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Guitar Discussions -> rock lead guitar without a pick/plectrum
There are 80 messages in this thread.
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rock lead guitar without a pick/plectrum - Grant W. Petty - 17:18 11-11-05
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Okay, some comments in the thread about "my kingdom for this pick" got me
to thinking .. do I *really* need a pick? Given the couple of times I
dropped a pick in the middle of a solo and felt like I had dropped my pants
instead, I had taken it for granted that I was helpless without a pick.
That is, until I started messing around without one yesterday and
discovered it wasn't as scary or difficult as I thought. I found that I can
hold my thumb and forefinger together as if I were holding a pick and then
use my fingernail like a pick when making downstrokes -- upstrokes tend to
catch the fleshy part of my fingertip and don't have as sharp of an attack.
But otherwise, it sounds fine, especially when used with distortion. For
clean guitar, it sounds "different" and less biting but not necessarily
bad.
A big advantage seems to be that I have better control and accuracy,
because I can feel the strings directly rather than inferring their
location through 1/4" of nylon. And the partial damping by my seems to
bring out more harmonic coloration, which I can vary at will.
The other advantage is of course the ability to easily pluck multiple
strings without having a pick in the way, when needed.
So I guess before I take the plunge and ditch the pick altogether
(something that would take some time and effort to completely adjust to),
I'd like to ask the pros out there ... what, exactly, will I give up? And
if the answer is "nothing much", then when why do most rock guitarists use
picks?
- Grant
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Re: rock lead guitar without a pick/plectrum - Derek - 17:47 11-11-05
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Re: rock lead guitar without a pick/plectrum - John Wheaton - 17:53 11-11-05
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"Grant W. Petty" <gpetty@aos.wisc.edu> wrote in message
> I'd like to ask the pros out there ... what, exactly, will I give up? And
> if the answer is "nothing much", then when why do most rock guitarists use
> picks?
>
You can't get the same string attack without a pick. Think Mark Knoffler vs
Gary Moore.
See ya,
John
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Re: rock lead guitar without a pick/plectrum - Steven Johnson - 17:57 11-11-05
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Lindsey Buckingham-Fleetwood Mac
Mark Knopfler-Dire Straits
Robby Krieger-The Doors
The list goes on, so I won't bother you with it...lol
Steve
--
"The road less traveled has 22 frets."
-Ted Nugent
"Grant W. Petty" <gpetty@aos.wisc.edu> wrote in message
news:Pine.LNX.4.60.0511111601400.19705@cloud.aos.wisc.edu...
>
>
> Okay, some comments in the thread about "my kingdom for this pick" got me
> to thinking .. do I *really* need a pick? Given the couple of times I
> dropped a pick in the middle of a solo and felt like I had dropped my
> pants instead, I had taken it for granted that I was helpless without a
> pick.
>
> That is, until I started messing around without one yesterday and
> discovered it wasn't as scary or difficult as I thought. I found that I
> can hold my thumb and forefinger together as if I were holding a pick and
> then use my fingernail like a pick when making downstrokes -- upstrokes
> tend to catch the fleshy part of my fingertip and don't have as sharp of
> an attack. But otherwise, it sounds fine, especially when used with
> distortion. For clean guitar, it sounds "different" and less biting but
> not necessarily bad.
>
> A big advantage seems to be that I have better control and accuracy,
> because I can feel the strings directly rather than inferring their
> location through 1/4" of nylon. And the partial damping by my seems to
> bring out more harmonic coloration, which I can vary at will.
>
> The other advantage is of course the ability to easily pluck multiple
> strings without having a pick in the way, when needed.
>
> So I guess before I take the plunge and ditch the pick altogether
> (something that would take some time and effort to completely adjust to),
> I'd like to ask the pros out there ... what, exactly, will I give up? And
> if the answer is "nothing much", then when why do most rock guitarists use
> picks?
>
> - Grant
>
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Re: rock lead guitar without a pick/plectrum - Hank L - 17:59 11-11-05
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Robbie Krieger of the Doors also played with out a pick. He studied Flamenco
guitar before the Doors.
Hank L.
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Re: rock lead guitar without a pick/plectrum - crow - 18:16 11-11-05
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Re: rock lead guitar without a pick/plectrum - Jon Slaughter - 18:51 11-11-05
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"Grant W. Petty" <gpetty@aos.wisc.edu> wrote in message
news:Pine.LNX.4.60.0511111601400.19705@cloud.aos.wisc.edu...
