A tip I was told about picks that has helped me enormously is to get a paper punch and put a hole in your pic. Then your finger has something to clamp onto. I'm not much into using a pick with a guitar (long and sad story) but I do use one a lot with my mandolin - and it really works!!
Alternatively you can buy a Dugain hand carved pick that are carved to the shape of your fingers but that is a very expensive way of solving a simple problem.
D
What did the guitarist do when he was told to turn on his amp?
He caressed it softly and told it that he loved it.
iv always loved the name of gorilla snot, wonder who sat down one day and said, 'you know this stuff we have looks a lot like gorilla snot...hey lets call it gorilla snot!' :lol:
on a serious note: with thicker guage plectrums they tend to be shiny (the thinner ones often have raised lines and stuff on them) if you get into your pick with a knife or something and put a whole lot of cuts over it it gives you a lot more grip. i used to do that (there only 20cents each so it doesnt matter if it wrecks it, its better than losing a pick mid-song :S :oops:
iv always loved the name of gorilla snot, wonder who sat down one day and said, 'you know this stuff we have looks a lot like gorilla snot...hey lets call it gorilla snot!' :lol:
Well it looks like snot coming out of a gorilla - green and sticky. So very logical naming I would say.
What's more - it works.
Btw, one thing I would like to say - I love your signature, Coleclark. :lol:
Brain picks by Snarling Dogs WILL NOT SLIP. At all. They are so grippy you have to use your fretting hand to adjust the pick in your picking hand because you can't just slide it around in your fingers to get it set right.
I'm just adding my 10 cents into this conversation :oops:
But perhaps you could try to hold your pick with three fingers (like me) :o
When I do that, I can't play as fast, but have more precision :?
To hold it with three fingers, thumb on one side, and index & middle finger on the other side :P
And here's a little something :D http://www.cyberfret.com/first-fret/using-a-pick/page2.php
The material the pick is made from can make a big difference in how slippery it is. I like picks made from Tortex and Ultex because they are easy to hold. Acetal is also pretty easy to hold because it has a matte finish. Celluloid picks are pretty but too slippery for my taste. I don't buy shiny picks. I have a heavy nylon (I think) pick that I like the sound of for certain things but it always spins in my hand so I drilled a couple of small holes in it with my dremel. Much better. Don't think I'd try drilling a very thin one, though.
I also prefer the rounded triangle picks to the teardrop ones. They just seem easier to hold, and don't turn in my fingers like the teardrops. With the teardrops, I also find I end up with too much tip sticking out, so I stick with the rounded triangles or modify the teardrops to make the tip shorter.
In a fairly recent foray into a music shop I picked up a Dava pick with a rubber grip and finally got around to using it last night. What a shock! The rubber grip was firm and it didn't slip out of my fingers. It looks sort of cute too.
D
What did the guitarist do when he was told to turn on his amp?
He caressed it softly and told it that he loved it.
The material the pick is made from can make a big difference in how slippery it is. I like picks made from Tortex and Ultex because they are easy to hold. Acetal is also pretty easy to hold because it has a matte finish. Celluloid picks are pretty but too slippery for my taste. I don't buy shiny picks. I have a heavy nylon (I think) pick that I like the sound of for certain things but it always spins in my hand so I drilled a couple of small holes in it with my dremel. Much better. Don't think I'd try drilling a very thin one, though.
I think it must also vary from person to person as to what materials are slippery and which ones aren't. For me, the Tortex picks are really slippery while the celluloid picks are much less slippery. Probably has something to do with your skin characteristics.
I've also tried using Gorilla Snot once before... it works great, except it leaves a messy, sticky film that's hard to get off. But I have a feeling that maybe I used too much. Although regardless, I also don't want to become dependent on using some foreign aid to help grip the pick, in the case that I'm in situations where I don't have it available to use.
In a fairly recent foray into a music shop I picked up a Dava pick with a rubber grip and finally got around to using it last night. What a shock! The rubber grip was firm and it didn't slip out of my fingers. It looks sort of cute too.
D
I've got one one of those. It is nice for strumming but I don't like it for picking because the rubber tends to get in the way. It's a bit too close to the tip I think.
I've always had trouble holding picks because of my very dry hands. I tried all the picks, punched holes in them, roughed them up, nothing really helped. For years I used to put small square patches of double sided tape on my picks. This worked well, but what a gooey mess they turn into after awhile.
I still have occasional problems, but for me using the very small Jazz III picks works. You are forced to choke up on the pick by the small size. I prefer the red pick (they have a black pick also) as it is fairly thick. But anyway, I have not had trouble holding these picks and this was always a big problem for me.
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
