[ssjk]

Would appreciate some advice here. After 50 years of guitar and 10 of mandolin, I would rate myself as an advanced intermediate. I’m primarily a singer, normally finger picking when alone and using a flat pick when in a group or when playing mando.

Here’s my problem:

I can play a decent break when fingerpicking, working within the chords that I happen to be playing at that time, and selecting a location on the neck where it fits the break I’m playing. But I can’t seem to do that with a pick, playing single notes.

It occurred to me that I’m always trying to fill in the chord structure rather than concentrating on the single note of the melody or lead. Easy when fingerpicking. Much harder when flatpicking.

So advice requested: Practice scales until I drop? Play fiddle tunes? Write out some breaks and play them as written? Find songs I like and just play along with the melody with single notes? Get an instructor?

I’ve tried all but the last with limited success. Anybody got some magic to offer?

Thanks