How do you use a plec?

I have a student who has orange with yellow spots. Another with roses. No lie.

But what I really wanted to tell you, Chris, is that I'm pretty much with you on the pads of the fingers. Never really took to nails.

And that reminds me - Vic, where's the "I use finger picks and/or thumb pick "choice?

Peace

I have a student who has orange with yellow spots. Another with roses. No lie.

:D OK, I'll scratch them from the list too. I don't want to be accused of doing 'covers'...
But what I really wanted to tell you, Chris, is that I'm pretty much with you on the pads of the fingers. Never really took to nails.

That's very encouraging to hear David, thanks for putting that in. :)
And that reminds me - Vic, where's the "I use finger picks and/or thumb pick "choice?

Too true!

Every banjo plucking, Gothic Melodrama, B&D fan needs a set of these. Which way round you wear them depends on what you're scratching at the time - banjos, eyes or backs..... (or so I'm told, I've only tried the banjo so far...)

Yep, I tried playing with them both ways round too.... one way seemed to work a whole lot better than the other... :roll:

Chris

Seems I missed a few options - I honestly never even thought about thumbpicks and fingerpicks.

I've always had the problem of fingernails splitting easily - at least on the right hand, the picking hand that is. The left hand fingernails seem to grow thick and strong and always need cutting. Must be some variation of Sod's Law for guitarists...

Since getting those Starpics a couple of months or so back, I've tried to use them more and incorporate them into my playing - but I just cannot get used to using a plec. The hardest part is changing from picking to strumming - think "More Than A Feeling," where the verses are fingerpicked and the choruses are strummed. No matter how I try, I can't get used to hybrid picking - using thumb and index to hold a plec, and using the other fingers for picking. My index finger wants to pick...!!! I've tried fingerpicking by just using the plec, but that just seems unnecessarily complicated - I've got four fingers and a thumb on my right hand, why just use two of them? (As an aside, does anyone actually use their pinky for picking?)

My playing seems to have improved quite a bit over the last year or so in most departments - picking, strumming, rhythm, lead - but it's a source of frustration to me that I seem totally unable to use a plec for any period of time.

:D :D :D

Vic

I do it differently for different songs. For strumming an acoustic I use the backs of my fingernails if I don't have a pick but want a similar sound, or I use the pad of my fingers if I want a really soft sound, but mostly I'll use a thinnish pick. For fingerpicking I use just straight fingers or I'll use hybrid picking if I want that sound or I know I'll need the pick at some point in the song.

For electric I do it the same way but I switch to those little Dunlop Jazz picks rather than full sized ones. They feel a lot more precise on the electric than the normal picks.

I used to use a quarter sometimes, but I don't think I'll be doing that now that I dropped the money for a nice acoustic.

I've always had the problem of fingernails splitting easily - at least on the right hand, the picking hand that is. The left hand fingernails seem to grow thick and strong and always need cutting. Must be some variation of Sod's Law for guitarists...

Well, you could always do it like John Butler and get the gigantic acrylic nail extensions:

Might seem a little strange to all the non-guitarists you meet though. :D

Finger and thumbpicks are what I play with. I still carry flatpicks, but haven't used one in so long I checked "Never."

And with it I feel so ... so ... metro on the right side! :wink:
:mrgreen:

Ok, maybe it's time I tried a bit of a walk on the slightly wild side too then. I think Ignar's got first call on the black nails, and I'm not really big on pink. You've gone for the clear look, and red's been done to death, so maybe I'll check out something in green or burnt orange.... 8)

there is a nail lacquer known as urban decay. it's a dullish, mottled blue-gray. seems sort of manly ... except my daughter wears it occasionally.

and I occasionally use fingerpicks as well, but usually prefer to limit that to only the thumbpick with nails -- if I can get away with it.

I use either a pick or finger-picking, depending on the sound I want