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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Surf Musician »

Permalink Am I developing a bad habit?

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Stormtiger
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Joined: Dec 12, 2006
Posts: 2681
Ventura, CA
United States
3 Calendar Pins 1 Download Pin 5 POTD Pins
Link Posted on Nov 14 2007 01:51 PM

I'm amazed that there are more than a few people that can play that...it seems nearly impossible to me. The composer actually wrote for the guitar so it is very idiomatic, not a transcription of a piano piece.

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planish
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Joined: Jan 09, 2008
Posts: 473
Sackville, New Brunswick
Canada
Link Posted on Jan 24 2008 09:08 PM

Joelman
Go get a variety of flatpick pick styles. They are fairly cheap, come in a hundred styles, and perhaps you will find one that works better for you.

I second that. Get a couple of different shapes (some more triangular, some more round), sizes and thicknesses, and permutations in between (say, four shapes/sizes, and each in three different thicknesses). Also different materials, like nylon versus tortex.

I'd been using a .60 mm tortex "shark-fin" pick for my steel-string acoustic and a mandolin, but now I'm thinking a slightly thicker rounded triangle feels better for the electric. There are some fairly normal-looking picks that just don't work for me at all. I keep dropping them, or I can't find the string, etc.

BigJoe: Are you parking your fingertips on the pickguard and moving only your thumb up and down; or are you picking with the outside edge of your thumb and moving your whole hand as if you were using an invisible pick? Just curious.

—

I'm not a complete idiot. Some parts are missing.

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BigJoe
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Joined: Nov 04, 2007
Posts: 4
Link Posted on Feb 13 2008 11:44 PM

I took everyone's advice and tried a bunch of different types of picks and practiced scales and alternate picking. It's been several weeks and now I can't imagine playing without it. It just sounds better. Thanks for all the advice!

Planish: To answer your question I was just using just strumming with my thumb, not using my whole hand.

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Nokie
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Joined: Oct 06, 2008
Posts: 550
So Cal
United States
1 Contributor Pin 1 POTD Pin
Link Posted on Oct 07 2008 12:20 PM

zak

bigtikidude
its just like your holding a pick between your thumb and index finger.

Not really. Most thumbpicks don't have the "give" of a flatpick and upstrokes are a little awkward with them. I use a thumbpick and one fingerpick when I play acoustic (which is pretty much all the time outside of gigs and band practice). There are some thumbpicks (Herco and a few others) which are designed to "feel" like a flatpick but they have their own disadvantages.

If one "clutches" the pick where the tip of the index finger is brought back to the base of the thumb, then what Jeff sez is true. There is essentially no difference between the thumb pick and the flat pick, especially when using a Herco. If one holds a pick with thumb and index finger extended, then the thumbpick is going to feel very different from a flat pick and is not recommended.

It is also true that most thumbpicks don't have the "give" of a flat pick. I am one who wants to avoid any "give" as I don't want to wait for the pick to return when doing the faster bits. For flatpicking, I "clutch" the thumbpick ( I use a Herco Heavy). I do this because I want a pick motion that involves the least influence from finger joints. I want all the motion coming from the wrist. I feel the finger joints complicate the motion from the wrist. This clutching method can be done with a flat pick as well but with a thumbpick, the motion is even less complicated as the pick is anchored to the hand. I also like the security of the thumb pick in that I have yet to have one fly off my hand.

—

"Hello Girls!"

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synchro
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Joined: Feb 02, 2008
Posts: 4423
Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.
United States
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Link Posted on Oct 19 2008 12:02 AM

I've used the Fred Kelly Slik Pick at times and it is very easy for me to grip like a flat pick and then let go and use it as a thumbpick when needed.

—

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

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