Flatpicking and pick angle

[Rosewood99]

When you strike the strings, do you angle you pick slightly downwards, upwards, or perpendicular to the strings.

[mercy]

The plectrum should slide off the string at an angle. Better tone and better action.

[FrankHudson]

I am too busy playing to notice most of the time.

I think my pick hits the strings differently as I do different things with it and seek different sounds. I'm strumming up or down, cross picking alternate strings in various motion, striking single notes aiming for various attack sounds.

[815C]

I angle my pick so that the edge closest to the neck is tilted down. I find this gives me better control of the pick and better tone.

[1neeto]

It depends on what kind of attack I’m aiming for.

[DukeX]

Originally Posted by FrankHudson

I am too busy playing to notice most of the time.

I think my pick hits the strings differently as I do different things with it and seek different sounds. I'm strumming up or down, cross picking alternate strings in various motion, striking single notes aiming for various attack sounds.

This, and it's not just variance of the pick angle but also the grip on the pick.

[Ben M.]

I’ve never payed much attention. Now I’m afraid the next time I pick up my guitar my pick angle will be all I can think about and I’ll forget how to play.

[1neeto]

The kind of pick also matters. Big pick, small pick, thin or heavy. It’s one of those things you won’t really think about eventually.

[JonPR]

Here you go:
https://fretboardanatomy.com/pickingprinciples/

He refers to a classic essay on pick technique by Tuck Andress which seems to be no longer available in its original form, but Ed de Genaro has copied what looks like the whole thing here:
https://www.thegearpage.net/board/in...anics.2107134/

Those two pages together are more than you ever need to know about pick technique. The second one has all the detail, but is unfortunately text alone. The first one has essential images.

EDIT: just found the original article, which might be a little easier to read or navigate:
https://archive.is/Xpyyw

[JimCA]

Originally Posted by JonPR

Here you go:
https://fretboardanatomy.com/pickingprinciples/

He refers to a classic essay on pick technique by Tuck Andress which seems to be no longer available in its original form, but Ed de Genaro has copied what looks like the whole thing here:
https://www.thegearpage.net/board/in...anics.2107134/

Those two pages together are more than you ever need to know about pick technique. The second one has all the detail, but is unfortunately text alone. The first one has essential images.

EDIT: just found the original article, which might be a little easier to read or navigate:
https://archive.is/Xpyyw

Thanks for this. The “George Benson technique” (youtube) feels like a breakthrough for me so far.

[Gordon Currie]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

When you strike the strings, do you angle you pick slightly downwards, upwards, or perpendicular to the strings.

I will use all of these at times, but my default is perpendicular.