Picking..

Hey all fellow guitarists..

I've been really playing the Ode To Joy pretty well.. but when I play it on either of my guitars... when I pick the pick sounds pretty harsh.. is there something I can do I soften that a bit.. It's really pronoucned when I do a full strum.

In case it matters, I'm using Fender Medium tortoise picks..(attached a pic of it)

They have always felt right to me when I play.. but I need to try something different I'm totally down..

Thanks for any help you can give..
Dave

I'd definitely need to know whether you're playing acoustic or electric. But assuming it's acoustic, for anything with a lot of rhythm/strumming most people like the standard .73 thickness because it bends a bit giving you a smooth movement through all the strings.

And then for lead playing (especially fast runs) some people like thicker picks. I use a 1.5mm pick.

So generally, the thicker the pick, the louder the pick noise will be. But it's more about how hard you strum, the angle you hold the pick, and your guitar. And keep in mind that if you're playing acoustic, you probably notice that pick noise more than your audience.

Originally Posted by: bbzswa777I'd definitely need to know whether you're playing acoustic or electric. [/QUOTE]

Actually I think it's a little more pronounced on the electric.. course that could also be the amp I'm using too..

I appreciate the recommendations .. I'll try some lighter picks.. see if it helps any.. maybe I can loosen my grip on the pick a bit as well..

[QUOTE=bbzswa777]And keep in mind that if you're playing acoustic, you probably notice that pick noise more than your audience

And that's probably true as well.. I also notice things when I'm doing theatre work.. that no one else ever knew existed.. so it might just be my ear.. :)

Hi, if you don't like to sound of your pick, try to experiment with different picking angles. usually when we begin to play we, dont think about this. but the angle of the pick with which you hit the string is really important when it comes to the way your guitar sounds like.

A pick is more than a strumming device, it is a tool.

You can change the tone and attack of the strum by changing how tight your fingers holding on to the pic and the angle you use when striking the strings, etc......

Make a D chord, then experiment with how many different tones you can get from the D chord changing how you strike with the tool.

Hand a guitar to 5 different people and have them play the same thing, somehow the guitar sounds slightly different as each player plays. Nothing about the guitar has changed, its the different technique each person uses when they strike the strings.