>
>
> Okay, some comments in the thread about "my kingdom for this pick" got me
> to thinking .. do I *really* need a pick? Given the couple of times I
> dropped a pick in the middle of a solo and felt like I had dropped my
> pants instead, I had taken it for granted that I was helpless without a
> pick.
>
heh.
> That is, until I started messing around without one yesterday and
> discovered it wasn't as scary or difficult as I thought. I found that I
> can hold my thumb and forefinger together as if I were holding a pick and
> then use my fingernail like a pick when making downstrokes -- upstrokes
> tend to catch the fleshy part of my fingertip and don't have as sharp of
> an attack. But otherwise, it sounds fine, especially when used with
> distortion. For clean guitar, it sounds "different" and less biting but
> not necessarily bad.
>
There are many ways to pick a string... even more so when you start using
your fingers. A classical guitarist uses his finger nails and usually takes
very good care of them(probably much more so than any woman... except maybe
a woman classical guitar player). If you use the skin you will get a much
more warmer tone than with your fingernals(which is used to.. its simply a
different articulation technique).
> A big advantage seems to be that I have better control and accuracy,
> because I can feel the strings directly rather than inferring their
> location through 1/4" of nylon. And the partial damping by my seems to
> bring out more harmonic coloration, which I can vary at will.
hmm.. so you are just using one finger to pick? You can do that, and I've
seen people to that, but you are not taking advantage of all the other
fingers you could play with too. While at first it might be hard to control
them if you are really interested in play wihtout a pick, which you can do,
you probably should alteast study up on the classical style of finger
picking.
I do believe you could develop a much better technique than anyone that uses
just a pick but that it would require a lot more pratice. Most classical
guitar players can play scales faster than anyone with a pick(just think
about how... pretty simple why)... but it does require a lot of control.
> The other advantage is of course the ability to easily pluck multiple
> strings without having a pick in the way, when needed.
>
There is a hybrid picking technique that uses a pick and the other fingers.
I tend to use it somewhat but since I don't like to have long nails as they
get in the way of playing the piano I just use the flesh... the tone
"suffers" usually but its not all that bad.
> So I guess before I take the plunge and ditch the pick altogether
> (something that would take some time and effort to completely adjust to),
> I'd like to ask the pros out there ... what, exactly, will I give up? And
> if the answer is "nothing much", then when why do most rock guitarists use
> picks?
>
I'd say they use picks for two reasons. One is it is much much much easier
to control and get good at... hmmm... is that one or two reasons? heh...
well, thats really the easiest.
I do believe that if you were to pratice fingerpicking and had a great
teacher you could easily beat any plectrum picker any time. You can do
anything a pick can because in all actuality a pick was designed to model
the fingernail. But you have to take care of your hands and overall its
much more difficult(hence why many people use picks instead, its simply much
easier). if you are looking to increase your musicality and tone choices
then your fingers will do that over a pick.... if you want fast learning and
easy of use then a pick will do just find.
> - Grant
>
Jon
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Re: rock lead guitar without a pick/plectrum - Jeff Thompson - 19:29 11-11-05
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Grant W. Petty wrote:
>
>
> Okay, some comments in the thread about "my kingdom for this pick" got
> me to thinking .. do I *really* need a pick? Given the couple of times
> I dropped a pick in the middle of a solo and felt like I had dropped my
> pants instead, I had taken it for granted that I was helpless without a
> pick.
>
> That is, until I started messing around without one yesterday and
> discovered it wasn't as scary or difficult as I thought. I found that I
> can hold my thumb and forefinger together as if I were holding a pick
> and then use my fingernail like a pick when making downstrokes --
> upstrokes tend to catch the fleshy part of my fingertip and don't have
> as sharp of an attack. But otherwise, it sounds fine, especially when
> used with distortion. For clean guitar, it sounds "different" and less
> biting but not necessarily bad.
>
> A big advantage seems to be that I have better control and accuracy,
> because I can feel the strings directly rather than inferring their
> location through 1/4" of nylon. And the partial damping by my seems to
> bring out more harmonic coloration, which I can vary at will.
