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  #16  
Old 12-11-2017, 08:07 AM
Swamp Yankee Swamp Yankee is offline
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Originally Posted by pjroberts View Post
Exactly what I was going to recommend. Plus you learn a new skill that mixes easily with fingerstyle.
Or, downstroke with the back of the nail of your middle finger,(as in clawhammer banjo) and upstroke with the nail on your thumb.

On the rare occasions I use a pick, I also "pinkie plant" which limits the power of my strumming strokes.
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  #17  
Old 12-11-2017, 08:10 AM
Rmz76 Rmz76 is offline
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Originally Posted by Steadfastly View Post
I use a small Davo Grip pick as I have sweaty hands and need something that won't slip. It is fairly hard. If I go to something softer, will that help a lot or is it more my technique?
Lots of great advise given, but also would like to point out guitars have different levels of volume, sustain and the overall range of overtones you're hearing.... You can probably use a softer pick, work on your attack, etc... and get results... However, assuming you've not new at this and have already developed a technique, I'm a believer in finding a guitar that suits your play style, not adapting for the guitar.

There is no way I or anyone here could start to toss out specific makes and models you might try, but I would suggest taking a clip-on tuner and a few picks to the local Guitar Center or Sam Ash and experimenting.

I will add that the price you paid for the guitar doesn't change this suggestion. Even if you paid $10,000 for the guitar in question that doesn't mean it's better for what you're trying to do with a guitar than one of the $2000-$2500 mainstream popular models... This is why most here own many guitars.... If anything, the more you pay the more niche the guitars becomes. Like any highly refined tool; excellent at doing a specific job (finger style, flat-picking, etc...) and much less so at others.
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  #18  
Old 12-11-2017, 08:15 AM
Steadfastly Steadfastly is offline
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Originally Posted by cotten View Post
I suggest you try one of the Guitar Moose Sticky Grip picks, https://guitarmoose.com/products/gui...rip-clear-pick, perhaps in Light. My hands don't sweat much, but I like being able to hang onto my picks easily. These work for me (though I like the carbon fiber ones). From their web site: The foam grip on each side of the guitar pick "sticks" to your fingers and hand while playing. These guitar picks will solve the slippery guitar pick that twists and moves around when your hands get sweaty. The grip is very soft and comfortable, which will lessen the pressure used to hold the pick. By relaxing your hand while playing, you will be able to play for longer periods of time.


cotten
Thanks for the suggestion. How do these differ from the Dava picks?
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  #19  
Old 12-11-2017, 08:29 AM
Steadfastly Steadfastly is offline
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Originally Posted by musicman1951 View Post
You could get a thinner pick, but that changes the tone, and probably not in a good way. (same with thinner strings)

Don't hit the darn strings so hard! You have trained your muscles for this volume and now you'll have to un-train them and teach them a new volume.

You could use some visual feedback (volume meter on recorder or decibel meter), but I think that's unnecessary. Just practice softer until it feels natural.

You could try smaller strokes - less work and immediately softer with the same effort. Probably the best thing would be to spend some time every day playing stupidly soft - so soft your voice would totally overpower the guitar. You would never use this, but it would speed up the muscle training.

It's going to take some work, but what doesn't?
That sounds like a very good idea. I will give that a try. Thank you.
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  #20  
Old 12-11-2017, 08:30 AM
hairpuller hairpuller is offline
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I just got so tired of looking for picks that I started just using my hand, which really results in a beautiful tone. It has really helped my fingerstyle, too. I use the back of my fingernails and even pick individual strings that way. Amazingly, I've become pretty adept at this style. There's not many songs I can't play pickless and do alright.

Scott
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  #21  
Old 12-11-2017, 08:34 AM
rokdog49 rokdog49 is offline
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Personally, I would never use a felt pick for strumming or anything else.
I'd probably cut one out of a plastic milk carton if I had to.
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  #22  
Old 12-11-2017, 08:47 AM
mattbn73 mattbn73 is offline
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I think we're talking about a couple different things, when we talk about thin or thick picks being loud or soft . All things being absolutely equal, soft picks "flap" a little more because they have give, kind of slapping the strings . So, in that sense, they produce a little more "noise", again, all things being equal. Thicker picks probably produce more volume overall , all things being equal , and it's more "pure tone" as opposed to "pick noise".

Of course all things aren't equal. :-)

All of the above assumes perfect pick technique, identical in both contexts, and most of us don't have that in the beginning. In my experience, beginners do best with thinner pics, coupled with some really good instruction on how to hold the thing and the angle of attack/technique etc. Most self, taught beginners who hear the sound of a thicker pick as being very abrasive and horrible, tend to compromise on TECHNIQUE, whether consciously or not. They either hold the pick more loosely and let it kind of "flap" as they strum, or they angle the pick severely to soften the harsh sound they are hearing. Neither of these are ideal.

