Friday, April 3, 2009

Quick Music Fact...Picks And Tone







Here is a quick music fact....did you know you can change
your tone and sound just by the pick you use?That's right,with a thinner pick,you get a brighter tone,and,it is a bit easier to pick notes and strum an acoustic guitar.I recommend a thinner/larger pick for beginners.When i say large i mean the normal size pick,not the big triangle type pick say,Carlos Santana used or uses.
And a thicker pick,harder pick will give you a darker,less bright sound.But,it is more difficult to use for the beginner guitarist.Picks come in many,many different sizes,shapes thicknesses and materials.Once you get your feet on the ground with your playing,go out and buy a variety of picks and find which works best for you,your style,and the tone you are looking for.
I personally prefer the Dunlop "jazz" picks,and the Dunlop "tortex".The size is smaller and the shape fits nicely in my fingers.
Also,try cutting down a pick to create your own personal one,or just make your own from scratch!Here is a link to an earlier post on how to make your own picks...
Update.... New pickin site,Thanks Gary Fletcher... http://www.dugainpicks.com/index.html
Guitar Answers: make your own picks...

3 comments:

Gary Fletcher said...

Pickin' good advice. I like the Tortex picks because they don't slip around in your fingers, even when they sweat a little.

Check out Dugain picks for some crazy pick material ideas. Wood, metal, bone...

Anonymous said...

what is the big triangle pick for?

G said...

For me personally,i prfer a smaller to medium size pick.Like the Tortex jazz picks or the Gibson jazz picks.The "large" triangle picks are used by a few players,fewer than a lot!\I have discovered,the more i play and the more i advance in my picking skills...the smaller and heavier pick i prefer.The only problem with a large pick or a small pick is rhythm playing is harder to control.And with a pick that is as large as the "triangle" one is,to me,would not be too functional in some serious lead playing....
Greg/G

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