Guitar pick shape.

Hi all.

I was thinking about the shape of the standard guitar pick with it's rounded pointy shape and how it can easily move between the fingers and misalign with the strings, a constant annoyance for me.

My thoughts turned to Bryan May of 'Queen' fame and how he used a British 'sixpence' piece when he played.

I got hold of a spare pick I had and rounded off the pointy end until it had a radius of about 1 centimeter and bevelled it off nice and smooth. It only took a few minutes.

Then I tried it out.

It worked amazingly well. I was able to pick faster and more accurately. The string attack was good and I did not have to concern myself with the pick rotating between my fingers and not aligning with the strings. I can almost forget about the pick and it's orientation now which is nice.

I will not be going back to the standard pick shape and it is very easy to modify a pick any time I want.

Now, this modification may not suit everyone but I thought I would share this experiment and give people a chance to find out for themselves,

I'm happy.

Best wishes to all,

Joe

I use a equalateral triangular pick. It is a little larger than the usual picks and having 3 good pick points makes it easy to relax my hand when holding the pick, Even if it slips, it is easy to rotate up to one of the other exposed pick points. I also hold the end opposit from the pick point in the distal crease of my index finger. It rarely, if ever slips. It also is easy to change a pick point if one breaks while I am playing.

Just to clarify. I only rounded off the pointy end. I left the rest of the pick as it was.

Joe

Thanks for the post Joe, gave me something to do on a slow Friday afternoon...

Picky Friday

Picks are a funny thing and often not thought of as a significant item in terms of guitar player discussions...at least not the first thing asked about. No one ever leads a convo with another guitar player with 'what pick do you use'. Yet, it's the thing that strikes the strings...or even when you don't use a pick! You'll hear somone ask what strings do another guitar plyer use long before the pick.

It's so different for everyone as well. Billy Gibbons uses coins too. Derek Trucks finger picks...another guy uses as stone and so on.

Like with your 'customized' pick Joe, it's finding that thing that works for you. It's a very important part of playing and if something off the shelf doesn't work, make one that does!

Originally Posted by: JeffS65

Picks are a funny thing and often not thought of as a significant item in terms of guitar player discussions...at least not the first thing asked about. No one ever leads a convo with another guitar player with 'what pick do you use'. Yet, it's the thing that strikes the strings...or even when you don't use a pick! You'll hear somone ask what strings do another guitar plyer use long before the pick.

It's so different for everyone as well. Billy Gibbons uses coins too. Derek Trucks finger picks...another guy uses as stone and so on.

Like with your 'customized' pick Joe, it's finding that thing that works for you. It's a very important part of playing and if something off the shelf doesn't work, make one that does!

I totally agree.

I can't think of another musical instrument, off the top of my head, that has such diverse methods of making the instrument make sound. Drums spring to mind and guitars have been used as a drum as well, come to think of it.

I've even seen bows used on a guitar.

I think I've found my prefered method of producing sound with my 'customized' pick. (I like that term) :). But you never know what may materialize in the future. Each to his/her own, eh?

Joe.

Hi Joe,

Thanks for your post. I struggle getting a good (and consistant) sound when playing with a pick and find myself defaulting to playing with my fingers (especially on my acoustic). I was aware of Brian May using a coin but the're not flexi enough for me. I'm gonna try your idea for sure ..... sometimes a good idea is just staring you in the face 🙄

so you filed the point down so your picking with a rounded edge.

so the pick looks like a penny?

Originally Posted by: lisakokey

so you filed the point down so your picking with a rounded edge.

so the pick looks like a penny?

I just shaped the picking corner to about the radius of a penny. I left the rest of the pick as is.

I also now glue sandpaper on both sides of the picks for better grip.

It works for me. I've been doing it for a while now and I don't think about it now. I just make music.

Joe

Hello folks.

I use to use metal picks back in the eighties, even had a jewler make some from 10 to 18k gold, they never lasted too long and were quite exspensive but wow for the tone i could get, Flash to today and the pick has become the most important piece of guitar equipment I own.

I lost first and second finger along with the thumb on r/ hand a little over 12 years ago in OJI, they reattached the thumb but it doesnt work right or have any feeling, I had been professional musician up until then, it took almost 10 years to find a pick that i could use to try and relearn the guitar. Then I found V Picks, I,m not affiliated or sponsored by the company just an honest opinion after trying every pick made out there nothing would stick to my stubs and thumb, I went as far as super gluing picks to my stub to keep it from spinning or falling, there is no feeling in stubs and thumb so no way to gauge the pressure being applied to the pick the dang things just spin and would be dropped and i didnt even know it till i tried to strum a string and the pick is gone. The special plastic these V Picks are made of when the heat from the hand hits surface of pick gets sticky and wont spin and the more you sweat the more it sticks, they have all kinds of designs and shapes they are little spendy but I use the snakes which are 3 to 4mm thick three sided pointed and usually last 8 to 9 months of everyday use, there is no give for almost all these picks, they take some getting use to but the tone and articulation these give has no equal and they stick to sweaty fingers with no spin!