strummy, don't throw things at me...

[Childbride]

and no, this is not a thread about strings, which always drives my ohio friend nuts.

it's about picks.

i'm starting to learn 'spanish eyes.' and although i need to build up my technique and chops to be able to do it with my normal medium picks in the future, in order to get that technique down, i would like to start with a lighter pick gauge... i'd previously referred to it as 'double picking', but that's not right... ok, so i try again. [visual image] as a kid, i spent a great deal of time in s.a. on the riverwalk. the mariachis would be playing, and they would do this very rapid strumming on a single note or chord... i have to learn to be able to do that for both the lead and rhythm on this song. [i'm actually kinda jumping up and down on receiving this song from my teacher, b/c it's teaching me new tricks, and this arrangement has the most complex lead hands down that i've learned thusfar...i'm learning to play in new rhythms/styles]

do you have a favorite light gauge pick that you use?

i respectfully request any assistance that you all can provide.

thanks in advance!

[ted s]

I likes my Dunlop mediums, buts they gotsta be purple ! (Easier to find when I drop it)

[just strum]

CB, when we ordered the wood buttons from Dreadman, he sent along a couple of picks. There is one that he favored with acoustic and one for electric. I really liked the acoustic one as it was versatile enough to use when needing a thin electric. I think it was a .048 or somewhere around there. The ice pix (brand name) I use range from .058 to 1.20 and because of the pad on the side, it makes them extremely easy to maintain position between your fingers.

My dog ate the pick that Dreadman sent or I would be able to give you the thickness.

Now, you want to talk strings???

[Childbride]

Now, you want to talk strings???

i wouldn't dare. i respect our friendship too much.

[Spudman***]

do you have a favorite light gauge pick that you use?

i respectfully request any assistance that you all can provide.

thanks in advance!

As your playing progresses you'll end up moving away from light picks. Why not start now using a heavier gauge and get better tone and control right out of the starting gate. A .80 and thicker should work.

[Childbride]

thank you all. i think it best to not put training wheels on my guitar playing; after reading your responses i think it best to learn to do this with the thickness i am used to playing. i need to go forward, not backward.

i've never been afraid of hard work, and will just have to practice.

[Spudman***]

With a thicker pick you'll want to choke up on it quite a bit. Just a little of the tip should be exposed. The rest should be hidden by your fingers. The more pick you have exposed the harder it is to control.

[Katastrophe]

Yep, keep at it with the heavier gauge picks. Spud's right about choking up on the pick for more control. Getting a pick that's too thin will cause the pick to flex too much while playing, which could make you sound sloppier, even though the technique is there.

Now I'm curious. What's up with Just Strum and strings?

[wingsdad]

CB-
With a heavier pick (heavier than .073, generally considered a 'medium'), you don't have to attack (strike) your strings as hard as you to with a thinner pick to get volume and tone, and this is especially true with your Tele, or with your EA20 a/e (plugged in).

Besides 'choking up' to use just the tip, you want to relax your right hand & wrist while maintaining thumb & finger pressure to grip the pick firmly. (Beware of the natural tendency from gripping tightly to 'tense up' practically up to the forearm & elbow.) It's this 'relaxed' hand & light attack that allows you to 'double pick', as you call it (I understand what you mean), with some rapidity.

Picks with a roughened surface, like Dunlop nylons and a passel of others, help maintain the finger grip.

Also, I don't see them around much, but I still have a few that I got when I was first learning to play from Methusela Berry (Chuck's dad), what are actually mandolin picks by design: stiff little picks with little cork rings glued to one side, for the thumb to rest in, enabling the mando technique of rapid 'double picking'. If you can't find any at a music store near you, drop me a pm. I'll be stopping in at my Local GAS Station on Saturday and check for some. There's nylon mando picks of various gauges by Moshay that I got there that I use. Iinstead of the cork ring, they have a hole in the middle that serves the same purpose. Or I can drop a few in the mail. I get all the picks I need for free there.

