I just can not believe it is true man, can you imagine sitting Robert Johnson down and trying to sell him a bottle of that wow I just don’t get it man hehe
Hi Judi,
I smear a very small amount on using a small flat applicator, like a popsicle stick. I then wipe with a paper towel between my fingers and let it dry for a day or so before using. I do 6 or so picks at a time. At this point there is very little material on the pick, it is not so sticky after it dries, and it doesn’t leave any residue on my fingers. It took me some experimentation time get a process that worked for me.
HTH
Dave
Thank you for that thorough explanation Dave! I know one thing I’ll be doing this weekend.
I use the mojo grip. For me that’s what works best. I’ve tried many different types.
Thanks Shannon for this thread, I also struggle with this aspect and I decided to practice Fingers Strumming for a while because the more I thought of the pick and felt it would slip away from my fingers the more it drove me crazy. I don’t want to give it up and I occasionally do some manipulation while I’m not playing.
Reading other people’s past frustration is much useful to renovate our motivation to keep trying and not to give up.
I have some of this in my pick drawer. I think it’s pine tar, like baseball players put on their bat handle. Gorilla Snot is actually green though. It is very sticky, but if you put your pick in your pocket, every little bit of lint will stick to it and it loses its stickyness.
I use the Dunlop Nylon .73 myself for that same reason. After trying Tortex and Celluloid the Dunlop nylon .73 doesn’t slip for me and is great for both strumming and single note work.
Could you record a short video of strumming a few chords?
I discovered a new pick that in the short time I’ve been playing with it seems to help reduce my pick slipping as well as improve my accuracy at hitting the right strings. The Black Ice (D’Addario) is much smaller than common picks.
I ordered it for the material (called Duralin) and the 0.55mm thickness - thin enough to be forgiving but not so thin it makes flimsy sound, not expecting the small size. It almost feels like I have “no choice” but to grip it properly because there is not much surface for my thumb or finger to float around. It also feels like the shorter distance from the tip of my finger to the tip of the pick helps me target strings. Not huge differences, but noticeable and positive. I wonder what others have experienced with different sized picks.
Hey Michael, I have developed an unhealthy obsession with picks. Coincidentally I just learned of Duralin (aka Deleon aka acetal) last night. According to the interwebs, Tortex is acetal-based. It seems the surface texture can be modified during manufacturing.
I’m still a beginner, but have been frustrated by the feeling that regular picks are too big for me, and that too much of the pointy end sticks out no matter what i do. (I legitimately have smaller-than-average-even-for-a-female hands.) I’ve tried turning it around and using the shoulder, but that causes other weirdness for me. I’ve tried Dunlop Jazz III, Jazz III XL, and finally landed on the Tortex Flow as a contender.
Regarding the Black Ice pick you showed: I understand similar to the Jazz III XL. That’s nice because I think the thinnest Jazz III XL is .73mm - a bit thick for me. The Tortex Flow is shaped similarly to the Jazz III XL (a bit rounder perhaps) but comes in all the usual Tortex thicknesses. All that said: for me, this style of pick is too pointy for strumming, but I like it for picking. I’m still a beginner, so I expect that might all change with experience and skill development.
And a silly post-script: I’m completely open to other brands of pick than Dunlop, but (more irrationality!) like Dunlop because I went to high school about 11 miles from Benicia, CA, where Dunlop are based. Gotta support the home team!
Well @judi , I think you win the Pick Nerd of the Month award for that post!
I had never looked at jazz picks. I use Dunlop Tortex some too, and the feel is similar to the D’Addarios. Have not tried the Flow yet so thanks for the tip. Keep on strumming!