FlatPick Query

frybaby
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Tue Mar 16, 2010 12:19 pm

TOVO wrote in another threat: Question in regard to strumming.

My focus has been on a smooth even strum, concentrating on hitting the correct base note and not hitting strings I shouldn't (Low E and A on a D chord for example). A few more experienced mates have told me I now need to get more aggressive with strumming for certain songs to get best tone from my guitar. I can appreciate that variation in the tune with some "hard" and soft strumming can add variation and interest. Could Neil offer any techniques for harder strumming while maintaining a consistent tone? Thanks guys.

Regarding strumming, I too, have been working on creating a smooth, even, well balanced strum, not holding the pick to tight, so that I get that even smooth blended sound. Neil talked about this in one of his response to a member’s video, mentioning holding the pick lightly (avoiding a death grip on the pick)brushing the strings, and brushing making sure the pick is pointed in the opposite direction of the strum.

Here my problem; when I hold the pick lightly enough to get the smooth, even blended sound and brush the strings, after a couple of dozen strums the pick start rotate, turning in my hand so the I am no longer play with the point of the pick. Does any one experience this, and is there a solution. I was thinking perhaps a pick with some sort of texture on the part that goes between the fingers. I am wondering if the pick Neil uses has such grippers.

Thank to any who care to respond.
Frybaby


dennisg
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Tue Mar 16, 2010 12:22 pm

Fry,

I'm a big fan of flatpicks that have a nubby texture. Since I started using them, they stay absolutely solid in one position. Now I have nothing to blame my crappy strumming on.


tom18
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Tue Mar 16, 2010 12:42 pm

Fry,
My local guitar teacher uses Wegen picks. They're imported from the Netherlands and somewhat pricey. They seem to have some pretty deep ridges in the pick in the area between your thumb and index finger. They might help.
Tom

http://www.wegenpicks.com/


Catman
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Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:32 pm

I'm planning to take a dremel to one of my picks (Fender medium) to create some texture in the grip area. I'll let you know how it works for me.

David


AndyT
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Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:53 pm

I don't know a guitar player that has not had this problem. I've had an evolution of solutions to it and I'll share them with you.


I first started by punching holes in them so that I would have finger to finger contact and that was Ok, but did not really do what I needed. So I tried different shape holes and different number of holes. About the same results.

Image

Being an old handyman, I then decided to get a roll of Tred-Safe and try that. Wow. What a difference. I haven't had a pick slip or rotate since.

Tred-Safe is a tape made by 3M that you put on stairs to give you a good grip and make them non-slippery. It's a bit costly, but for around $15 you get a decent size roll. Enough to do about 100 picks.

I use the yellow one fairly often, but by far, the green is my current favorite.


dennisg
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Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:54 pm

Catman wrote:
I'm planning to take a dremel to one of my picks (Fender medium) to create some texture in the grip area. I'll let you know how it works for me.

David
Dremel is one of the words I always thought sounds like Yiddish. Spatula is another one. And then there's maven.


MarkM
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Tue Mar 16, 2010 3:07 pm

Frybaby,

Oh yes this happens to me as well. You've got alot of great advice here and the stuff that Andy showed was pretty cool. For me I find that If I'm doing a song that is all strumming and needs a bit of sparkle on the high end I'll use a medium pick (.73mm). For this I go with the Fender medium it is made from celluloid and its texture for what ever reason sticks to my fingers pretty well. For songs that have a bunch for flatpicking like Neil Young's Old Man or Hey Hey My My I will use a heavy 1.00mm pick. The same one from Fender but thicker. Again it stays in my fingers pretty well but not as good as the thinner one. Its a good rule, for me and my ears, that the thicker the pick the better tone you will get out of the guitar. Especially from individual flatpicked strings.

The Dunlop Tortex picks for me are harder to keep stable in my fingers. Not sure if it is the material or not. I've put some scratches on them to help but its only marginally better. Lastly I would say that your hands shouldn't be too dry. Meaning, for me, that if my hands are too dry and slippery I will blow on them to moisten them up. Not too much that it creats slippage but just enough to make the pick a little tacky in my fingers.I would be very interested in trying out some that Dennis and Tom were referring too.


Not sure if any of this helps but this is what I have found that fits for me.



MarkM


dennisg
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Tue Mar 16, 2010 3:35 pm

Mark,

I sent away for a little tin box filled with Brain picks. They've got little nubby things all over them and they never seem to slip in my fingers. Can't remember if the box had 12 or 20 picks in it, but it only cost 4 bucks. I think I ordered it from Musician's Friend.


Catman
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Tue Mar 16, 2010 3:43 pm

dennisg wrote:
Dremel is one of the words I always thought sounds like Yiddish. Spatula is another one. And then there's maven.
I'd have a hard time making holes in my pick with a dreidel :) And maven is Yiddish

How to get this back on topic? Hmmm....


MarkM
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Tue Mar 16, 2010 4:14 pm

dennisg wrote:
Mark,

I sent away for a little tin box filled with Brain picks. They've got little nubby things all over them and they never seem to slip in my fingers. Can't remember if the box had 12 or 20 picks in it, but it only cost 4 bucks. I think I ordered it from Musician's Friend.

Thanks Dennis. I'll have to check those out.

MarkM


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