[thearabianmage]

Maybe I misunderstood the question, but to me it sounds like you want to learn how to 'sound like a mariachi' (I've never heard 'Spanish Eyes' but can imagine)

The best thing I can suggest, coming from a purist, is to use your fingers. Picks are all well and good (Al di Meola for example), but with any sort of Spanish playing (Mariachi-style playing is very similar) the player is constantly jumping from one technique to another, and being held down with a pick can hinder this movement.

There are a few 'basic' right-hand techniques, but even they will take some mastering. I can do you up videos or tutorials if you want - it's really fun and impressive (especially the triplets!) and it can add such a flavor to your playing! Once you can use your right hand fingers naturally, then you can start flat-picking again and just use your other fingers at will.

As far as playing one note fast - listen to Spud and what everyone else said, but also do not neglect your Alexander Technique!!!

Never never never never tense up when you are trying to play - especially when playing fast. Think of Bruce Lee. When he punched, he clenched his fist at the last possible second. Know why? A relaxed hand moves quicker than a fist. Same thing with guitar (or anything)

If you need further elaboration on any of this, don't hesitate to ask. I hope I was able to help

[Childbride]

Wings, most excellent. thank you, once again. i PM'd you.

Spud, thank you, as well, i think that will help me tremendously.

Kat... [snicker] on the 'W', back in the day, [mind you, the forum is set up quite differently there, we were all sort of nebulously 'swimming' in the 'acoustic section', there were no subtopics, so anything 'open forum' was just 'off topic, or OT'] we would get a new member... and the posts often went something like this.

'hi, i'm _____, [background] i have a ______, can you tell me what it's worth, the serial number is ______' and then the inevitable 'what strings do you like to use [or somesuch]'

it drove poor Strum nuts. became kind of a forum joke.

Mage, i respectfully thank you for your offer of assistance and your suggestion that i play it without a pick, but i have to... it's not exactly walking the bass line, per se, but i have to snatch out strings in the midst of the strumming patterns, and in order to do that accurately, and the whole song accurately, it is my current belief that a pick is necessary to accomplish my goal. and i was using the mariachi example to visualize a technique... the song is not a mariachi song, but uses some of the same stylistic practices.

thank you all again for your help. this is a wonderful forum.

[Childbride]

Spud, i tried that tonight while practicing, and you are spot on. thank you. :

[just strum]

I did the same. I found myself choking up on the pick about a month ago (at least that is when I noticed it) and tonight I played the guitars (using the Peavey, the Strat and the Dot tonight) and played using a 1.20 pick. I noticed the better tone tonight (I had only used the 1.20 on rare occasions previously).

It feels comfortable except when I strum. I think that is because I never completely shed the heavy handed acoustic strum. I don't feel the smoothness when strumming that I feel when using the 58mm

[Katastrophe]

Try to relax your arm and wrist a bit. Too much tension can cause the heavy strumming, or at least it does in my case.

So, Strum, I think I got the right amph for screamin' solos. What strings should I use to get that "chuggachugga" sound? I also wanna make my guitar go deedlydeedly woooooooo skronk. *scampers out of the room and slams the door*:

[just strum]

Try to relax your arm and wrist a bit. Too much tension can cause the heavy strumming, or at least it does in my case.

So, Strum, I think I got the right amph for screamin' solos. What strings should I use to get that "chuggachugga" sound? I also wanna make my guitar go deedlydeedly woooooooo skronk. *scampers out of the room and slams the door*:

Don't cut any length off of them, instead make a knot about every 2" to 3" down each string to take up the excess. Then attach them to your guitar and let me know if that achieves that sound you are looking for.

[Katastrophe]

Don't cut any length off of them, instead make a knot about every 2" to 3" down each string to take up the excess. Then attach them to your guitar and let me know if that achieves that sound you are looking for.

Now that's just funny... and you didn't throw anything!

[aeolian]

CB, you are playing an acoustic, right? I found that picks don't work the same for playing acoustic versus electric. For electric I use thick stiff picks and for acoustic I tend to use thinner picks. If you try different picks on the same guitar you will hear the difference.

[Childbride]

aeolian, i play both... sometimes picking by proximity...

all of my student band songs will be on my tele.

[warren0728]

I also wanna make my guitar go deedlydeedly woooooooo skronk

woo hoo...i got myself a new signature....congratulations katastrophe

ww