Thumb picks?
I posted a few months back a question on whether many people have tried or used the smaller jazz picks that Jim uses. I tried that for a while, and that is still my go-to flat pick.
But as I've been on a sort of quest to really blow up all aspects of my playing, I've now been about 4 months into using a thumb pick almost exclusively. Are there many other players on the forum that have tried this? Always done this? Thoughts?
Here are a few observations or things for people to react to:
1. I partially started this because I was trying to learn rolls (backwards and forwards). It was going fine using hybrid picking, and it's obviously worked out for many many greats like Jim and Danny Gatton, etc, but when I tried doing it without a pick, and then later adding a thumb pick, I felt like my consistency of note spacing (i.e. even-ness) and tone really improved, and speed really improved too. I generally feel less rushed.
2. I've also started hearing what I think is a lot more "roll" technique in lots of players. And also in classical guitar playing. When I hear certain things, I now think, "ah, they're probably doing that with a roll" or sometimes "ah, I bet that would be easier to do with a thumb pick and a roll." Even something like single note runs, not just arpeggios. (E.g. the quick descending runs in Chet Atkins' "Cascade")
3. Bringing this to Jim Campilongo: I started hearing more similarities between Jerry Reed's "The Claw", and Jim's "Twister". So I tried out Twister (I'm working from the TrueFire Lesson) with thumb pick, and I found it easier to get the tempo a few more notches closer to where it should be, without a lot more effort. It makes me wonder if that song was "meant" to be played with a thumb pick. I'm mean, obviously it's not really, as Jim wrote it, and plays with a flat pick, but given it's (imagined?) lineage with Jerry Reed, it makes me wonder.
4. I also started thinking this about while listening to Jim's version of Bryant's Bounce, and thought that might also be a good candidate for using a thumb pick (although I don't think Jimmy Bryant used one). Lo and behold I found this:
...which comes across as a lot more reserved than Jim's version for a lot of reasons (e.g. guitar selection) not the least of which is the right hand technique.
So anyway, some thoughts on the thumb pick...
Have a good Memorial Day weekend (if you're in the USA), otherwise, have a good regular weekend.
But as I've been on a sort of quest to really blow up all aspects of my playing, I've now been about 4 months into using a thumb pick almost exclusively. Are there many other players on the forum that have tried this? Always done this? Thoughts?
Here are a few observations or things for people to react to:
1. I partially started this because I was trying to learn rolls (backwards and forwards). It was going fine using hybrid picking, and it's obviously worked out for many many greats like Jim and Danny Gatton, etc, but when I tried doing it without a pick, and then later adding a thumb pick, I felt like my consistency of note spacing (i.e. even-ness) and tone really improved, and speed really improved too. I generally feel less rushed.
2. I've also started hearing what I think is a lot more "roll" technique in lots of players. And also in classical guitar playing. When I hear certain things, I now think, "ah, they're probably doing that with a roll" or sometimes "ah, I bet that would be easier to do with a thumb pick and a roll." Even something like single note runs, not just arpeggios. (E.g. the quick descending runs in Chet Atkins' "Cascade")
3. Bringing this to Jim Campilongo: I started hearing more similarities between Jerry Reed's "The Claw", and Jim's "Twister". So I tried out Twister (I'm working from the TrueFire Lesson) with thumb pick, and I found it easier to get the tempo a few more notches closer to where it should be, without a lot more effort. It makes me wonder if that song was "meant" to be played with a thumb pick. I'm mean, obviously it's not really, as Jim wrote it, and plays with a flat pick, but given it's (imagined?) lineage with Jerry Reed, it makes me wonder.
4. I also started thinking this about while listening to Jim's version of Bryant's Bounce, and thought that might also be a good candidate for using a thumb pick (although I don't think Jimmy Bryant used one). Lo and behold I found this:
...which comes across as a lot more reserved than Jim's version for a lot of reasons (e.g. guitar selection) not the least of which is the right hand technique.
So anyway, some thoughts on the thumb pick...
Have a good Memorial Day weekend (if you're in the USA), otherwise, have a good regular weekend.
Comments
Here's a pretty good example of what I'm trying to describe....
Using just my fingers on electric didn't give a tone I cared for. (Making me jealous of those guys who get a great tone just using fingers.) Plus I'm always breaking nails, my job is fairly physical and keeping them intact is a real challenge.
Although I got into the flat pick I always found them really uncomfortable especially for hybrid picking. My right hand would get really tense and ache but the tone benefits were obvious.
I decided to try a thumbpick and to my surprise I got used to it pretty quickly though it wasn't so great on single note lead lines. I tried loads of different types of thumb picks (and indeed finger picks but they actually reduced my finger dexterity).
Then by luck I discovered the Herco thumb pick which is a combination of flat pick and thumb pick. I got used to it very quickly and my right hand is really relaxed when I play.
Wish I could say the same about my left hand when I try those Johnny Smith chord voicings!
Thumbpick to me has less dynamics. It'sappears to only allows playing at full blast, where as with a flatpick dynamics are easily varied. To me, this can be heard on Bourassa vids, for example: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH0i2iKRfIB3MpJVcNfZ2eA Only electric guitar with light strings, I've opted for Kelly speedpick mostly. It does not "overdrive" the strings as easily.
I think "james Burton" type of pluckety-pluck kind of a chicken picking sound is easier with thumb pick or just finger, than flatpick. Like this guy does:
Also, I think fretted harmonics are easier with thumbpick. Also pot swells are easier, to me.