>
> The other advantage is of course the ability to easily pluck multiple
> strings without having a pick in the way, when needed.
>
> So I guess before I take the plunge and ditch the pick altogether
> (something that would take some time and effort to completely adjust
> to), I'd like to ask the pros out there ... what, exactly, will I give
> up? And if the answer is "nothing much", then when why do most rock
> guitarists use picks?
>
> - Grant
>
See my reply to a similar thread above about not doing pick slides with
your thumbnail.
Jeff
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Re: rock lead guitar without a pick/plectrum - Rick & Dana Siekmann - 19:36 11-11-05
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Nils Lofgren...just to add to the list.
"Steven Johnson" <steve9199@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Gl9df.71243$RG4.22224@fe05.lga...
> Lindsey Buckingham-Fleetwood Mac
> Mark Knopfler-Dire Straits
> Robby Krieger-The Doors
>
> The list goes on, so I won't bother you with it...lol
>
> Steve
>
> --
> "The road less traveled has 22 frets."
> -Ted Nugent
> "Grant W. Petty" <gpetty@aos.wisc.edu> wrote in message
> news:Pine.LNX.4.60.0511111601400.19705@cloud.aos.wisc.edu...
>>
>>
>> Okay, some comments in the thread about "my kingdom for this pick" got
>> me to thinking .. do I *really* need a pick? Given the couple of times I
>> dropped a pick in the middle of a solo and felt like I had dropped my
>> pants instead, I had taken it for granted that I was helpless without a
>> pick.
>>
>> That is, until I started messing around without one yesterday and
>> discovered it wasn't as scary or difficult as I thought. I found that I
>> can hold my thumb and forefinger together as if I were holding a pick and
>> then use my fingernail like a pick when making downstrokes -- upstrokes
>> tend to catch the fleshy part of my fingertip and don't have as sharp of
>> an attack. But otherwise, it sounds fine, especially when used with
>> distortion. For clean guitar, it sounds "different" and less biting but
>> not necessarily bad.
>>
>> A big advantage seems to be that I have better control and accuracy,
>> because I can feel the strings directly rather than inferring their
>> location through 1/4" of nylon. And the partial damping by my seems to
>> bring out more harmonic coloration, which I can vary at will.
>>
>> The other advantage is of course the ability to easily pluck multiple
>> strings without having a pick in the way, when needed.
>>
>> So I guess before I take the plunge and ditch the pick altogether
>> (something that would take some time and effort to completely adjust to),
>> I'd like to ask the pros out there ... what, exactly, will I give up? And
>> if the answer is "nothing much", then when why do most rock guitarists
>> use picks?
>>
>> - Grant
>>
>
>
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Re: rock lead guitar without a pick/plectrum - Mark Outrage - 19:44 11-11-05
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in <Pine.LNX.4.60.0511111601400.19705@cloud.aos.wisc.edu>,
Grant W. Petty <gpetty@aos.wisc.edu> said:
>
>
> Okay, some comments in the thread about "my kingdom for this pick" got me
> to thinking .. do I *really* need a pick? Given the couple of times I
> dropped a pick in the middle of a solo and felt like I had dropped my pants
> instead, I had taken it for granted that I was helpless without a pick.
>
> That is, until I started messing around without one yesterday and
> discovered it wasn't as scary or difficult as I thought. I found that I can
> hold my thumb and forefinger together as if I were holding a pick and then
> use my fingernail like a pick when making downstrokes -- upstrokes tend to
> catch the fleshy part of my fingertip and don't have as sharp of an attack.
> But otherwise, it sounds fine, especially when used with distortion. For
> clean guitar, it sounds "different" and less biting but not necessarily
> bad.
>
> A big advantage seems to be that I have better control and accuracy,
> because I can feel the strings directly rather than inferring their
> location through 1/4" of nylon. And the partial damping by my seems to
> bring out more harmonic coloration, which I can vary at will.
>
> The other advantage is of course the ability to easily pluck multiple
> strings without having a pick in the way, when needed.
>
> So I guess before I take the plunge and ditch the pick altogether
> (something that would take some time and effort to completely adjust to),
> I'd like to ask the pros out there ... what, exactly, will I give up? And
> if the answer is "nothing much", then when why do most rock guitarists use
> picks?
don't limit yourself, learn to do it every way :)
picks, fingers, coins, anything, everything.
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