 This
is the shape of the pick I use.
A
pick is an important piece of equipment. It's selection and use
should not be taken lightly.
| 1. |
How
much drag does the material cause? |
| 2. |
Are you able
to hold the pick in the same place each time? |
| 3. |
Do you drop
the pick while playing? Is it visable so you can find it
in a dark bar? |
| 4. |
The shape of
the pick effects speed, and the ability to either play on
one string or jump over strings accurately. Usually a compromise
has to me made here. |
| 5. |
The material,
shape and thickness creates part of your tone. |
| 6. |
The angle which
you strike the string can effect all of the above.
|
Every time you change
your pick, your technique has to make an adaptation. Assuming that
your posture and playing technique are perfect, you are then ready
to chose a pick. If you get the correct pick, you should seldom
change it. I bought a lifetime supply of the perfect pick for me,
which was fitted to me by one of my great teachers, and now have
used it for 33 years. Master violinists will use the same bow most
of their career. (You must also have some consistency with string
use. Every time you change your string brand or type, it affects
how the pick works).
The flexibility of the pick used is determined by string gauge
and height as well as the angle at which you are striking the
string. Generally, if the strings are heavy the pick should be light. If the
strings are light the pick should be heavy. However, this isn't the only factor.
|
The
shape of a pick can help or hinder you depending on what angle
you are hitting the strings. The pick shape (and right hand position)
should allow you to change the strike angle. To get a fat tone
(with the sacrifice of speed) the pick should be parallel to
the string, putting maximum material on the string. To get speed
(with the sacrifice of tone) the pick should be at a 45 or less
degree angle. The material from which the pick is made effects
the
sound, slippage on the string, and feel on the skin.
When
selecting a pick, rate it according to: shape, sound, feel, slippage
on string, and overall ability to play what you need to play.
If after using the pick for a suitable assessment period (maybe
a month), it's not right, try again. Once you get the  right pick,
use just that one. Also, if you have been playing for a long
time, you may suddenly begin to have some technical problems.
Sometimes after years of practice, one's techique changes and
a new pick choice must
be made
I like the design some picks have where there is a hole or
a ridge which enables the player to hold the pick in the same place each time.
That also reduces slippage and pick dropping.
__________________________________________
The first thing people ask me at
seminars is what kind of pick I use. I use two kinds:
- Surf picks. Ra Denney custom designs these for me out of Lignum Vitae. Visit
him at www.surfpick.com. I also had him design a bridge saddle for me out of this same material which
makes my cheap classical guitar sound wonderful (and louder).
- Moshay picks. If you try these, make sure you get one that has the hole exactly
in center. (They are inconsistently manufactured, but if you get a good one,
you may really enjoy it.) To purchase Moshay picks, contact www.jhalemusic.com
and: Lincoln Music in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Schmitt Music in Racine, Wisconsin
- Tone Tek picks. This may be the first real innovation in picks since the standard common pick was invented. You can make unbelievable synthesizer-like sounds with this thing and distortion. Go to www.tonetek.com and see videos of inventor David Kleczka tear it up.
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