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  #1  
Old 07-30-2020, 01:19 AM
Bogmonster Bogmonster is offline
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Default Fingerstyle and thumb pick question

Hi guys,

First post from me here. Looking forward to learning more and hopefully providing some tips as well.

I've recently started to get into fingerstyle guitar. I've been playing guitar for years now so I would consider myself to be somewhat of an advanced player. It took me a while to get the hang of the bass notes and melody simultaneously in this style and the syncopated rhythms. I'm nowhere near Chet Atkins or Tommy Emmanuel but I'm enjoying this process.

I have an issue however with thumb picks and more specifically their fit. I seem to have small hands. When I wear the thumb pick, for a snug fit, I generally have it around the back of my nail (maybe covers 2-3 mm of the back of my nail) but before my thumb joint/knuckle (hopefully this makes sense). It would be back a small bit more than I would hold a normal pick. This is mainly due to how it fits. It doesn't seem to hamper my playing but it does feel a little strange if I strum a chord. I've also noticed all the pro's seem to have it a little closer to the tip of their fingers so it would be about where you would hold a normal pick.

I've tried resizing them in hot water but because of their size (mediums) and the size of my thumb, they are almost fully closed and there's nowhere really to go. When I wear them where most people do (and even where I have been wearing them) they fit but after playing for a bit and if I dig in, they can rotate. I know there is a small size but I'm also a bit hesitant as I think mediums are fairly tight. I have had my finger start to go blue after long periods of playing.

What is the correct way and position to wear one? Apologies if this is a stupid question, but I can't find a concise answer.

Is there anything I should be doing that can help?

Thanks in advance for your help!
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  #2  
Old 07-30-2020, 03:24 AM
Howard Emerson Howard Emerson is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bogmonster View Post
Hi guys,

First post from me here. Looking forward to learning more and hopefully providing some tips as well.

I've recently started to get into fingerstyle guitar. I've been playing guitar for years now so I would consider myself to be somewhat of an advanced player. It took me a while to get the hang of the bass notes and melody simultaneously in this style and the syncopated rhythms. I'm nowhere near Chet Atkins or Tommy Emmanuel but I'm enjoying this process.

I have an issue however with thumb picks and more specifically their fit. I seem to have small hands. When I wear the thumb pick, for a snug fit, I generally have it around the back of my nail (maybe covers 2-3 mm of the back of my nail) but before my thumb joint/knuckle (hopefully this makes sense). It would be back a small bit more than I would hold a normal pick. This is mainly due to how it fits. It doesn't seem to hamper my playing but it does feel a little strange if I strum a chord. I've also noticed all the pro's seem to have it a little closer to the tip of their fingers so it would be about where you would hold a normal pick.

I've tried resizing them in hot water but because of their size (mediums) and the size of my thumb, they are almost fully closed and there's nowhere really to go. When I wear them where most people do (and even where I have been wearing them) they fit but after playing for a bit and if I dig in, they can rotate. I know there is a small size but I'm also a bit hesitant as I think mediums are fairly tight. I have had my finger start to go blue after long periods of playing.

What is the correct way and position to wear one? Apologies if this is a stupid question, but I can't find a concise answer.

Is there anything I should be doing that can help?

Thanks in advance for your help!
Did you ever notice that someone else's shoes might be too big on you?

The 'right' fit, or the 'right way' is what YOU end up with when it feels 'right'.

If you need any more proof just search 'thumb pick' in Google shopping or Amazon.

It only takes time, experimentation, lots of observation & a few mistakes before you all of a sudden notice that you're doing it, and that it finally feels 'right'.

Best regards,
Howard Emerson
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My New Website!
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  #3  
Old 07-30-2020, 04:18 AM
JonPR JonPR is offline
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Hold it wherever it (a) feels comfortable and (b) does the job. Have it even further back from the tip of the thumb if it still works there.

If the fit is an issue where you actually want to fit it (nearer the tip), I suggest trying a metal pick, which is easy to bend to fit. The tone is obviously different from plastic, but not as harsh as you might think.

Otherwise, you could try padding out the plastic pick if it's loose enough to rotate. Maybe even tape it to your thumb with sticking plaster?
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Old 07-30-2020, 04:28 AM
rmp rmp is offline
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I struggled with these too till I found the right ones. I'm a 50+ year player that's mostly played flesh only when fingerpicking.

But I really wanted more volume out of my bass notes.. so I started hunting out thumb picks. for me the less "pick" sticking out form under my thumb the better.

I tried Fred Kelly Slick Picks, as well as their Speed Picks and those are decent, but if you really want to do yourself a solid, get a few of these.

https://pro-pik.com/collections/thum...stic-thumbpick

They are the most adjustable fitting picks you can get. I use them just about all the time now. It just about feels like playing without a pick in relation to where the pick hits the string along with the flesh of your thumb.

