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Author Topic: Trying to lose the pick.
Double D

Posts: 195
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Post Trying to lose the pick.
on: October 1, 2012, 02:20
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Yeah, I've ben trying to lose that old crutch, the plectrum, for about a dozen years now, and I just never seem to go all the way. Although my finger-style chops are damn-near as clean and accomplished as my pick-chops, there's just some stuff that seems to feel it wants the pick, particularly on the rockier (or rockin'ier) side of things. Hell, I spend half the night burying the thing out of the way in my palm, then the other half digging it back out just in time (or more likely, slightly late) for when I want it again, so it's actually technically more difficult than going pickless. At times I've forced myself by simply not carrying any plectra around, but I've left a Hansel-and-Gretel-like trail of hot pink Dunlops all over my hometown for the last eon, so someone's always handing me one...
When I perform solo, or play bottleneck or steel, I ride bareback all the way, but I'm still about 50-50 fingers-to-pick in standard ensemble playing.
Anyone else battled their plectra addiction? Successfully? Unsuccessfully? You just came to terms with it and accepted your occasional fix of pickage? Or are you the finger-picker of the Gods, now that you finally let that infernal bit of plastic go? Or, do you think I'm nuts and you would never consider doing a gig without a pick? Any thoughts?

Oinkus

Posts: 236
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Post Re: Trying to lose the pick.
on: October 1, 2012, 03:25
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I'm a one trick pony , without a pick I am lost, confused and just not the same.I am pretty lousy with my finger picking, and yes I do have dreams of being like Jeff Beck.

smgear

Posts: 170
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Post Re: Trying to lose the pick.
on: October 1, 2012, 04:03
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I'm actually trying to add the pick to my repertoire after years of fingerstyle. I think if you're fairly comfortable using either approach [EDIT: either = both at will], then just be content with that. I think that versatility is the key and therefore being able to use either approach when it is called for is optimal. So I'd say just work on your pick-palming skills to make switching easier and be happy.... but that's just one man's opinion.

Digital-
Larry

Posts: 192
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Post Re: Trying to lose the pick.
on: October 1, 2012, 06:52
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I started out playing bluegrass and mandolin, so pick all the way there. Started bass with a pick also though lost that first in favor of a more visceral approach. Also I found holding the pick while playing bass to get quite uncomfortable. Now compare that with ripping your fingertips off for lack of adequate callusses! After getting a ukulele at the beginning of this year I also dropped the pick. Instructional materials referred to a felt pick, but I never felt like picking one up. I don't play fingerstyle on guitar in any officially sanctioned way, mostly thumb and index for melodies across the neck. If I ever pick up the mandolin again it will of course need a pick!

Due to my lack of actually performing in front of people on the guitar I never had to figure out how to palm it.

I do really enjoy the sound of "hybrid" pick + fingers a la Richard Thompson or Simon Nicol, but REALLY never got the hang of that.

Double D

Posts: 195
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Post Re: Trying to lose the pick.
on: October 1, 2012, 09:06
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Pick-palming on a good night is a seamless and effortless procedure, and it often takes place without my being particularly aware. Pick-palming on a bad night is a distracting pain in the ass, requiring multiple micro-adjustments to keep it out of the way/get it in the way.
Danny Gatton was the guy who hipped me to a pick-and-fingers approach (World's Greatest Unknown Guitar Player? cover story in GP), and I've been working at that ever since, and was proficient long before I could finger-pick worth a damn. It's a good compromise, like a dumbed down thumb-picking approach (never could get with those things, not for the lack of trying).
One thing no one has picked up on (har, har) is that there is a tonal compromise as well as a technical problem. I prefer bare thumb on the bass strings for almost everything and fingers tame harsh trebles as well. Then, there's the volume discrepancy which makes me crazy at times...
So, losing the pick is about streamlining physical technique and reducing the amount of volume/tone tweaks required.
And, having said that, picks will always have some sort of use in my life and right-hand facility is a good thing no matter how you employ the old appendage.

bear

Posts: 153
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Post Re: Trying to lose the pick.
on: October 1, 2012, 19:13
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I'm all over the place. Picks never clicked with me early on so I did a long run pickless, plucking with the fleshy part of thumb and fingers. Got into Jazz III's and a scalpel-ish grip and picks worked for me, but if I don't have one handy I'll do fingers. And sometimes I'll palm the pick. I sometimes even manage some lightweight pick and fingers stuff.

(I really need to work through Joe's fingerstyle practice exercises.)

Oinkus

Posts: 236
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Post Re: Trying to lose the pick.
on: October 2, 2012, 02:58
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The tuck between first and second or second and third fingers ala Jimi just takes a little practice. Another really flashy thing is to toss it up and catch in your mouth , carried a pick in my mouth for about 20 years or so before I realized where that thing spent its whole life.

mwseniff

Posts: 149
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Post Re: Trying to lose the pick.
on: October 2, 2012, 19:07
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I switched to thumb picks first then gave them up because of the volume/tone differential between picks and fingers. Now I only use picks for special FX or when I want to shake up my playing for free improv.

Double D

Posts: 195
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Post Re: Trying to lose the pick.
on: October 4, 2012, 10:04
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I think one of the challenges I'm facing is simply not playing enough these days. Not so much for the chops, but you get some pretty awesome callouses if you play solely with thumb and fingers, and I've had a natural thumb-pick grow in when I've been busy enough. Goddamn 'financial meltdown'. Trickle-down theory, indeed...gigs have been at a trickle since autumn 2010.

joe
Administrator
Posts: 224
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Post Re: Trying to lose the pick.
on: November 10, 2012, 13:06
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I've always played a lot of fingerstyle, but I wasn't able to really play steel-string acoustic or electric without a pick until I made a very deliberate decision to pursue it around the time I turned 30. It involved a very challenging cold-turkey phase, not permitting myself to use picks for months, even though it felt totally awkward. So my best advice for getting a good steel-string tone with bare fingers is: Just do it a lot, and you'll find the tone. Sounds lame and uninspiring, I realize, but it the most honest perspective I can offer. 🙂

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