Choosing your fingerpicks
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- A fingerpick is a type of plectrum used most commonly for playing bluegrass style banjo music. Most fingerpicks are composed of metal or plastic. Unlike flat guitar picks, which are held between the thumb and finger and used one at a time, fingerpicks clip onto or wrap around the end of the fingers and thumb; thus one hand can pick several strings at once. Generally three are used: one for the thumb, and one each for the middle and index fingers. Fingerpicks worn on the thumb are generally called "thumbpicks". Most players use a plastic thumbpick while using metal fingerpicks. Fingerpicks come in a variety of thicknesses to accommodate different musicians' styles of playing. Thin picks produce a quieter, more delicate sound, while thick picks produce a heavier sound.
Fingerpicks are also used by guitar, Hawaiian guitar, lap steel, pedal steel guitar and Dobro players. Fingerpicks generally take quite some time to adapt to, even for people who come from the more common (bare fingers with or without fingernails) fingerstyle techniques. Tone wise, they are the most similar to standard guitar picks.
Some players combine a thumb pick and bare fingers/fingernails.
Classical guitar players, who traditionally use their fingernails to pluck the guitar's strings, may choose to use fingerpicks as an alternative to maintaining fingernails.
There are not close ups of the picks your using, so we don't have a clue which ones you are trying. It would be very helpful if your brought each kind up to the camera so we can see what rack looks like and how they fit on your fingers before you start playing with them.
You need to try Acri steel fingerpicks. I find them the most comfortable for long hours of playing. I use three of them and the key is to make each of them dedicated to the specific finger. After I adjust the blade angle and the comfort, I wrap different color tape around each fingerpick ("I"-red, "m"-white, and "a"-blue). That way I can quickly put them on in the same order even in the low light on the stage. Plus the tape eliminates the "clicking" sound of the metal fingerpicks hitting each other. The advantage of metal fingerpicks is that you get the consistent sound and they last forever! For an alternative sound, I just use my bare fingers (no nails at all). Thanks for sharing the video!
I bough the dunlop picks.... Waste of money... Until I learned how to use them from this video.( They were useless for nearly 2yrs)
I was wearing mine upside down.
On the Dunlop's. Maybe instead of a lighter, try to boil water in a mug and drop in a pair of needle nose pliers for a couple minutes. Then give the pick a squeeze. It'll soften a bit and you can then shape the edge fairly easy.
I just did this with my Dunlop thumb pic the other day and it was the only thing I can do to get it just right, boil the water and just pour it over where the pick meets the ring
Very helpful!
Plastic fingertips can be molded to any shape by use of a hair dryer. The length is easily shortened with a file and polished with fine sandpaper or nail file.
Very good video, thank you. I'm amazed that you can just put on any old set and play very well!
Alaska used to make something similar to their plastic ones in brass. I bought those and played very happily for about twenty minutes then looked down to see all the string windings hanging off. Long discontinued............
I'd suggest avoiding any and all stainless steel sets. Lots of these cheap from the Far East, knock-offs of the traditional nickel alloy 1930s National or Dunlop design. Stainless steel is a most, most unforgiving material (I've worked with it) and belongs nowhere near the human body. I'd imagine these would persuade any newbie to f/picks to never go anywhere near any of them ever again. Punted as a "selling point - guaranteed higher quality", stainless steel is to avoid.
I use National brass on three fingers for >ahem< pretty advanced fingerstyle picking. Used them for years, never fall off, no discomfort whatsoever and the sound - that's something you work at. Bright and loud (though softer than nickel picks), at first it's disconcerting. Getting the tonal range together takes a little time but it's very rewarding. So I'm not experienced with f/picks as is our friend here who can even make his own! Fantastic!
However, I'm waiting for delivery of some Ernie Ball Picky Picks. First time in many years that I've considered anything new but I'm interested in the different blade shape so.............have a go and if not just carry on with my brass Nationals.....which are an excellent "look no further" sort of thing.
Great video, nice playing. All those metal finger picks and not one single hole in the soundboard of his satin-finish-no-scratch-plate guitar! It looks like a Faith Saturn but I'm probably wrong.
Thank you.
Finger picks are something new to me, but I'm interested in getting into them. Thanks for this.