I always advise getting thinner picks to start, while NOT compromising the angle of attack , with the understanding that you are working toward the goal of eventually playing with just the tip of the pick.

All things being equal thicker pics produce better tone, but you have to play with absolute tip of the pick. All things being equal, most players tend to have an easier time with single lines on thicker picks as opposed to the opposite with thinner picks and strumming.

Just some beginner guidelines. All just my opinion.
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  #23  
Old 12-11-2017, 09:05 AM
jwellsy jwellsy is offline
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I picked up a silent guitar to play late at night and not bother anyone in the house. It sounds great with headphones on.
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Yamaha/S...lent-Guitar.gc
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  #24  
Old 12-11-2017, 09:33 AM
baimo baimo is offline
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Changing picks helps until you learn the style you like, I have found the thin brown material used in blue chip and charmed life to make less excess noise than the acrylic. They do cost a few cents more . But they are helpful. And echoing others, playing with your strumming hand is really helpful in several ways. And I am a strummer
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  #25  
Old 12-11-2017, 09:58 AM
Steadfastly Steadfastly is offline
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I think I am going to get some more picks and try this as well as some of your suggestions. With any suggestion, I must have a pick with excellent grip.

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  #26  
Old 12-11-2017, 10:10 AM
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golfreggie golfreggie is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cotten View Post
I suggest you try one of the Guitar Moose Sticky Grip picks, https://guitarmoose.com/products/gui...rip-clear-pick, perhaps in Light. My hands don't sweat much, but I like being able to hang onto my picks easily. These work for me (though I like the carbon fiber ones). From their web site: The foam grip on each side of the guitar pick "sticks" to your fingers and hand while playing. These guitar picks will solve the slippery guitar pick that twists and moves around when your hands get sweaty. The grip is very soft and comfortable, which will lessen the pressure used to hold the pick. By relaxing your hand while playing, you will be able to play for longer periods of time.


cotten
I like Cotten's suggestion, and to add to it, I use a different brand pick (Charmed Life) but buy the sticky pads from Guitar Moose and put them on the pick. Works great.
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  #27  
Old 12-11-2017, 10:17 AM
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Originally Posted by Steadfastly View Post
I use a small Davo Grip pick as I have sweaty hands and need something that won't slip. It is fairly hard. If I go to something softer, will that help a lot or is it more my technique?
Hi Sf

Relax your wrist, lighten your grip, shorten the stroke and move the stroke path up more over the center of the soundhole.

Also, if you rotate the pick so you are strumming off one of the rounded corners rather than the sharp tip, and put a speed bevel on it it may help too.



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  #28  
Old 12-11-2017, 10:28 AM
1neeto 1neeto is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rmz76 View Post
Lots of great advise given, but also would like to point out guitars have different levels of volume, sustain and the overall range of overtones you're hearing.... You can probably use a softer pick, work on your attack, etc... and get results... However, assuming you've not new at this and have already developed a technique, I'm a believer in finding a guitar that suits your play style, not adapting for the guitar.



There is no way I or anyone here could start to toss out specific makes and models you might try, but I would suggest taking a clip-on tuner and a few picks to the local Guitar Center or Sam Ash and experimenting.



I will add that the price you paid for the guitar doesn't change this suggestion. Even if you paid $10,000 for the guitar in question that doesn't mean it's better for what you're trying to do with a guitar than one of the $2000-$2500 mainstream popular models... This is why most here own many guitars.... If anything, the more you pay the more niche the guitars becomes. Like any highly refined tool; excellent at doing a specific job (finger style, flat-picking, etc...) and much less so at others.


Only on AGF would someone call a $2000 guitar “mainstream” as if nothing special. [emoji23]
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  #29  
Old 12-11-2017, 10:44 AM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
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[QUOTE=ljguitar;5565236]....Relax your wrist, lighten your grip, shorten the stroke and move the stroke path up more over the center of the sound hole.[QUOTE]

Agreed. It is all about a relaxed, controlled picking stroke. I took flatpicking classes from Steve Kaufman at a guitar camp once. He was fairly adamant about holding the pick with just enough tension that he could not grab the tip and easily pull it from between your fingers -- some resistance but no death grip! And he gave each of us one of his labeled picks, a Delrin 0.73 (yellow). That was much thinner than I expected. I have gravitated to heavier and heavier picks over the years.

The big downside to strumming with bare fingers or nails (to me) is that I quickly wear away the nails needed to play finger style well. I will do it sometimes when playing quietly late at night using just the side flesh of my thumb, but have to be careful to avoid the nail in order to preserve it.
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  #30  
Old 12-11-2017, 10:49 AM
brianmay brianmay is offline
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Damp the strings with the heel of your picking hand.

It can also result in a great rhythm too.
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