Pick Angle?

[Leo Chang]

Hi Guys,

I noticed that nearly all the virtuosos I can find clips of on YouTube play with their picks either neutral (flat against the strings), or slanted forward.

The only famous player I know of who plays with the pick slanted backward is Marty Friedman, and his wrist is bent at a very weird angle.

I personally naturally gravitates toward holding the pick slanted backward, and my wrist angle is sort of like Marty's, but not that extreme. My wrist + forearm overall still looks pretty normal if you are not looking closely. And I hold the pick with 3 fingers to keep it at that angle.

So my question / concern is:

With so many virtuoso level players picking that way, will persisting with my current way of picking be an obstacle to my reaching a similar level of playing?

After a long period of just fooling around and not really practicing diligently, I have recently re-committed to an intensive schedule of practicing. I have been recording everything I practice and the BPM I can play them at ... etc. So I know I have already improved quite a bit in the last 3 weeks, but my concern has also grown. Namely, with my style of picking... will I hit a technical "ceiling" eventually that can be surpassed only with the slant forward style of picking?


Thanks,


- Leo.

[Spivonious]

I think you answered your own question. Marty plays plenty fast.

[john.w.lawson]

Marty also plays with his fingernail.

[leftybob]

Re: Backward slant

Seems like you might be thinking a little to deep on it. I'm sure your style is fine.
Good luck, and remember feel is just as important.

[AlexL]

This is an excellent question; I have wondered the same thing.

I too tend to angle the pick backwards, and am no speed demon by any stretch of the imagination.

- E.

[Musician78]

Sometimes I find my wrist angle like Friedman's... too bad I can't play like him...

[Dred]

I had the same dilemma many a moon ago.

I basically went through every single picking style I could imagine, and figured out that sticking with that style for a while, I could get used to it as easily as I could with a different one. It's all a matter of pushing yourself.

Would you slow down? Don't think so, especially not if you manage all the picking nuances in your right hand well.

The reason why I started picking with the pick angled forwards and on the side of my index finger, is that you can control the sound quite easier, and that the ease to pick faster as you go along.

Try this vid, i found it way helpful: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpJNUGHxC3M

[thebeggar]

Cool vid
I had wondered about pick angle and that vid definitely made things clearer, I guess in whether I was holding it right or not. Not that there's any right or wrong way but more in terms of your picking and pick angle being sloppy.

[leftybob]

Re Angle

Holding it foreward just feels like relearning to me. But then again I'm a lefty, so I'm inherently backward ... lol

[Leo Chang]

Thanks to all the replies, now I have a much better idea on how to proceed with my own picking

And that's great link! Thanks for that. Clarified a lot of things for me.



- Leo.

[DocNrock]

Great video...that was very helpful.

[Soap]

Pick the angle that's right for you.