass and am in a room with a whole lot of people thumping away on their various instruments...
I started out finger-picking, and am extremely comfortable playing that way; using a pick still feels a little weird sometimes, even all these years later.
--Karen |
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August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Originally posted by dobro:
It's amazing how little even the GUITAR itself matters. It's the player and the hands. And therein lies the problem for the vast majority of us... |
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How do you pick your "O" (and why)?