I have three of them, and it takes a bit at first to get them adjusted for your hand/thumb, but once you get there, you're gonna probably find these make life with a thumb pick a lot easier.

Strumming can still be awkward tho, so that is something that will just take time to get the technique down.

they're kind of pricey (well not really if you consider what some picks cost.) but well worth it IMHO.

Last edited by rmp; 07-30-2020 at 04:35 AM.
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  #5  
Old 07-30-2020, 09:14 AM
LeftArm LeftArm is offline
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I would try a small one and resize it to fit if necessary.
I think it's easier to resize upwards than to make it smaller.
The ProPik Good Grips Metal-Plastic has a metal loop but plastic tip so may be easier to adjust and won't affect the toe as much as a metal pick.
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  #6  
Old 07-30-2020, 10:54 AM
MartinGibsonFan MartinGibsonFan is offline
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So, are you (the OP) transitioning from without a thumb pick to using a thumb pick?

Another question would be, are you playing flesh with the other fingers or nails?

I gave up on a Thumb Pick as well as nails.

It's just easier to keep everything trim and natural, less up keep and free play.

Sure, you don't get the ' TONE ' of nails, but that's not a problem for me, it might be if you are performing.

Try (or keep) playing trimmed nails and no thumb pick works for me, helps me concentrate on other aspects of technique and not worry about collateral issues (picks and up keep of nails)

My 2 cents and worth every penny

J
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  #7  
Old 07-31-2020, 01:19 AM
Bogmonster Bogmonster is offline
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Some great tips there guys. I've been looking into the Propik stuff and they seem really cool and definitely worth a shot.

I have no issue in playing where I have it now. It' still feels strange as it's a new technique I'm learning. It's not too far back but it feels natural to keep it there. I don't want to start a bad habit now and have to try and correct it down the line.

I'm going to try some tape or something inside for some grip. I do have sweaty hands when I play, especially live, and celluloid picks can be tricky to hold onto when your hands get sweaty.

Thanks guys!
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  #8  
Old 07-31-2020, 01:30 AM
Bogmonster Bogmonster is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MartinGibsonFan View Post
So, are you (the OP) transitioning from without a thumb pick to using a thumb pick?

Another question would be, are you playing flesh with the other fingers or nails?

I gave up on a Thumb Pick as well as nails.

It's just easier to keep everything trim and natural, less up keep and free play.

Sure, you don't get the ' TONE ' of nails, but that's not a problem for me, it might be if you are performing.

Try (or keep) playing trimmed nails and no thumb pick works for me, helps me concentrate on other aspects of technique and not worry about collateral issues (picks and up keep of nails)

My 2 cents and worth every penny

J
I'm just getting into fingerstyle and I can play with just fingers, using a standard pick and hybrid picking (this was always my go to for various styles) and I wanted to try a thumb pick. I actually like the thumb pick as it frees up my other fingers for the other strings and the bass notes have more punch. you get more dexterity since you can open your hand more. I like the hybrid picking aspect too and I can adjust quickly to both thumb pick and standard hybrid picking.

I am growing my nails on my right hand as I want to try that. My main issue there is that my nails are weak enough and generally start to wear down or split very quickly when I use them. I've been advised to file them regularly rather than clip them. Clipping can cause them to split whereas filing gives them more strength apparently. I've also tried taking skin and nail supplements but they seem to have done nothing and I've been taking them for over 2 months now. I've also heard varnishing them can help. I haven't tried that yet.

I want to experiment with all options and find what suits me best. If the nails thing doesn't work out, I'll just go with flesh. Right now it's pretty much a combination since my nails aren't too long.
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  #9  
Old 07-31-2020, 02:10 AM
pegleghowell pegleghowell is offline
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Back in the day several players I knew used to bend their thumbpicks for a better fit using boiling water.May be an interesting experiment.Personally,I could never get along with thumbpicks.
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  #10  
Old 07-31-2020, 05:17 AM
nickv6 nickv6 is offline
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I have used thumbpicks for many years.
Just this last year I discovered Black Mountain spring loaded thumbpicks.
The most comfortable pick I've ever had. Do look them up and try one....a revelation. Perfect fit and useable for strumming too.
I have no connection to the product apart from being a very happy user.
Nick
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  #11  
Old 08-10-2020, 02:26 AM
Bogmonster Bogmonster is offline
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Thanks for all the input lads. I've been experimenting the last while and I've been very happy with the overall results. I've tried some of the picks mentioned too. The Propik ones are very nice. I found it hard to get used to the larger thumb pick like the Black Mountain ones for my own style.

I still find myself always coming back to the standard Dunlop celluloid ones. They just have the sound and feel I like. I've also strated to try on a bunch before I play to get the right fit. My thumb just gets bigger depending on my temperature. I just wear them where they're comfortable and I think I'll stick with that.

The hot water trick has helped too. I was able to make a few slightly narrower to grip my thumb better.

Thanks again for the input!
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