Picking Angle Options

[coffeeman]

Hi Mate,

I've seen that you talk a lot about picking angle when fast picking. I noticed that when I try to increase my speed my pick is in a very flat position, so I've been practicing with an angle like you've showed in your videos. Now the thing is that I use a Jim Dunlop stubby 3.0mm pick and I don't know if it's the pick but it doesn't sound that good. I don't know how to explain but it sounds like if I weren't picking the string, the sound does not have a good body. Do you think I should use a more flat pick like a Jazz 3 or maybe it's the way I'm picking.

Thanks for all your help and all your time and effort commenting my REC takes, it has helped me a lot and I'm really grateful.

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[jstcrsn]

Hi Mate,

I've seen that you talk a lot about picking angle when fast picking. I noticed that when I try to increase my speed my pick is in a very flat position, so I've been practicing with an angle like you've showed in your videos. Now the thing is that I use a Jim Dunlop stubby 3.0mm pick and I don't know if it's the pick but it doesn't sound that good. I don't know how to explain but it sounds like if I weren't picking the string, the sound does not have a good body. Do you think I should use a more flat pick like a Jazz 3 or maybe it's the way I'm picking.

Thanks for all your help and all your time and effort commenting my REC takes, it has helped me a lot and I'm really grateful.

most have pick angle, guthrie govan doesn't, as long as the pick is perpendicular to the strings, Do what your fingers want to do

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[Darius Wave]

Hey man! Nice to know You make some experiments with Your picking hand. Of course it's all very subjective as long as we see manydifferent people using a lot of different picking varations but...it's worth making experiments. Yes - pick thincknes realtes to the angle. It is possible that very thick stubby pick doesn't sond well when the pick angle is too big. But also there is one more thing - picking strength. When Your pick is angled You have to play a bit harder to get beter tone. Otherwise You'll have to harsh sound. I do play with straight pick while playing soft - because of the tone. Usually straight pick has nice a nd full tone while gitting the string. But at some speeds it might be stucking between strings. That's probably themost important reason for making it angled.

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[coffeeman]

Hey man! Nice to know You make some experiments with Your picking hand. Of course it's all very subjective as long as we see manydifferent people using a lot of different picking varations but...it's worth making experiments. Yes - pick thincknes realtes to the angle. It is possible that very thick stubby pick doesn't sond well when the pick angle is too big. But also there is one more thing - picking strength. When Your pick is angled You have to play a bit harder to get beter tone. Otherwise You'll have to harsh sound. I do play with straight pick while playing soft - because of the tone. Usually straight pick has nice a nd full tone while gitting the string. But at some speeds it might be stucking between strings. That's probably themost important reason for making it angled.

Thanks a lot for your advice my friend, I'll experiment with the Jazz III pick and I'll let you know how it goes. One thing that I like about your picking technique is that it sounds big, with a lot of intention, and I really like that kind of picking.

Thanks again and I'll keep you posted.

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[Darius Wave]

Try to experiment with picking strength - it's a lso a good reference point of how good is Your pick grab

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[Headbanger]

I hope its OK to jump in on this thread and was wondering if it is possible to have some sort of diagram drawn by the GMC instructors (and locked on a picking thread or something) as there is so much conflicting information available on this subject it honestly gets confusing as to which way hold a pick is best for individual playing styles...I have seen you Darius explain this on a lot of your chats and I have forgotten now what you said I think I hold my pick how I hold it comfortably and thats that...but it would be interesting to know if how I hold my pick differs from what the experts suggest.

I have just watched this video below and was confused by what the instructor was saying about picking angles towards the headstock...he also seems to differ from how I see Instructors play here... What do you guys think?

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[Darius Wave]

He just has a lower resting point and "throws" his hand with fully relaxed wrist - this isn't something new and it's indeed a part our, instructor too I grew on Gilbert. Then I found malmsteen, Vai and similar guys did it same way that I come with. But indeed Your right Rod - its a very subjective thing. All those aspects relate to each other the same was as strings height on the bridge + truss rod adjustment while setting up the guitar

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[Headbanger]

He just has a lower resting point and "throws" his hand with fully relaxed wrist - this isn't something new and it's indeed a part our, instructor too I grew on Gilbert. Then I found malmsteen, Vai and similar guys did it same way that I come with. But indeed Your right Rod - its a very subjective thing. All those aspects relate to each other the same was as strings height on the bridge + truss rod adjustment while setting up the guitar

Ok thanks Darius...I am finding difficulty in understanding the ' angles' that this guy suggests. Although I probably already have a natural solution...I didn't want to miss something important that may have helped.

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[Darius Wave]

Ok thanks Darius...I am finding difficulty in understanding the ' angles' that this guy suggests. Although I probably already have a natural solution...I didn't want to miss something important that may have helped.

Could You amke a right hand recordins with the camera angle similar to what i do in my slow parts of lessons? I very curious to see how Your hand works with details. Maybe I could advice something or just say that everything is ok I'm doing something speciall about alternate picking but it takes some time to make it nice and clear ... be patient

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[HungryForHeaven]

I think what confuses you, Headbanger, is that the guy in the video is speaking about (at least) two different angles.

What he really tries to say is basically two things:

1. The pick should be perpendicular to the body of the guitar, so that there is little or no difference between down- and upstrokes. He uses the term "neutral", which makes kind of sense, but you should ignore "parallel to the strings".
2. The pick should make a 45 degree angle to the strings (this contradicts the pick being parallel to the strings!!!), so that when you hit the string
you hit it with an edge of the pick rather than with a flat side.

Hope this helps.

H

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[Headbanger]

I think what confuses you, Headbanger, is that the guy in the video is speaking about (at least) two different angles.

What he really tries to say is basically two things:

1. The pick should be perpendicular to the body of the guitar, so that there is little or no difference between down- and upstrokes. He uses the term "neutral", which makes kind of sense, but you should ignore "parallel to the strings".
2. The pick should make a 45 degree angle to the strings (this contradicts the pick being parallel to the strings!!!), so that when you hit the string
you hit it with an edge of the pick rather than with a flat side.

Hope this helps.

H

Yeah Hungry thats what I found confusing.No.2 makes sense. No. 1 ..I still don't understand which angle he says should be perpendicular.
The fact is, I don't really have any problems...(I dont think) I just wondered what was being said. and that why I asked darius or another instructor could they post a diagram or pics of these two angles to make clearer sense. I think the perpendicular angle must refer to not holding the end of the pick down/up toward the bottom/top of guitar body?

Could You amke a right hand recordins with the camera angle similar to what i do in my slow parts of lessons? I very curious to see how Your hand works with details. Maybe I could advice something or just say that everything is ok I'm doing something speciall about alternate picking but it takes some time to make it nice and clear ... be patient

I'll look at your slow parts of lessons...now that I can again (I just renewed my membership and I couldn't see much on here before).

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This post has been edited by Headbanger: Oct 28 2013, 11:52 PM

[Darius Wave]

Ok That's great Alternate picking is an endless story Probably we could just write You can do it as many ways as You like

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