|
Post by Alan on Sept 9, 2005 10:37:57 GMT
Has any ever seen finger picks that come up and over the nail, so you can do quick down-strokes with your fingers ?
|
|
|
Post by Michael Messer on Sept 9, 2005 11:48:13 GMT
Hi Alan,
I don't understand your question. Do you mean like Propicks? I use regular heavy gauge Dunlop white finger & thumbpicks and have always played with both up & down strokes. The down strokes with the fingerpicks get used more for rhythm playing than melody lines, but down strokes are very important. It is not easy to explain in writing, but I strum downwards with my hand angled, not at 90 degrees to the strings. I strum with both the thumbpick & the fingerpicks. This technique is used a lot by modern country Dobro players...such as Rob Ickes, Sally Van Meter & Jerry Douglas. I have always played this way, because in the early days I was so into guys like Casey Bill Weldon with that chopping rhythm, that I had to find a way of doing it.
Shine On, Michael.
|
|
|
Post by Alan on Sept 9, 2005 12:26:08 GMT
I tend to sometimes flick down all fingers (front of the nail), obviously doing this would pull of the picks. Just wondered if there was anything double sided/curved over the top. Maybe angling the hand is the way forwards, but certainly feels like a way to get RSI in a hurry. Dont want to turn this into another ' is black plastic better than white' discussion, I was just interested in doing those percussive down-strokes with the current design of pick and what people thought.
|
|
|
Post by Michael Messer on Sept 9, 2005 13:06:12 GMT
That is what I thought you meant, and strumming/picking downwards on an angle with the fingerpicks is a good way to get there. For a long time I used to occasionally "throw a shoe" when doing this, but after doing it for twenty five years I eventually got the hang of it!
Now then....onto the more important discussion about whether white plastic is better than black plastic ................only joking!!!!
Shine On, Michael.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2005 15:01:13 GMT
Are you after 'Alaska' picks? - they fit under your nail & effectively give you a metal nail. You need a bit of a nail for the metal to go under (no good if you bite 'em) .They're about a fiver each and can be bought from Frets in Fazakerly (?spelling of that suburb) - which is the only place I've found that sells them. They don't pop off which ever way you strum, but a bit of tape can make that unlikely! I've tried both plastic & metal - and the metal ones are best by a mile, as they can be moulded to your finger.
|
|
|
Post by Michael Messer on Sept 9, 2005 18:42:31 GMT
The great thing about all this is that everyone has there own opinions of what is the right tool to use. I used metal National fingerpicks and plastic Dobro thumbpicks for many years, but I changed to plastic fingerpicks because although they are harder to get on with, for me the tone is better. I have used them now for 17 years, so I probably won't go back to metal ones.
Be careful about taping metal fingerpicks on to your fingers. Back when I was first gigging with metal fingerpicks taped on, I caught the pick in the string and instead of 'throwing a shoe', the fingerpick ripped through my finger.......YEEEEEOOUCH!
Shine On, Michael.
|
|
|
Post by marshcat on Sept 12, 2005 11:35:59 GMT
There is a way of avoiding the projectile plastic pick problem and the ensuing lawsuits from audience members unexpectedly joining the "Blind So-and-so" fraternity: Apart from soaking 'em in boiling water and moulding them to your finger shape with long-nose pliers before they cool down, you can also attach a small square of Velcro (the 'hook' type rather than the fuzzy type) to the inside of the pick. They stay on a treat and the pain wears off after a while... You can also get a clean picked note by filing the points of the picks to a nice sharp point. Oh, and by the way, on the crucial question of colour, you just can't beat politically correct transparent picks... 'cept if they do fly off, you can never find 'em again.
|
|
|
Post by Richard on Sept 12, 2005 15:43:00 GMT
Oh, I think the colour is very important... blue picks might be an idea.
I remember my wife discussing cars with and equally enthusiastic female motorist and the conversation really did go like something like this
"I've just bought a new car, it's a green one................ "
"Oooh, mine's green too......."
Enough said and I'll stick to metal picks!
|
|