Using a pick

Nitro1515 · Unread post by **Nitro1515** » Mon May 03, 2004 8:29 pm

Hey everyone, ive been playing guitar for about 5 months now and through the use of this site which is amazing ive learned a lot of songs...the problem is though i can really just play with my thumb, when i try to use a pick i dont sound very good, sometimes i can get certain songs like satellite sounding somewhat right but it still doesnt sound as good as when i just play with my thumb especially the chords in songs. I was just wondering how long it took all of you to get good with a pick or if i just came easy for you and i need to work harder on using a pick.

Matty Boom · Unread post by **Matty Boom** » Mon May 03, 2004 8:37 pm

i had this problem

it took me like a week of dedicating myself to a pick to get the feel of it, so don't get discouraged, just practice it up

whip3512 · Unread post by **whip3512** » Mon May 03, 2004 9:01 pm

Yep, practice is the only way. I used to play with my thumb a lot, but after a few months went to a pick. It's hard playing some songs, but usually it sounds a lot better once you get it down. Also, some songs are near impossible to play without a pick, like The Stone. On top of that, some songs sound better I think without a pick...gives it a bit of a "warm" sound. Just keep at it brotha!

Pickles · Unread post by **Pickles** » Mon May 03, 2004 9:04 pm

ive gone through a few phases but i wish id never picked a pick back up. i thought i needed to to be fast, but its not at all true. i saw a guy fingerpick faster than i can pick, and it was incredible. i wish i could do that. so dont pick that pick up too quickly.

Nitro1515 · Unread post by **Nitro1515** » Mon May 03, 2004 9:14 pm

thanks for replying guys, im just going to start practicing more with a pick if for nothing else that in the event that i play in front of my friends or something they will be able to hear the guitar better, because as you said whip i also like the warm sound that you get out of the guitar with your thumb

whip3512 · Unread post by **whip3512** » Mon May 03, 2004 9:21 pm

Yeah, you actually OUGHT to do what suits you best, but learning how to use a pick can only be beneficial. But as far as that "warm" sound goes, IMO, Crash Into Me sounds better w/out a pick. Fits the mood of the song better.

DT · Unread post by DT » Mon May 03, 2004 9:44 pm

playing with just the side of your finger in a strumming motion kinda stops you from really learning... the volume isnt really there so missed strings and extra notes dont show up very well... thats probably why the songs dont sound as good when you play with a pick. I thought i knew how to play warehouse like that, it took me another good 6 months to get it to sound really good with a pick. Fingerpicking, on the other hand, is a completely different matter and is very hard for me, although i am getting better. That sounds unbelievable and all the hardest stuff to play is fingerpicked

Ando · Unread post by **Ando** » Mon May 03, 2004 9:55 pm

i played the first 5 months holding the pick the wrong way.

It just takes a few of practice, and you'll get the hang of it.

My suggestion is try a .60 tortex.

Ranting Thespian · Unread post by **Ranting Thespian** » Tue May 04, 2004 12:09 am

THEY ARE WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DON'T DEPEND ON THE PICK!!!!!!

Listen, I never use the picks, pretty much. I fingerpick and strum. Tim, he rarely uses a pick (unless he is going really fast at points, other than that, just fingers, even on a 12 string)

I tell to all guitar players to start without a pick. Fingerpicking is the way to go. There is so much more you can do with fingerpicking. You can do some serious tough picking with just your fingers that you can't do with a pick. Also, with using your thumb and index strumming, you can play very quietly and loud. While, with a pick, you can't get that quiet.

Also, I can play the stone without a pick. I play everything without a pick. Some songs, like Satelite, are easier and sound better when you finger pick it. Same with the opening to One Sweet World, #34, and more.

Fingers are the way to go. Don't believe them, use your fingers (and not just your thumb, use all your fingers, even your pinky). I impressed a guitar player who was playing for 4 years, when I was playing a fingerpicking song for him in my 1st year, and he had no clue how to use his fingers like that.

DROP THAT PICK, and LOOK you have FINGERS!!!!!!!

whip3512 · Unread post by **whip3512** » Tue May 04, 2004 2:05 am

Like I say, do what suits you best. There are different options, but you'd be foolish to pigeonhole yourself to just one thing. I'm not trying to sound like a jerk Ranting Thespian...honestly

Fingerpicking is friggin' awesome. I know a guy who can use a pick AND his other fingers at the same time. Not that this is what defines a guitar player, but he played Stream perfectly. He can shred faster than anyone I've heard (except maybe Malstein). He said he learned how to finger pick using all five fingers first, but after time, he incorporrated a pick into it and it's fuckin' incredible.

Again, don't limit yourself to just one thing, there's so much you can do with a guitar. Peace.

davematthews03 · Unread post by **davematthews03** » Tue May 04, 2004 3:03 am

Ok people...you want the low down on using a pick?
Ive been playing guitar for over 5 years now...I can play every I repeat...EVERY Dave Matthews Song...they aint hard....but...they are a little unfamiliar mainly for the reason that dave will feel he needs to create his own chord...why i dont know...anyway...because of the difficulty of striking every necessary string regaurdless of whether or not it is in full sound or muted you do need to use a pick....Timmy uses picks..and yes he does use just his fingers sometimes...whats amazing is the fact that Tim can switch the pick to finger motion so rapidly when he needs it....it's called Professionalism......which takes....Guess....A lot of practice...
No doubt you dont need picks on every song...but you do need it for lets say...Two Step...and you really should practice songs like Wherehouse and Satelite and Some Devil with a pick....songs like Crazy...you dont need a pick...you need to understand the proper usage of when to use a pick and when not to....
Anyway..its late and for some God awfull reason Ive decided to try and watch Meet Joe Black ......I didnt like it the first time but Im hoping for something to strike me tonight that is so profound that I see the movie in a different light...

MWR · Unread post by **MWR** » Tue May 04, 2004 5:28 am

Ummm...why not learn both instead of this better/worse nonsense?

Dilbert · Unread post by **Dilbert** » Tue May 04, 2004 8:27 am

I agree with MWR. Learn both. I bitterly regret only learning with a pick. I can play fingerstyle to a limited degree but wish it were better. You do have a third option. A thumb pick. These really take some getting used to but adds yet another weapon to the arsenal.

If you get chance to see an acoustic player called Tommy Emmanuel, he plays all three styles to an equally high standard and is just awesom.

Can I just add a rant. One of the posts in this thread (work it out for yourselves) comes from someone who sounds increadibly arogant. Frankly, I don't care how many DMB songs a person can play, and how easy they find them. If someone can play just one song to a standard they are happy with and enjoy playing that one song, then, to me, is just fine and dandy

I don't think this board needs any "mine's better than yours" type egos!!. Rant over (oops sorry, Thespian :wink:

)

Nitro1515 · Unread post by **Nitro1515** » Tue May 04, 2004 8:42 am

How many of you have tried or like the thumb pick? I was looking at some online the other day and they look pretty cool, but are they easier or harder than using a regular pick?

Matty Boom · Unread post by **Matty Boom** » Tue May 04, 2004 9:28 am

i think (if it's what i'm thinking of) that is more for hardcore finger picking than regular strumming

don't get discouraged, competency with a pick will come shortly if you just play through the difficulties you're having

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