Do you REALLY know what picking technique you use ?

[B3N]

Hi all,

On another thread I mentionned this page on Tuck Andress website, about detailed and analyzed picking techniques. This is the more interesting stuff I ever read about picking, years ago.

https://www.tuckandpatti.com/pick-fi...ch.shtml#1.1.2

It made me wonder at the time what was my technique, thinking about its pros and cons.


For me it is standard picking (between thumb and index), hand open, the pinky sometimes anchored on the e string or the pickguard. Thumb is flexible if I want to angle the pick. This is what I use when I strum or play to sit in the mix. Quite classic. I just don't touch the bridge.

When I want a fat leading/melody tone and cut through the mix, I use some kind of Jim Hall technique, with the thumb locked, and picking the strings at a slight angle. I'm less flexible and can't mute the strings, but the sound is huge and warm.

On a acoutic guitar, I think the more drastic factor is not touching the bridge with your wrist or the back with your belly. This dampens the guitar. If you do, try to get your wrist and belly off the guitar, and you should notice a huge boost in volume, presence and sustain. I talk about that because it has influenced my picking technique on acoustic guitar : I don't worry about that on electrics...

I'm really interested about what are your techniques and if you have some tips to share !

PS : Oh, and I found these picks to be the best. I smooth the sides with a glass file and then filing papers, just like nails. The results are amazing ! They are cheap and resilient. not wooden 10$ picks.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DUNLOP-DEL...-/200344014481

Ben

[HHP]

I grip the pick using a curled index finger with the thumb coming over the top to lock in the pick. No anchors, free float. Using a 4 mm pick with a sharp speed bevel applied that will strike the strings at an angle that puts most of the bevel in contact with the string. Gives me a clear, loud sound and I intuitively know where the pick point is for accuracy.

[jseth]

I don't really care what the name of my picking style is... it has "morphed" from fingerpicking and flatpicking into "something else"... not totally Travis picking, but some of that, some clawhammer, a bunch of other methods...

I only care that it works for me, for the way I want to play...

[fazool]

I wiggle my fingers until they make the noise I want