as I said in the beginning of the year… as an advanced beginner fingerstyle player…
I went back to Grade 2 where I ended some years ago and I am going through that with pick. Can you please check out the angle of my pick? To me it seems like it is little bit “too up” or is it OK?
In this video I am trying my first improvisation on Tele over backing track with C Major Scale as its one of the module material.
Sometimes when I strum the pick travel around in fingers and after 1-2 minutes playing without stopping it gets to not OK position and it is not perfectly in the middle like base position, but I guess that is different topic.
Nicely don on your improv, Michal. I noticed you pausing to ‘take a breath’ every now and then which is good. Very easy to overplay.
Pick angle looked ok to me. Maybe you could adjust the grip on the pick to be slightly more solid. Looks like like a lot sticks out and maybe curling the index finger so more of he pick sits on that last joint of the finger may help prevent sme of the movement
I’ve had my share of problems holding a pick too.
I pretty much ended up with basically how your holding it. But I have less of the tip protruding out between my fingers.
As you, the issue is the pick traveling around, or in my case, rotating around. Or even for me just plain dropping it.
The best success I’ve had is choking up on the pick for lack of a better way to say that. I can feel the wide part of the pick edges falling on the tip part of my finger and the part of my finger between the tip joint and the knuckle joint. Less of the tip of my pick is sticking out compared to how your holding it. Like hardly any pick is sticking out.
My goal is to hybrid pick. And I ain’t there yet.
But how I’m holding it now as stopped the rotation and generally I drop it much less. What I ain’t figured out is how to hide it and resort back to finger picking. And then visa versa. I think I should be able to do that. I feel I’m close though.
So, imho, try less pick tip protruding. More pick in contact with your index finger. I’m kinda making a pair of pliers out of the joint behind the tip of my finger and the part of my finger between the knuckle and the tip joint. Holding the edges of the pick. Thumb of course drops on flat part of the pick. I kinda have a three point contact with the pick instead of two.
If that makes sense.
Also when I hold my pick, it’s at more of a angle compared to how your holding it. The angle, I think, lets my drift across the strings instead of the pick tip contact.
Oh, just so yer hip. I ain’t the pick holding pro.
It’s just where I’ve landed at. I’m surely open to any better way myself.
I’m not the right person to comment on the pick angle. However, I find that sometimes the pick moves out of the optimal position but as you practice it happens less and you sort of get used to manipulating it and moving it back. I think that Justin might mention something about that in one of the lessons.
@DavidP Thank you very much for feedback. Take a breath is something I keep in mind and I know it is important, but I can still see there are maybe two passages that are too long. I really like when note can stay longer as… legato? So having pauses feel more natural to me.
I think that having pick little bit more in could be the thing, I am gonna try when I get home. I am using now Dunlop Tortex Standard 0,73; but I think maybe 0,6 will do the job for me when I am doing busy strumming like 16th for the Every Rose Has Its Thorn.
@HappyCat Thank you for detailed description. It is interesting you are saying same thing to have pick more in than out, gonna try that. Hybrid picking is really great. Love to watch Barrie Cabogan for example doing that.
@Prof_Thunder You are right. I have to say it is much better then before, but now it seems like it is “on edge” that I cant get over to get rid off that. Maybe that slightly thinner pick, with bigger grip and more inside will help.
I can see you are man of culture! It is! I also changed neck and bridge pickups for custom handmade vintage 67s and 69s and did some soldering by my own for 4 way switch. I cant use that right now, but I got decent Tele I think. Still messing with knobs on my Katana a lot to find “my sound”.
Michal.
Bravo for posting and seeking feedback early in your ‘picking’ career.
From the angle it seems that I would make two minor recommendations.
1] Pull the pick into your grip a little more so that you have less pick sticking out. You only need a small amount to protrude. The photos Justin uses on the website to show how to hold a pick perhaps exaggerate how much is really needed.
2] Flex your thumb a little forward from its knuckle to create a slight angle of attack. From what I see your pick is striking the strings fairly flat,turning them into an obstacle to get over. By a tiny change in your thumb, the edge of the pick will make some contact and it will help the pick to glide across the top of the strings rather than bumping into them.
Good little melody there Michael, enhancing the backing track, which is what its all about.
As for the pick, you’ll get a variety of opinions, and then some. In the end, do what feels good AND allows for good technique.
As you develop, particularly with alternate picking, your pick angle will change, depending on what you’re playing at a particular moment, from string to string.
Some say that guitar players have a ‘default’ or ‘natural’ slant, either upward or downward. A bit like being left and right handed. Most people are said to downward slanting ie the wide part points slightly down.
I’ve found this ‘split’ to be the case, as Im the opposite; a natural upward slant.
@HappyCat I got lot of picks at home. Maybe around 50… and I got some really thick from wood and bone too? You know… when you make some purchase, you just put few in the order just in case. Even when I was not pick player. But I watched lot of videos how even pick material and thickness can affect the sound. Interesting topic.
@Richard_close2u Thank you very much, Richard. I am gonna put pick a little bit more in and make a tilt with pick over my thumb and I will see how to goes.
@sclay Thank you very much, I really find this playing in scale with backing track really interesting, fun and inspirational. Even I cant use there any bend or sick vibrato. I still could not “hold myself” to not extend C Major Scale on that high e, but I just like those notes.
Right… every part will need something different depending on technique too. I recently watched Joe Robinson All Along The Watchtower and he is doing here so much differences and just dancing all around… if you have minute or two you can check out. I love the improvisation parts too! Just another world.
I think legato refers to a fast sequence of notes, many played with either a hammer-on or flick-off.
I think you are talking about note sustain. And often coupled with that is the use of vibrato. I think the sustain is a derivative of the pick-ups, any pedals and the amp settings. So with overdrive and higher gain you will get more sustain. But then it is harder to play clean. And it can get louder than is practical
Hi David and Michal
Legato is the musical term used to indicate that notes should be played smoothly . The term legato literally means “bound” in Italian, which suggests the notes are bound or tied together. Musically speaking, this means that there should be no audible gap or delay between the sound of each note.
CGA - bron
Greetings
Hello Carreta! Been awhile since I posted. Practice and life takes precedence for me right now…
The only thing I would like to slip in there is that inevitably the pick will move around on you. Don’t worry it’s not really our fault!! Freaking physics!! Lol.
We have to keep relaxed, keeping relaxed the pick will move on ya because our fingers are relaxed mostly as well. In time and practice the right pressure, approach angle and everything else you need in place with our pick will become natural! I promise you that!
Justin suggested to play with your pick between your thumb and pointer with your strumming hand. Just twisting it one way, then the other bringing it back to the right position…This is what I did and still do from time to time. Now subconsciously I’ve noticed. Helped me alot…The rest comes with, ya guessed it! PRACTICE! Lol. Took me awhile especially with strumming. The picking for me was easier to readjust and happens less than when strumming!! This is what I found!
I noticed after this I have different problem with pick and that is the strenght of my picking, because I get some buzzing on notes.
When I pick that pick fingers it is OK, but with pick… when I aim for that it is OK. But when I am playing for example Cocaine with power chords and there is hitting that one string and slide back I always get buzz.
Maybe around 50… and I got some really thick from wood and bone too? You know… when you make some purchase, you just put few in the order just in case. 