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I pick with the point pick (Dunlop little stubby) pointing directly at the body of the guitar. We know that one of the downsides is that the pick can get caught. Please give some tips for avoiding this.
My first guess is to practice such that the point of the tip in just far enough to make the string ring out.
An earlier thread suggested exploding through the strings and suggested Joe Pass did this.
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.
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06-21-2014 07:05 PM
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My understanding was that a caught pick got 'in too deep.' The surefire solution is not to dig in so deep. Another solution is to use a super-thin pick: they can't stick because they're all give!
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Caught? On what?
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AlsoRan,
The problem is caused by sticking the plectrum too far past the string. You're going too deep. I was told when I was GIT that, ideally, the tip of the pick should go no deeper than the diameter of the string. Just enough to move the string.
You could solve this problem by practicing slowly with focus on just touching the string with the tip of the pick. It will take time and concentration to retrain you hand not to insert the pick between the strings. I solved my problem 25 years ago with a Stylus pick. You may think at first glance that it's a gimmick but I can attest that it works. The pick is designed so that as long as you pick at the correct depth everything is fine but if you insert the too deeply into the strings it will catch and stop you. It's a practice tool to help train your hand/eye/muscle memory. When your gigging you use your regular pick.
When I bought mine in the mid-80s, I got three picks and a booklet of exercise to practice. Now I think you get a pick and a CD-ROM for about 15 dollars..
Stylus Pick
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I tried a Stylus pick too. They will train you not to dig in too deep. Unfortunately for me, that was the least of my picking problems!
Another way to go is to angle the pick so you're actually playing with the outside edges of the tip---even if you press in too far, the pick will slide away clean. There's always room for another member at Philco's Benson picking thread in the "Players" section. Lot of quick pickers in there. (And someday, I will be yet another one!)
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Thank you all for the advice thus far.
Monk. You just got me in trouble with my wife because I found that Stylus on Amazon and I just have to get it.
I really don't want to reconstruct my picking technique at this stage and that Stylus might just be the answer.
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Originally Posted by AlsoRan
Are you using round woulds? Or flat wounds? Even if you prefer round wounds and that's what your guitar is strung wit . . try restringing it for a short while with flat wounds. (no wound ridges on the flat wounds to catch and hold the tip of the pick). Then, angle the pick as Mark suggested. It's almost impossible for the pick to get caught this way. You'll get used to the correct pick orientation and depth of the tip going "into" the srting. Then, when you go back to the round wounds, it should all fall into place.
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AlsoRan, Originally Posted by AlsoRan
I'm sorry, man. Maybe some flowers and a nice dinner out will smooth things over or you could take her to see a chick flick and act really interested through the whole thing.
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I have never read where string type can affect speed, Patrick2. Now this is another variable for me to research and experiment with. Originally Posted by Patrick2
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I'm not saying that round wounds are affecting the spped of your picking. I'm just suggesting that the ridges of the round winding might be contributing to the pick hanging up on the strings. No chance of that happening with ribbon/flat wound. Originally Posted by AlsoRan
I stopped at Mandolin Brothers a few weeks back. For some reason . . probably to achive purity of tone and make the arch tops in his shop sound better when played acoustically . . Stan has veritally every arch top in his shop wound with round wounds. I had a very hard time playing those guitars smoothly as it related to my picking. That's pretty much what I was thinking when I read your OP. I just love the way my pick is unimpeded by flat wounds. The functional word would be "smooth".
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I recently started reading the active "Benson Picking on a Wesmo" thread and this very subject came up (the subject of flatwound vs. roundwound, and how it can affect technique and fluidity). This begs the question of whether or not tone will be substantially changed. Originally Posted by Patrick2
Life sure is a series of "trade-offs."
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I strung my Telecaster with a set of D'Adarrio Chrome Flats .011 gauge with an unwound 3rd. It removed some of the characteristic Tele brightness. Smoothed the tone out. But it didn't affect the playability of the guitar. Originally Posted by AlsoRan
I've never experienced any problem with the pick getting hung because the string was round wound or found that playing flat wounds improved picking. Regardless of how the string is wrapped, if you stick the pick into the strings the resistance will slow you down and increase the possibility of hanging up.
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I am going to put my faith in that Stylus lesson and have a few weeks of intense practice with it. I will report back and let you know how it works out and if I start to see some results.
I will be sure and give it a fair trial.
There are other videos....
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Also, that Stylus pick will be an adventure. I wish I still had mine just to see how I would do with it now. When you dig in too far with that, it stops you cold. It's a weird feeling. But you seen realize you can't force it, you just have to keep from digging in so far. It'll "cure your ills," that's for sure. (That one, anyway.)
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AlsoRan,
When I was at GIT, one of the things that Howard Roberts stressed throughout the year was proper habit formation. The ballpark figure for imprinting a new technique/habit is roughly 21 days. After that it requires daily maintainance to finalize the imprint. I wouldn't want you to give up in frustration because you didn't give it enough time. I would recommend looking at this as a two month project at the very least. Give it your full focus and concentration every time you use the Stylus. Start with short sessions; possibly several spaced throughout your day. I promise you that it will be frustrating at first because the Stylus is going to hang up. A LOT. Go slowly, stay focused and stay patient. Feel free to PM me to keep me apprised of your progress or to ask questions.
Regards,
Jeorme
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An unwound G? To quote Slim Pickens (from "Dr. Strangelove") "I am depressed.... ;o) Originally Posted by monk
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An unwound G? To quote Slim Pickens (from "Blazing Saddles") "I am depressed.... ;o) Originally Posted by monk
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It was a plain .020 Originally Posted by MarkRhodes
George Barnes was using an unwound G with flats in the 1940s. If it was good enough for George...............
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In the late 70s, I worked on a movie in Nashville. Slim played a sheriff. I got to spend part of an afternoon in Slim's trailer with Slim, Joe Heathcock and the location scout listening to Slim reciting epic ribald cowboy poetry along with Joe and Slim talking about working with John Wayne and Steve McQueen, their first jobs in pictures. Fascinating stuff. Originally Posted by MarkRhodes
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Yeah, I know, I know. Actually the first person I ever heard 'preach' against the unwound G was Arlen Roth in a Hot Licks cassette (on blues) I had as a kid. He thought they gave too much. I doubt he tried unwound .20s though! Originally Posted by monk
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Will do (all)! Originally Posted by monk
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I'll bet! Ever set any of that ribald poetry to music (or did David Allen Coe beat you to it?) Originally Posted by monk
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Mark, Originally Posted by MarkRhodes
I would have given anything to have had a small tape recorder with me. Some of those poems were so Homerically epic in proportion that there was no way I could remember it all. There was a version of The Strawberry Roan that would have made a hooker blush. Another line that stuck in my head was from a poem that described the low qualities and shortcomings of the cowboys from each western state; it stated emphatically that the cowboys from Montana were partial to dalliances with bison. Or was it Wyoming? Whatever it was, it was great fun.
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I would have loved that. My dad was a car salesman and I heard some choice stories from him and his collegues, but they didn't have Slim's panache! Originally Posted by monk
Speaking of various states and their contributions to this great nation, I can only add this:
"Pencils come from Pennsylvania,
Vests from Vest Virginia,
And tents from Tent-essee...
They know mink, where the grow mink,
In Wyo-mink...."
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In the Carl Roa video above I notice that he picks from the elbow. That has got to be tiring. I think it puts alot of tension on the forarm muscle.
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