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Play without a pick? Ridin' bareback!


Caevan O’Shite

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Just curious... how many of you out there play a lot, or exclusively, without a pick?

 

I play sans pick nearly 100% of the time. I'd have to travel to another town to buy picks, if I wanted to play with one; I don't have any idea where the last picks I bought have gotten to, I probably gave 'em away.

 

I say "without a pick" rather than "fingerstyle", 'cause I don't think that I do suitable justice to those true fingerstylists, like Classical, Flamenco, Jazz, and Bluegrass players, in my bastardized approach. I'd say it's actually closer to "pick and fingers" style, only with my index- and/or middle-fingernails doing much of what a pick would do.

 

I find myself and my approach to be frequently oggled and marveled at when I pick up a guitar at a store, a friend's place, someone's pub gig between sets and beers with whomever's playing, etc. Apparently I'm some kind of freak of nature or something! It's just what feels right and works for me. It also allows for my remaining fingers to damp, mute, and all in ways that I've become accustomed to, and to produce the tones I want.

 

How about you?

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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Unless I'm a fingerstylin'...I've gotta have a pick.

 

But, there was one time in the old Mars store in Olathe...I heard some guy playing these phenomenally quick jazz runs, a'la Pat Martino. No pick. He was going back and forth between his index and his thumb. YIKES!!!!

 

Make mine a Fender medium, thank you...

"Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine"
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guitarplayer,

Jeff Beck.

 

No pick.

 

No problem

Then how come he doesn't sound like me? :rolleyes:

 

Answer: Because then no one would know who he is. :rolleyes:

 

Oh! The question. YES, I play without a pick. I have lots of picks around, I just don't play with them. I'm goin' try (some day) to use how to learn one (well). The only think that gives me hope is TuskBuffers picks (HEY, I owe you money!) and someone's suggestion here to hold the pick with the thumb and TWO fingers. It helped me. If helped is the right word? It made it easier for me to hold the pick and play. Still didn't feel "natural" though.

 

I didn't realize I was in such good company (Jeff Beck). Now I don't know if I should pursue the pick or not. :confused:

 

TuskBuffer, I still want the pick though. After all, it helps control the GAS.

 

Dave

Gotta' geetar... got the amp. There must be SOMEthing else I... "need".
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i use a pick( 3mm dunlop) but its no prob for me to go pickless. i just hold my finger and thumb as if i am gripping a pick and use the top of my nail for regular stuff and its easy to go to thumb and finger style. maybe i should turf the pick? i don't really need it , and its kind of liberating to have your pick hand free to use for all the various styles.

i do like the tone of flesh on strings. actually i guess the pick kind of limits my technique. maybe i should give myself a plectrumectomy. :confused:

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When I was young, I thought everyone used picks. Until I saw some thumbpicks and finger (tip) picks, and had to try some. That was an eye opener for me!

 

If I am on the acoustic, I will use a pick or go pickless with multi plucks and strums. Using all fingers to pluck, and mostly middle finger to strum.

 

If on a solid body, I mostly use a pick.

 

My pick of choice is a Dunlop Tortex .50. Since I first tried them fifteen or twenty years ago, I was hooked. Plays like a light, put stands up to heavy use.

Check out some handcrafted guitars:

http://home.mindspring.com/~grus/guitars.htm

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Pick use depends on my situations:

 

If I'm playing solo, whether on acoustic or electric, I use no pick; the warmth, ability to play truly more polyphonic, pianistic chords, and the greater control over attack and timbre make the extra practice time worth it.

 

In my bands, if we're playing quieter, cleaner-toned music, then also I like to go sans pick. If we're playing more aggresive, louder music, I find that I need a heavy pick to help me punch through the mix. Sadly, I haven't been able to teach most of my bandmates over the years about the value of dynamics. You know, it's a case of everything "finding their levels" and then everyone else assuming that the soloists should just play louder, rather than everyone else bringing down their levels during solos. In such situations, a pick is a godsend.

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I do hold a 1mm pick when I play electric, and use it for single note lines, and I will often pick and finger approach in quiet sections.

But, when I strum the index finger does the striking of the strings, because I expose very little of the pick.

Unfortunately I also hit the thing much too hard, which means the nail on my index finger is squared off on one side!

On acoustic I'll use whatever is appropriate, depending on how much I need to make myself heard. Best Wishes, Tea.

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when i got into the twang thang i learned how to hybrid pick (pick between thumb and index, middle and ring fingers independent). now, that style has invaded everything i do.

 

a good by-product of that is the strength that built up. now i can drop my pick and still keep up.

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Count me among the pickless pickers.

I much prefer playing with just fingers most of the time; chordal playing is, to me, much better sans pick & variations in dynamics seem musch more easily controlled, as do "rolls" & arpeggios.

I do use a pick for certain rhythm styles (fast, percussive strums) & sometimes for extended single-note lines but about 75% of the time it's just me & my fingers.

I've got about 10~15 in my box (of varying thicknesses); haven't lost one or bought one in years.

BTW, thumbpicks & fingerpicks always seemed incredibly awkward to me.

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Oh man, on an electric is where I most want to ride bareback! I much prefer it to using a pick.

 

On acoustic, I could slightly more easily adjust, as it helps somewhat with the volume and projection thing... but if it's amplified nicely enough, then that's no longer a point, either.

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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I pick with my fingers a lot too. On acoustic I never use a pick and electric I vary between pick, pick with fingers and fingers alone depending upon the sound I want. I also do a lot of fast(ish) runs picking back and forth between my thumb and middle finger. I love strumming just using my open hands and fingernails.

Jamie

But never fear, you're safe with me... Well maybe. - Les
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Originally posted by Caevan O'Shite:

Oh man, on an electric is where I most want to ride bareback! I much prefer it to using a pick.

 

On acoustic, I could slightly more easily adjust, as it helps somewhat with the volume and projection thing... but if it's amplified nicely enough, then that's no longer a point, either.

I'm not up to fast runs using my fingers unless it's based around arpeggios. I can rip through some stuff with a pick because I've got 15 years of experience with a pick, not so with my finger tips. And, I'm not growing my finger nails long like a girl just to play fingerstyle. :P Most of what I play on electric just sounds better with a pick, and what I play on acoustic sounds good with my fingers or a pick (depends on the song). Cranberries stuff sounds right with a pick, classical sounds right with my finger tips. ;)

BlueStrat

a.k.a. "El Guapo" ;)

 

...Better fuzz through science...

 

http://geocities.com/teleman28056/index.html

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With one band, I play mostly with a pick. With the other band, I play without a pick. My preference is to play pickless - that's how I practice.

 

I cut my nails as short as possible, and use all my fingers. Fingertips on the upstrokes and nails on the downstrokes. I run the treble higher than usual on my amp and get a nice variation in tone depending upon how I pluck the string.

 

When I do play with a pick, I use a Dunlop Jazztone which is very thick and rounded. The nice thing about this is that it cuts way down on pick noise.

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recently I`ve been practicing a lot on electric, unplugged, without a pick. It`s great-I can focus just on what I`m playing, no fooling with knobs, volume worries, etc. But once the sound machine starts up I need a pick, at least some of the time. I have quite a collection at this point, I`m still researching what material does what but I gotta have one nearby. I would love to be able to combine fingers and pick, I suck at it so far. Nails on the downstrokes rock-especially way back, near the bridge! I don`t grow mine out though, they break too easily.

Same old surprises, brand new cliches-

 

Skipsounds on Soundclick:

www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491

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Originally posted by skipclone 1:

I need a pick, at least some of the time. I have quite a collection at this point, I`m still researching what material does what but I gotta have one nearby.

I like the Fender tortoise mediums, Dunlop tortex .88mm (green), or these little tear-drop shaped Peavey mediums or heavys (black). Anything metallic sounds too scratchy.

BlueStrat

a.k.a. "El Guapo" ;)

 

...Better fuzz through science...

 

http://geocities.com/teleman28056/index.html

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