Pick sland angle.

[OKCtodd71]

About 15 years ago I was rather adamant that the angle of one's pick should be right around 45 degrees in relation to the plane of strings. I thought (and still do) that those trying to emulate George Benson's 90 degree angle were as crazy as anyone trying to cop Pat Metheny's awkward "upside down and bent" picking technique Pat has commented that his "style" was due to what (little he had to work with in a mall rural town", and that nobody should impose this on themselves. Fairly recently I've adjusted my take on pick angle to be "just shy of flat against the string", maybe 5 degree. I do use very different pick shapes that I did 15 years ago, moving from small 358 teardrops up to 346 bluegrass and the down to standard 351. So I'm not sure if a) my ears are playing tricks on me or if b) my overall technique has improved, allowing me to draw out a better sound with this minimal angle. I believe David Grier keeps his pick close to flat across the strings.
Anyone else find that do something now that they specifically avoided years before?

[rllink]

Strumming with a pick is a challenge for me. I've been working hard at putting more wrist into it and less arm. I think I'm improving slowly. I have not analyzed the pick angle itself to the point I am consciously trying to maintain some angle of attack, but I do believe that as I get more wrist into it the flatter the angle becomes. My best strumming comes when I sweep the pick over the strings rather than maintaining an angle. If I try to stay static I tend to put more elbow into it and I dig more.

As far as picking individual strings, I have come farther with my technique and find that I can pluck them fairly consistently. I alternate up and down when I can and the angle of the pick is fairly consistent both directions. I still sort of mini sweep the pick over the string, plucking it smoothly.

I am just learning, so this is now. I'm not satisfied with it yet, so I'm experimenting, trying to find my groove. This is just where I am right now.

[Robin, Wales]

I'm definitely gripping my pick differently to how I was when I started flatpicking. And my picks used to rotate so I had to use pick honey to hand on to them - I don't need to do that now so something has changed although I'm not quite sure what that is.

Regarding angle of attack: I am definitely and deliberately am constantly and naturally changing that while playing to get different voicings whilst playing. Probably quite flat for rest stokes for the "boom" and quite angled and brushing for the "chick". I use pretty heavy picks. In fact I'm sitting here this evening using a 2mm Dunlop Jazztone 207. I think it is a pick that you have to "work". Molly Tuttle is using one in this video. It really shows her change in angle of attack both when lead playing different strings and when strumming - the slow motion sections are very enlightening!