I like the tone from fingerpicks on acoustics and electrics as well as resos. Steel guitar players nearly always use them. They impart more harmonics to the string than bare fingers, and are similar to a stiff, sharp flat pick in that regard. You just need to pluck straight across the string, else it'll slide and make a scraping sound. You can't go both ways across the string or they'll catch, so you learn to pick down with the thumbpick and up with the fingerpicks.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
I like the tone from fingerpicks on acoustics and electrics as well as resos. Steel guitar players nearly always use them. They impart more harmonics to the string than bare fingers, and are similar to a stiff, sharp flat pick in that regard.
Interesting point. :) Part of this may come down to what kind of guitar tone one prefers....
You just need to pluck straight across the string, else it'll slide and make a scraping sound.
That's exactly why they bug me so much! Perhaps my picking hand isn't "disciplined" enough for metal fingerpicks.
"You can't write a chord ugly enough to say what you want to say sometimes, so you have to rely on a giraffe filled with whipped cream." - Frank Zappa
They just take getting used to. Took me a long time.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
You just need to pluck straight across the string, else it'll slide and make a scraping sound.
That's exactly why they bug me so much! Perhaps my picking hand isn't "disciplined" enough for metal fingerpicks.
I put mine on a little 'sideways', really helps in avoiding the scraping sound. Tried to illustrate it in this pic, it's a bit hard to see but hopefully you'll understand what I mean:
Angled a bit toward the thumb side?
"You can't write a chord ugly enough to say what you want to say sometimes, so you have to rely on a giraffe filled with whipped cream." - Frank Zappa
Steinar, thanks much for the tip & the pic of your picks. Angling the metal pics did help reduce the scraping sound. I need to spend some good time shaping them properly -- notice yours follow the fingertip to within ~2mm of the nail, so I'll try that as well.
"You can't write a chord ugly enough to say what you want to say sometimes, so you have to rely on a giraffe filled with whipped cream." - Frank Zappa
For playing lap style, turning the picks the other way may be helpful.
Guptil Music sells a kind of Pro-Picks called "Reso Piks," made for dobro and lap steel players that have the tips angled toward the thumb. I've just been playing with a set.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
http://www.guptillmusic.com/index.html
Lots of variety in their pick line. They have one which leaves some fingertip skin exposed, which might be worth a try.
Presently, with some bending on the blades, and the angle canted about 45 degrees toward the thumb, and a similar bend on the tip of a small thumbpick -- it's better than not playing at all. 8) Thumbpicks in the past have made me change my thumb angle in an uncomfortable way, but the bent tip (slightly toward the palm) and some sanding/polishing allow "natural" thumb position (none of this is "natural" is it?), with much less scraping.
Thanks to all for good counsel!
"You can't write a chord ugly enough to say what you want to say sometimes, so you have to rely on a giraffe filled with whipped cream." - Frank Zappa
Their Sharpies make an awesome bright tone on resonators, and their Sharpie Fast Piks are preangled toward the thumb like Steinar shows. Their double strap setup is a lot more comfortable and secure than the old standard single ones. I've got a set of those somewhere, but I'm very frustrated over not being able to find them right now.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
I have Propiks, as well as most of the others mentioned, and if I need to use fingerpicks, these work best for me -- metal-on-metal sound, lightweight, plus finger pad feeling and sensitivity. YMMV.
as noted above, these are worn so finger pad is exposed thru the opening.
not cheap.
image attribution: Elderly Instruments Website
-=tension & release=-
That's just one kind of their ProPiks. I've never gotten around to trying those, actually.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
right -- they are Propik's "Fingertone" model. they are a very different experience from either Alaska or more trad metal styles.
-=tension & release=-
my fingers are too slim for those :cry:
