I just joined up last night. So still discovering the site, and how to use it. I am enjoying the site and your very relaxed style. It has a very family of friends feel. Super, I like it.
I been playing for about three years and am stuck in my growth, I know a lot of chords, don't know many strum patterns, but a least the ones in your beginners series I can do.
I've been wanting to do some finger picking, and have seen people using a thumb pick.
If I use a thumb pick is there anything difference that I need to do if I am just using it to strum, alone on songs like Brown Eyed Girl? Or should I take it off and just use a regular pick?
Thanks,
Mark
Thumb pick
mfulp wrote:
As far as thumb picks go you need to be aware that using one will almost certainly create a cleaner and more pronounced (read louder) bass note. So there is a natural tendancy to over-emphasize the bass. With practice you can tone this down considerably.
You can use a thumbpick like a regular pick to a degree. The difference is many thumbpicks are much harder to do upstrokes with than downstrokes. When used as a regular pick you get a kind of one-way feeling to your music.
Where they may have an advantage is in songs like Pink Floyd's Brain Damage where you go from a rolling fingerpicking intro to a regular strum verse and chorus. If you are singing it's tough to hold a pick in your mouth so it helps to develop a fingernail or thumbpick style that will let you strum.
Happy playin'
Mark- Welcome to the forum!!! It's great to have you on board!!I just joined up last night... If I use a thumb pick is there anything difference that I need to do if I am just using it to strum, alone on songs like Brown Eyed Girl? Or should I take it off and just use a regular pick?
As far as thumb picks go you need to be aware that using one will almost certainly create a cleaner and more pronounced (read louder) bass note. So there is a natural tendancy to over-emphasize the bass. With practice you can tone this down considerably.
You can use a thumbpick like a regular pick to a degree. The difference is many thumbpicks are much harder to do upstrokes with than downstrokes. When used as a regular pick you get a kind of one-way feeling to your music.
Where they may have an advantage is in songs like Pink Floyd's Brain Damage where you go from a rolling fingerpicking intro to a regular strum verse and chorus. If you are singing it's tough to hold a pick in your mouth so it helps to develop a fingernail or thumbpick style that will let you strum.
Happy playin'
AndyT wrote:
You are very lucky on that one. I have found thumb picks much easier to fit than fingerpicks. Could be my gnarley old fingers.
If I ever find a thumbpick that fits right I might just learn how to use it. Other than that, I don't use a pick. My fingernails are strong enough so that I don't need one.
You are very lucky on that one. I have found thumb picks much easier to fit than fingerpicks. Could be my gnarley old fingers.
AndyT wrote:
I only need one good paw and some fangs to snag salmon!!
They would have been fine except I crushed three of them in a farm tractor accident 10 years ago!! I'm very lucky I don't have stumps. So not having usable fingernails is the least of my worries.Yeah, I'm discovering how few people actually have strong fingernails.
I would think that bear claws would hold up to some wimply little strings though...
I only need one good paw and some fangs to snag salmon!!
This makes a lot of sense.
I found a Dunlop thumb pick that was a little thinner than most (most are very thick); I filed it down so that it is easier to use. But it is still a little heavy on the up strokes.
I also like the freedom I am finding in using my other fingers, if I want to add a riff to the strum.
I found a Dunlop thumb pick that was a little thinner than most (most are very thick); I filed it down so that it is easier to use. But it is still a little heavy on the up strokes.
I also like the freedom I am finding in using my other fingers, if I want to add a riff to the strum.
I am actually listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for
having lost the most picks of anyone. Flat picks, finger picks,
thumb picks, it doesn't matter I have lost them all.
I have since given up and choose to fingerpick 'au naturale'
and use Neil's idea of the 'invisible pick' for strumming. It
takes a little practice but it works and in my case, it's a
whole lot cheaper!
having lost the most picks of anyone. Flat picks, finger picks,
thumb picks, it doesn't matter I have lost them all.
I have since given up and choose to fingerpick 'au naturale'
and use Neil's idea of the 'invisible pick' for strumming. It
takes a little practice but it works and in my case, it's a
whole lot cheaper!