Switching form fingerpicking to pick in the same song

[SongwriterFan]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

It looks to me as if she's doing another trick I use: holding my fingers as if I were holding a pick and strumming with the backs of the nails. I learned to do that when I was young and couldn't afford picks.

Hmmm . . I still swear that I see her pulling a pick from her palm somewhere.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by SongwriterFan

I don't know how she did it, but my friend would mostly finger-pick this song, then pull out the pick for just a few spots in the chorus. I think maybe she's holding it between the index and middle finger, or somehow palming it. It was like a magic trick. I never noticed this until after she died, while I was looking at the videos I took of her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6EaBSMn5UY

I agree, she is definitely holding a red pick between index and middle, and bringing it out for the occasional strum.
Very weird - never seen anyone do that!

[Bob Womack]

Originally Posted by SongwriterFan

Hmmm . . I still swear that I see her pulling a pick from her palm somewhere.

You know, I've seen all kinds of techniques from sticking it between the two joints of a finger to palming it with a bit of a squeeze. Having studied classical just enough to be dangerous, I've never found those techniques comfortable. Different strokes for different folks, thou knowest.

Bob

[SongwriterFan]

Originally Posted by JonPR

I agree, she is definitely holding a red pick between index and middle, and bringing it out for the occasional strum.
Very weird - never seen anyone do that!

Just found another song where she does that. I think it's even more obvious here that the pick is between her index and middle finger until she fetches it for a brief moment at a time. Can't believe I never noticed this before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62l6C7e4rLI

[A Scot in Otley]

Originally Posted by zuzu

As I said, my thumb pick is highly modified (by me), and reversable, specifically for strumming on one side and picking on the other, but I am getting the hang of using it either way for picking. I played index fingernail strum for years but never mastered the knack of attaining an even volume and tone on the upstroke and downstroke, the upstroke always faded a bit.

Just for interest, how did you modify it? I can't hybrid pick cos my middle finger is knacked - so it's thumpick or plectrum, not both. I've tried strumming with a pick but it never seems stable for me.

[A Scot in Otley]

Originally Posted by Charlie Bernstein

Covers my waterfront with shoreline to spare.

It amused me, that metaphor. Well done.

[beninma]

Hybrid picking is one thing, but there are definitely lots of players who can "hide" the pick in their fingers and switch back and forth.

My guitar teacher can do this, and has showed me how to do it. I most certainly can't do it, and it'd take a lot of practice to do it. There is one motion to "stow" the pick and another to bring it back into place. Doing this all in time without a break in your playing is pretty crazy stuff IMO, pretty impressive.

Someone mentioned Tom Bukovac, I think he has done this switch in his youtube videos in some of his songs he plays.

Hybrid picking came pretty naturally to me. Easier than picking some patterns all with the pick. The issue with that being that for some pieces of music that have picking patterns all with the pick it doesn't sound the same if you hybrid pick it.

[zuzu]

Originally Posted by A Scot in Otley

Just for interest, how did you modify it? I can't hybrid pick cos my middle finger is knacked - so it's thumpick or plectrum, not both. I've tried strumming with a pick but it never seems stable for me.

I take a Heavy Fred Kelly Speed Pick and heat the bend of it just enough (the hard part) with a ciggie lighter to twist the top of it into a neutral position, neither right hand nor left hand. Let it cool until it holds shape, then put it on your thumb with the BEND toward the guitar, not the point. Choose the edge of the bend that is away from your wrist, take it off, and heat that edge just enough (the hard part) to put a toothpick or tiny Allen wrench inside the bend and push out a little nipple toward the outside, toward what would be the guitar strings wearing the pick as you had it. Try to get it out as far as you can without ruining it (another hard part) and keep it narrow if possible. When it cools in place take a fingernail emory board to it to try to shape it near to the bevel point of a quite thick pick, each side of the nipple probably around 30-35 degrees angle to a tip. The edge behind the nipple, toward your wrist as you wear it, will need to be filed down all around the nipple as much as you dare without making the bend of it weak, to keep the tip as the only surface striking the strings, just as a regular pick. The regular point side of the pick I just shorten a bit, as I always have. You will probably need to tidy up the inside of the pick for stuff hanging out, poking your thumb, etc.. I DO wish the IMGUR would allow my pics here, I've fiddled about with it quite a bit but no luck. I'll get my granddaughter to fool with it when she comes.

This pick allows me to strum downstrokes and upstrokes with my thumb with an even volume and tone, but there is still a technique to it which I am slowly mastering into consistency. I use the regular point for strings E,A, and D, for bass notes while fingerpicking, as is common, but am beginning to be able to make the nipple side do that job fairly well also.