Very nice overview. I want to try fingerpick style but my nails are too thin. I wasn't even aware of the butterfly style but like the idea of fabricating my own for a custom fit. Most music stores just carry the no-name plastic ones (and about 60 million different shapes, thicknesses, and colors of regular plectrum).
Thank you David Wallace for this advice
SUCK IT!!!!
Thanks for the useful guide. I have tried do many styles/makes/types of finger picks and like you I came to like the Kelly picks, but only in Delrin. Delrin is also used as plectra on modern harpsichords instead of crow or raven quills. As a classical guitar player of 50 years, I find them excellent. Not having been able to grow strong nails due to the medication I am on they were a Godsend!! However, I modified mine slightly with help from a harpsichord maker. I filed the leading edge and tightened them slightly and they are absolutely brilliant. I am about to learn 5 string old time banjo (up picking but not blue grass) [my bucket list before the cancer kills me!] so I hope they work as well for me on metal strings as on nylgut. I suppose though that I might have to get a different set and modify them differently to work on metal banjo strings.
Thanks again for the video. Tanti Auguri! (Penso tu sei italiano!)
Hope you are doing fine, considering what you have written in square brackets. Wish you all the best!
That's very unfortunate. You still alive?
Cool video man. Im 9 years late. But I enjoyed it all the same.
Hope your still playing.
Thanks. Still playing, so happy I learnt this fingerstyle guitar :)
I was wanting to try some fingerpicks and didn't know where to start. This video was so helpful. Thanx for posting. Good information, concise, direct.
The last ones are for classical guitars players in nylons I'm sure that's the reason for the changes in sound with changes in angles which works well on nylon
Um, dude made all of the picks sound fantastic. I did hear a little brighter sound from the metal picks.
Richard Barry the metal picks are meant for banjos. It’ll damage guitar strings.
@@gilesbills6214 Strings need to be replaced every 2 month, so in that period of time, they can withstand metal fingerpicks.
Thanks, that was helpful, so many different styles out there 🤯
Thanks for posting, very helpful, it's a finger pick jungle out there and all input is very welcome. And quite impressive how you can change picks and play at once without any period of warm-up/adjustment (I need 5-10 min to get any flow after changing picks (if not very similar)).
Thanks for detailed anf helpful review👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I have never heard of Alaska picks. Thanks for the video!
Great video, could you show us how you made your own picks please?
Dip plastic picks in cup of hot water for a few seconds to reshape. Repeat until it feels right.
I use these picks for autoharp. I have never seen the butterfly before.
non avevo mai sentito un accento veneto sull inglese. Fantastico, sembra una via di mezzo tra il gallese, e il liverpulliano . Grade. gran video sulle unghie atrifiaciali, mi serviva:-)
Alaska 's are the only ones I can control straight off. They last me a long time even when they loosen up and still stay on my fingers ok, maybe that's because I use a size which is a little too tight to begin with then they become more comfortable as they open out with use.
I do not file down the tips because that softens the sound instead I file the nail slot down instead untill the action points are 3mm long that way they slide 3mm higher up my fingers.
Awesomeness brother.
Thanks!....a really helpful video.
Thanks , I was looking for something like this.
I have bought a 12 strings guitar and I need precision picking de Arpeggios.
Over 6 strings guitar, picking is easy with my big fingers.
But 12 strings guitar , the strings are so closed each other.
Now I have an idea that what I should buy.
Could you please show us how you make your homemade butterfly picks? Thank you.
Ok, its very easy though. Just get some wire and copy the shape.
Thank you!
Thanks very much. I think that your home made picks sound the best by far. Really interesting. David 😎🎶🎸🇬🇧
I have tried tons of fingerpicks too. I don´t like the sound of the metal picks and had the same problem with the Alaska picks being too long. I am going to try to trim them down a bit. What felt the best was when I superglued fake nails on. They felt awesome but I am afraid that using superglue on my nails for extended periods of time could cause problems. So I am currently trying the silk fake nails. I bought the stuff but didn´t realize that you also need a drying light to cure them. So now I am wondering about doubling down and spending another 10-20 bucks on a light.
2 years ago so u probably won't see this, but I just started finger picking and have seriously considered false nails, my daughter does beauty stuff (hair extensions etc) so I'm gonna ask her about how practical and permanent they would be!
Hope u got a good outcome to your problem 👍
Thanks, great review!
Very helpful -- thank you!
