Thumb Pick Poll and Question

[frybaby]

Forum folks,
I am working on my finger picking technique and though I have never used a thumb pick for finger picking, my research has indicated that a number of online instructors highly recommend using a thumb pick.
I purchased a NATIONAL Medium pick and began my journey. However I find the thumb pick to be awkward, thus I see some serious practice ahead if I decide the effort to use a thumb pick is advisable. Thus the POLL. Also if you care to please list you favorite thumb pick

[gh1]

After three years without a thumb pick -- i recently (last 3 months) decided to dedicate the time to use a pick. Quick notes:

Always gave up before because it was awkward.
Tried many picks and found Fred Kelly Slick Pick to be the most "user friendly"
After three months it is getting better but still miss strings or hit the wrong ones.
The tone is worth the battle!

_____
gh1

[lofapco]

I stick to no pick because all of the times I try to use a thumb or finger picks, I hate the way they feel. I also have fairly large thumbs and have never really found one that fits. When I do use a pick on my thumb it tends to override the fingers as I use nail/skin with no picks there. I prefer the overall balance I get from just using my fingers and thumb sans picks.

[Fngrstyl]

What about, "sometime I use a Thumbpick, sometimes I don't" :)

90% of the time I don't, but If I want to play some Pete Huttlinger, it just doesn't sound right to me without one.

[1990cashew]

I have found Fred Kelly Slick Picks to fit me the best, but having said that, I am not currently using a thumb pick.

I love what the pick does for certain songs, but only for about 10% of the songs I play. To invest the time to get comfortable with a thumb pick to only use it 10% of the time is something I just haven't invested time in...I would love to be proficient at it, but can't justify it for the type of music I am playing at this point.

[Marge]

I have used a thumb pick for years. I have come to like the Fred Kelly Slick thumbpick the best. I recommend going to the guitar store or ordering on line a selection of different thumb picks to try . They come in a variety of different shapes, materials, and weight (heavy, medium, light). Give it time and you will find what you like. Have fun exploring.

MAKE it a GREAT day!!!:D
Marge

[6stringpickin]

It took me about a week of daily use to get used to it and now it feels awkward with out it.

My pick of choice is a dunlop medium, this is afte trying many others including filing and shaping my own.

[jmiked]

Put me in the "use a thumbpick 95% of the time" crowd. I've been using a thumbpick since about 1962, and am not really comfortable with anything else. When I'm not using a thumbpick, I use my thumbnail, usually for fingerstyle jazz pieces.

I'm a Fred Kelly guy. :)

Mike

[shawlie]

I'm kind of in the same boat as you, frybaby. Years ago (when as a young fella things seemed to come much quicker) I used to use one often enough and could play with or without one.

Now I practice with one on and off, and it's difficult. It's not so much hitting the wrong strings or feeling akward, I just find the volume to be so overpowering. I've been messing around with Dunlop mediums and some metal thumb pick I used to use to play banjo with (banjo seems lots easier with picks than guitar, but then I used one or more fingerpicks, too).

Seems like it'll take lots of work to get the balance right, and a complete re-think about how I pick (so I keep trying, but spend much more time practicing without one). Must say, the clarity and crispness they give sounds very nice.

[Coke_zero]

I generally use my thumb nail but when it gets to a certain length I have to cut it due to the fact i can't stand the look of it lol.

I use a Fred Kelly speed pick mostly.

[woody b]

I used National Thumbpicks for years, but I filed them down some. For the last couple years I've used Fred Kelly Slick picks with no mods. My Wife recentely bought me a Blue Chip Thumbpick. I really like it, but they're expen$ive.

I also use Dunlop Ultex flat picks, but I use thumbpicks ~90% of the time.

[Sugarlander]

Fred Kelly thumbpicks, medium (Orange color typically. I say typically, because sometimes they make special runs and change the colors) is favorite.

I find that I can play very softly or loud with a thumb pick. So when I hear people say they play too loud with a thumbpick I know that they have not given it enough time to get the fell (This "playing to loudly" is a dead give away to the fact that may natural pickers have to play very hard (much more force and tension) to get enough volume from their natural thumb than with a thumbpick. I find that I can play much more relaxed since it takes so little effort (work) to play at different volumes from soft to very loud. There no way that I can do this with my natural thumb. This extra measure of reduced tension is VERY valuable to me. This one fact alone makes using a thumbpick a "no brainer" to me. I am not saying that this would be true for everyone. But is you find you play much louder with a thumbpick than with your natural thumb, then my guess is that you have too much tension in your playing - which a thumbpick would help eliminate. Less tension = better playing. Period - for everyone.)

