Thumb pick for jazz?

[Jonah]

I have tried a bunch of times but just could not make it work for me and always go back to pick and fingers. Good on you for persevering.

Me too... but I go back to just fingers.

There are quite a few jazz players who use thumb picks, I think there were other threads also about it with more names: Lorn Lofsky, Lenny Breau and others.

I think for some players switching to thumb pick was a switch from a pick + fingers (or only pick) and seemed to expand possibilities close to fingerstyle playing ( I think Lorn Lofsky did it this was).

But if you already can play fingerstyle freely and want to have possibility to switch to a pick occasionally - it can be a different feeling... this is why I tried it (and sometimes try again).. I made one myself: I used pants rubber band, and could put in it any regular pick I prefer. And it is very flexible so you can move and change the angle of the pick.
One thing I cannot get used to is that I do not have real control over thumb picking when I play with fingers... it is really awkward to play with a plastic thing on a side of your thumb.

So I either just play with fingers completely or keep the pick around or in my fist and take it out sometimes... but fingers are much more natural way for me.

[Cunamara]

5 1/2 years ago I posted that I was never able to balance the thumb pic and fingers. Since then I seem to have figured it out and I use a thumbpick off and on. I also use flat picks off and on and bare fingers most of the time. This forces some change in technique that I kind of like.

I found three picks that I like: the Fred Kelly Slick Pick, the Black Mountain thumbpick with the spring loaded thumb loop and the Fred Kelly Bumblebee. Of the latter I prefer the teardrop shaped blade but I wish it came in extra heavy. I've also got a couple of Herco tortoiseshell ones with a flatpick-shaped blade, but the thumb loop on that is really tight and uncomfortable.

[DawgBone]

I've used these for many years. Golden Gate GP-8 and National NP-2 (nickel silver)

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[dasein]

I've played thumbpick so long that I really cannot play with any kind of fluency with a regular flat pick anymore.

The two that I really like are the Black Mountains and the Strum-n-Comfort Kodiaks. But at this point, I mostly use the Black Mountains. The spring loaded mechanism, and getting a consistent feel no matter where you put it on your thumb, is just fantastic.

I tried the Fred Kellys for a long time -- the Bumblebee was probably my favorite, I played it for a long time, but I think the Black Mountains are an improvement in every conceivable way (comfort, material, playability, sound). For those who want a cheap option, the Herco thumbpicks are actually pretty decent.

Fingerpicks have given me way more trouble. I know there are guys like Mike Rood who play with them 100% of the time and sound great. They allow a lot of consistency in your sound, never have to worry about nail care. The plastic ones tend to sound better for electric, but I could never get them to work for me. You either have to:

- have them cover the pad of your fingers, which sound very clicky and get rid of your ability to use touch to give you feedback
- twist them to the side a bit, so that the pad of your finger comes in contact with the strings. Works a little better, but then the finger picks tend to hit other strings

Some of the metal fingerpicks actually have a better design, with a hole in the middle that still lets you feel the strings. But metal tends to sound a little harsh on electric. I'm surprised nobody has adopted that design for a plastic fingerpick, but I guess the demand isn't there.

For now, I've settled just on using plain old fingers with very short nails. It's not perfect -- steel strings still tend to chew them up -- but it's the best I can do.

[Cunamara]

I also use very short nails- 1 mm from the quick, practically no nail at all. I have thin, rather brittle nails that just don't hold up unless they are very, very short. I tried acrylic nails and they were so thick that they were a no go.

The metal fingerpicks with the hole for the finger pad were, if I remember correctly, called Pro Pik. I have a set around here somewhere. I found that I would tend to catch the lip of the pick on the string at times in the downstroke direction.

I have a set of "butterfly" picks made by the original maker. I like those, too; being made from copper wire, there is a little less surface noise. There are bad copies on eBay that I would steer everyone away from; they're made with steel wire and are very stiff and hard; they did not work at all for me. If they were made with copper wire like the originals, they'd probably be pretty good. The original maker still has his website up with instructions about how to make your own, since he is no longer in production.

I have tried the Fred Kelly fingerpicks and did not like those at all, nor did I like the Alaska picks. The plastic is thick enough in both cases that they just make your finger too big and they run into each other. The traditional fingerpicks that cover your finger pad are non-starters for me. So like you, when I use a thumb pick it is usually with bare fingers. It's taken years, but I have finally learned to balance the relative volume.

I've been using the Black Mountain thumbpick primarily as I like the sound and feel of it. I also like that it can be used like a flat pick for playing single lines. The Bumblebees are my 2nd choice. I like the sound of the Fred Kelly's Slick Pick a little better but it doesn't work as well for alternate picking as the Black Mountain or the Bumblebee. The Herco is OK, a little too stiff and the thumb loop is too tight for my fat thumb.