I first tried this on the variety can of thumb picks I had laying around, to no avail, and nearly setting myself on fire, then on a pack of Fred Kelly (love his Delrin, super tough!) Heavy Slick Picks, succeeding well enough to be further encouraged; 2 of them were fairly ok, the rest were ruined. The Heavy Speed picks are thicker and harder to work with, but sound quite a bit better when you get one right. I've been through 2 packs of them (16 picks) the score is; 2 very nice, interchangeable, use them all the time, 1 ok for backup, 2 untried, 11 ruined. I can't advise trying it if you are easily frustrated, but once you can see what I'm trying to do you may be able to come up with a much better way. I also can't advise it if you play a heavy stroke. My hand is light when not gripping a plectrum, and if I do start "playing from my elbow" all sorts of undesirable zinging noises instantly come flying out.

But my skill level difference between playing with a plectrum (about 1 1/2 year experience), and my open, bare hand playing skill (decades) is pretty steep, and some dollars, time, and a pile of ruined picks is a price, to me, well worth paying for being able to play my natural style while achieving the sound of a plectrum. Results may vary.

[A Scot in Otley]

Originally Posted by zuzu

I take a Heavy Fred Kelly Speed Pick and heat the bend of it just enough (the hard part) with a ciggie lighter to twist the top of it into a neutral position, neither right hand nor left hand. Let it cool until it holds shape, then put it on your thumb with the BEND toward the guitar, not the point. Choose the edge of the bend that is away from your wrist, take it off, and heat that edge just enough (the hard part) to put a toothpick or tiny Allen wrench inside the bend and push out a little nipple toward the outside, toward what would be the guitar strings wearing the pick as you had it. Try to get it out as far as you can without ruining it (another hard part) and keep it narrow if possible. When it cools in place take a fingernail emory board to it to try to shape it near to the bevel point of a quite thick pick, each side of the nipple probably around 30-35 degrees angle to a tip. The edge behind the nipple, toward your wrist as you wear it, will need to be filed down all around the nipple as much as you dare without making the bend of it weak, to keep the tip as the only surface striking the strings, just as a regular pick. The regular point side of the pick I just shorten a bit, as I always have. You will probably need to tidy up the inside of the pick for stuff hanging out, poking your thumb, etc.. I DO wish the IMGUR would allow my pics here, I've fiddled about with it quite a bit but no luck. I'll get my granddaughter to fool with it when she comes.

This pick allows me to strum downstrokes and upstrokes with my thumb with an even volume and tone, but there is still a technique to it which I am slowly mastering into consistency. I use the regular point for strings E,A, and D, for bass notes while fingerpicking, as is common, but am beginning to be able to make the nipple side do that job fairly well also.

I first tried this on the variety can of thumb picks I had laying around, to no avail, and nearly setting myself on fire, then on a pack of Fred Kelly (love his Delrin, super tough!) Heavy Slick Picks, succeeding well enough to be further encouraged; 2 of them were fairly ok, the rest were ruined. The Heavy Speed picks are thicker and harder to work with, but sound quite a bit better when you get one right. I've been through 2 packs of them (16 picks) the score is; 2 very nice, interchangeable, use them all the time, 1 ok for backup, 2 untried, 11 ruined. I can't advise trying it if you are easily frustrated, but once you can see what I'm trying to do you may be able to come up with a much better way. I also can't advise it if you play a heavy stroke. My hand is light when not gripping a plectrum, and if I do start "playing from my elbow" all sorts of undesirable zinging noises instantly come flying out.

But my skill level difference between playing with a plectrum (about 1 1/2 year experience), and my open, bare hand playing skill (decades) is pretty steep, and some dollars, time, and a pile of ruined picks is a price, to me, well worth paying for being able to play my natural style while achieving the sound of a plectrum. Results may vary.

Blimey! I am in awe at your ingenuity, perseverance and skill, neither of which are my natural bedfellows. I do use those same picks (the white heavy ones). Thanks for putting in the time to write that all down, I know that wasn't easy to explain in writing ... I got there in the end (after my head had fallen off at least twice). I couldn't do what you have done, so well done to you. I'll maybe have another go (and maybe persevere a bit more) with the black mountain thingy that's been inhabiting my odds and sods tin for the last couple of years.

Thanks a lot for your response. Much appreciated.

[zuzu]

Originally Posted by A Scot in Otley

Blimey! I am in awe at your ingenuity, perseverance and skill, neither of which are my natural bedfellows. I do use those same picks (the white heavy ones). Thanks for putting in the time to write that all down, I know that wasn't easy to explain in writing ... I got there in the end (after my head had fallen off at least twice). I couldn't do what you have done, so well done to you. I'll maybe have another go (and maybe persevere a bit more) with the black mountain thingy that's been inhabiting my odds and sods tin for the last couple of years.

Thanks a lot for your response. Much appreciated.

Don't mention it! And the Black Mountain thing didn't quite get it done for me but wasn't immediately rejected, it was a good candidate for awhile, but I continued my experiment while using it and started getting a more fitting result for me. Hang in there! You can do it!