I can strum down with my fingers (no picks) and up very lightly with the thumbpick and it sounds very much like a flatpick on the upstroke. So going from picking to strumming is seamless and sounds very good.

It also makes it easier to mute strings when I want to. With the thumbpick since my hand position is naturally down low to make this easy.

I also miss far few note compared to getting my bigger thumb in to the string compared to the thin thumbpick.

Lots of advantages for me. But the biggest advantage is a more relaxed right hand.

Ed

[catdaddy]

I use a thumb pick when I play banjo, but not when I play guitar. The Fred Kelly slick picks sound the best to my ear but the white Dunlop mediums fit my thumb the best (and don't go flying across the room when I'm playing bluegrass rolls) so that is what I use.

[vac4873]

+ on banjo but not guitar. Hybrid pick on guitar. Thumb pick w/brass fingerpicks for banjo

[mmmaak]

Couldn't play most of what I do without one.

This is what you need. Really ;)

http://207.179.93.144/accessories/items/PK6-H-DELRIN.htm

I'd recommend the delrin X-Heavies, but they've been discontinued for some reason

[Me&MyGuitar]

i tried sooo many thumbpicks and finally stopped at Fred Kelly's heavy slickpick (after a long time using a heavy GoldenGate).

[rattletrap]

I'm one of those who uses both the bare thumb and a pick. Myself I prefer the Fred Kelly bumblebee. My son prefers the fred kelly slick pick.

I'm surprised to see how many of you prefer fred kelly

[ljguitar]

Hi fry...
Sometimes I use a thumb pick to give the bass some added 'attack' - but not volume.

I find all commercial picks too long for my style to go uninterrupted, and I don't like the thin tone of thin material, so I use med-heavy picks and put them on the grinding wheel so they end up like this...

I trim the end so it just barely protrudes below the level of my thumb pad so I can continue to do my normal rest-stop bass stroke. I don't use it for a substitute flat pick...

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1240/1312889118_4d2f917ef5.jpg

This picture demonstrates how much longer a 'normal' pick is than the altered one...

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1311/1312007143_c9d42b7f62.jpg

The advice I've been absorbing about flatpicks is that thicker is better for single note play, and even some strumming. I guess if I'd paid attention to what is going on with my thumb-picks, I'd have realized that already...

[ewalling]

I have some Dunlop metal thumbpicks that I quite like, but I feel most comfortable using the old flesh + end of nail for my thumb as well as my fingers. Fortunately my nails are quite strong and I take care to keep them that way.

[stringbound]

Another vote for the Fred Kelly Delrin Slick Pick. I use it for flatpicking, too.:D

[xylanor]

I have never used one. I just let the thumbnail grow and try to take care of it.

[KYThumbpicker]

Thumbpick and two fingers for me. I keep my nails on my two picking fingers a little longer to get the clarity and volume to match the thumbpick. I use a Fred Kelly medium Derlin Slick Pick. It's got a shorter shank than most thumbpicks and I like the tone it produces.

[Brian W.]

Forum folks,
I am working on my finger picking technique and though I have never used a thumb pick for finger picking, my research has indicated that a number of online instructors highly recommend using a thumb pick.
I purchased a NATIONAL Medium pick and began my journey. However I find the thumb pick to be awkward, thus I see some serious practice ahead if I decide the effort to use a thumb pick is advisable. Thus the POLL. Also if you care to please list you favorite thumb pick

My opinion is use one if you have an interesting bass line that you’d like to accentuate. Ironically, boom-chick and alternating thumb styles are probably the most common for the thumbpick yet imo doesn’t warrant the extra volume. The thumb drives the rhythm which can be repetitive and the bass line is often implied without the emphasis. Always exceptions of course! One vote for no . . . okay maybe sometimes...

[Sugarlander]

Ironically, boom-chick and alternating thumb styles are probably the most common for the thumbpick yet imo doesn’t warrant the extra volume. ...