I've tried them all and none of them are any good really,there must be somebody who can design something better!
This was very helpful thank you!
Homemade butterfly wins it going away!
Good video thanks
So that's how you use those picks. Thanks.
I just ordered the Alaska pics from guitar center and they never told me that I had to replace them every month 😑
They have unfortunate sales tactics
Give the acri brass picks a try. I think you will be pleased
thank you,it's helpful
something SOMETHING sOmEtInG SoMeTiNg SOMEthing
Thumbs picks seem to come in small, medium and large but you cannot find a chart anywhere that tells you what size too buy. Do you know?
May I ask a question what finger pick are easier to use?
Has anyone tried the tiptonic picks? They are a kind of stick/clip on nail.
I use the dunlop plastic picks, they sre 1000 times better without scrapiing, scratching bullshit of metal picks. The fit can be bent outwards to fit. I also straighten the tip. I am a banjo player and they are the best by far, but must be ordered. My fingers are small and the medium is a squeezer, so I bent them both out and in, over and over, until they are really comfy, the metal picks are never really comfortable, and they sound like a resonator guitar in a garbage dispaosal
Is that a tune by Blind Blake?
yes, dont know the title though
Can u make a lesson on how to play guitar shuffle by big bill broonzy pls?
great vid ,know i know how t use them!!....cheers
You should give the ProPik a try. They sound really good!
Yeah i did. They are definitely missing in this video
Hi, what is the name of the last picks you used? Any link maybe?
I am sure dunlop makes them. The other have no brand, sorry.
Just received five complete sets of cheapo plastic picks, ordered online, they all seem far too small for my fingers!
can you make a video on how to make butterfly picks
How are they for strumming, im looking into fingerstyle lateley, and also dont want to grow my nails, some songs incorporate strumming with fingerpicking. Also how are they for percussion, as in using your guitat as a drum kit.
there's a decent set on eBay for like, 7 dollars, why don't you just try it for yourself? 😊
Ive a question my Alaska piks block the finger blood flows when i wear on my fingers how can i solve this problem and its also uncomfortable
칸밀빵 that's weird. try a bigger size or remove the plastic strip above the nail, they should loosen up
Transpolesana Blues thanks Ill try it
What is the name of the tune at 8:12 ? Thank you ! Great video ! Thank you for sharing Iaco!
Check out Darren Watson lessons. Its a blues in E he plays a lot.
Old Nationals !!
What about the S. PIMA(S) the small finger.
What is the name of the song you played at the start?
David Murray I believe it's "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" by New Seekers or "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" from the 1971 TV commercial (both are the same tune). It could be something else that sounds similar, but that's what it reminded me of.
David Murray It's a ragtime standard in the style of big bill broonzy
Entertainer by Scott Jopline...it's a piano jazz standard
what siz picks are u using
What is the name of the melody which you're playing? (sorry for my English I'm from Germany)
Look what they've done to my song ~ Melanie
Freight Train
Freight Train. Check out the version by Elizabeth Cotten.
What did you think was the best?
Chris Hastings I think the fred kelly are close to perfection, but they should be improved (they are bulky and they can hurt the top of your finger). I also use the plastic brown ones (no brand) but i realized they work much better if you don't push them up too much, just live them at the "tip of your fingertip".
If anyone's interested in seeing how alaska pik's sound compares to using fingernails, I made a video on my channel with a side-by-side comparison between the two.
Did you remove it ? I was very interested in your video
They're dancing.
Yeah, I just removed the stabilizer :D
Richmond Boswell then dont bring it on your hand just put on the desk
why you only wearing 2 finger picks ?
Bruce Wayne I use the third pick for some tunes only :)
o right :)
frozenspirits
What song u playing i wanna learn
freight train , see tommy emannaul, he has gone shit crazy on that song
What riff is he playing?
Sounds like a Jimmy Rodgers tune but I can’t say for sure.
Is that a blind blake rag I hear?
Yeah my friend
You really have to buy new alaska piks every 1~2 months?
It's like buying new strings! :) only thing is having to reshape! But that's only every month or 2 compared to every other day. 😁 unless you use a pick then I guess it's just adding more to do. 😳
Now if you can just get a decent guitar heee.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life
can i ask a question
You just did.
No
The more crap you put on your nails, the worse things get. The key is to use the same picks whenever you play. That's it!
pls