Lighter pick for rhythm tone?

[Woody Sound]

I recently was doing a show that called for archtop guitar and jazz banjo. Was using a Bud 6. I always use a lighter pick for banjo than on the guitar, it just seems to sound better. So every time I switch between the two instruments, I also switch picks. At one point in the show I noticed I was getting a great rhythm sound out of the guitar, more bright and "acousticy" than usual. I looked at my hand and realized I forgot to switch back to the heaver pick from playing banjo. Still had the lighter one now on guitar. I'm talking rhythm strumming, not individual note picking. But it sounded wonderful.

[sgosnell]

It depends on what sound you're going for, electric or sorta acoustic. Some like very heavy picks for rhythm playing. I tend to prefer thinner picks for rhythm, depending on the guitar, but thicker ones for single-note melodies/solos. I usually compromise somewhere, because I'm too slow to switch picks in a tune. If I'm going to be playing almost all rhythm, I'll usually choose a thinner pick. My usual picks are .040" or .050", but it varies. I have waaayyy to many picks. And I haven't touched most of them in years.

[pcjazz]

I recently was doing a show that called for archtop guitar and jazz banjo. Was using a Bud 6. I always use a lighter pick for banjo than on the guitar, it just seems to sound better. So every time I switch between the two instruments, I also switch picks. At one point in the show I noticed I was getting a great rhythm sound out of the guitar, more bright and "acousticy" than usual. I looked at my hand and realized I forgot to switch back to the heaver pick from playing banjo. Still had the lighter one now on guitar. I'm talking rhythm strumming, not individual note picking. But it sounded wonderful.

When I took an acoustic rhythm lesson from the late Bucky Pizzarrelli he encouraged me to use a very thin and small Fender light pick and a light touch. Very different from the thick heavy picks that "Gypsy" guitarists prefer.

[paulkogut]

Jim Hall used various gauge picks, heaviest for ballads, medium for up tempo tunes, and lightest for 'calypso strumming'...

PK

[whiskey02]

Yes a thinner (than heavy-Xtra heavy) pick does sound much better for strumming. Something around half the thickness seems to do it nicely. Thinner will flex and glide through the strings more fluidly and lower the volume, Unfortunately, that flex is just what you (I) don't want when playing single note lines. If you have the dexterity holding your heavy pick you can turn it slightly so that you're strumming with the side rather than the tip helps some.

[ArnoldSchoenberg]

When I took an acoustic rhythm lesson from the late Bucky Pizzarrelli he encouraged me to use a very thin and small Fender light pick and a light touch. Very different from the thick heavy picks that "Gypsy" guitarists prefer.

Hmm, interesting. Thanks. The strings he used definitely reward a light touch.