There is no reason for the thumbpick to add any "extra" volume that I do not want. I simply lighten up on the thumb strokes which makes for extremely reduced tension (relaxed) playing. As I player, I determine the volume with my muscles, not the thumbpick. Now, I can use much less muscle tension using the thumbpick than the muscle I'd need to use to get similar volume from my natural thumb. But again, the volume comes from my muscle force, not the pick. (Obviously tone from the natural flesh is different from the pick, but I am making no comment about tone differences. My discussion here is about volume (loudness) of the notes only.) I can play just as softly with a thumbpick as I can with my natural thumb and so could you if you really wanted too (practiced and developed the light feel).

For me, the biggest advantage by far of the thumbpick is the ability to reduce muscle force and therefore reduce the picking hand tension associated with this. As a general rule: Less force = less tension = better playing for me, and I belive all players. Does this mean all players should use a thumbpick? No. But many players would reduce their picking hand tension by using a thumbpick. Saying the volume is "too loud" is a dead give-away that they are playing too hard with too much force and tension. Period. Reducing this tension and gaining volume control is the answer, which is not the fault of the thumbpick. This is purely up to the player.

Ed

[gerketo]

I'm kind of a lurker on this forum so this may be my first post, don't recall.

Every time I have tried to use a thumb pick my thumb goes numb. Obviously, something is wrong. If I loosen the pick (hot water) so that the blood gets flowing again, the pick falls off. What am I doing wrong. How should the pick sit on the thumb. Picture may help.

I hope this is not too far off topic???

[rick-slo]

I used a thumb pick and metal finger picks when I played the 5 string banjo. On guitar the side of the thumb is a major part of what I use for damping strings so I rarely use one.

[rattletrap]

I'm kind of a lurker on this forum so this may be my first post, don't recall.

Every time I have tried to use a thumb pick my thumb goes numb. Obviously, something is wrong. If I loosen the pick (hot water) so that the blood gets flowing again, the pick falls off. What am I doing wrong. How should the pick sit on the thumb. Picture may help.

I hope this is not too far off topic???

Try superglue, nails or even a staple or two

[frybaby]

All very intersting. Thanks to all who cared to join in. I have a side bar to the thumb pick question.
I am starting to use a thumb pick, now frequently, to see, feel and hear the differences. My question now is, I have heard many, who do not use the pick speak about using the thumb nail, thumb fleshy part, or a combination of both. If using the thumb with out a pick to get a a comparable tone and volume I find I must use more nail than flesh. To tthe my hand position such that I get enough nail into the string strike, I seem to have to twist my hand at the wrist towards the guitar at a considerable angle, otherwise to much flesh on the string and the tone is just not balanced ,since the other fingers are using a bit more nail. Thus the question is twisting the wrist and hand so that the thumb is attacking with mostly nail, putting my hand out of the most effective fingering picking position.

[rick-slo]

All very intersting. Thanks to all who cared to join in. I have a side bar to the thumb pick question.
I am starting to use a thumb pick, now frequently, to see, feel and hear the differences. My question now is, I have heard many, who do not use the pick speak about using the thumb nail, thumb fleshy part, or a combination of both. If using the thumb with out a pick to get a a comparable tone and volume I find I must use more nail than flesh. To tthe my hand position such that I get enough nail into the string strike, I seem to have to twist my hand at the wrist towards the guitar at a considerable angle, otherwise to much flesh on the string and the tone is just not balanced ,since the other fingers are using a bit more nail. Thus the question is twisting the wrist and hand so that the thumb is attacking with mostly nail, putting my hand out of the most effective fingering picking position.
It is not a problem. I don't know what you consider good hand position but in my opinion when playing sans thumbpick this video about says it. Nice song too. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StxpWgfhjIg

[Sugarlander]

I'm kind of a lurker on this forum so this may be my first post, don't recall.

Every time I have tried to use a thumb pick my thumb goes numb. Obviously, something is wrong. If I loosen the pick (hot water) so that the blood gets flowing again, the pick falls off. What am I doing wrong. How should the pick sit on the thumb. Picture may help.

I hope this is not too far off topic???

Without being there it is hard to see if you have something unusual going on. You have said that is is either far to tight (blood flow cut off) or too loose (it falls off). You need to take a tight one and loosen it less than before so you arrive at something in the middle of the two extremes that you have experienced. Perhaps your water is too hot and/or you are stretching it out too far when you take it out of the water. It should not be hard to find the middle ground to solve your problem.