Notes on Picks
bouzouki, mandolin, tenor banjo, octave mandolin, cittern
A great starting place to learn about picks is the website Guitar Pick Zone. Give it a read and critically review the pick you are using. You might be due for an experiment. http://guitarpickzone.com/
The decision of what pick to use is a highly personal matter. Many elements most go into the decision process: style of music, gauge of strings, type of instrument, and sound characteristics. It comes down to deciding on three things; 1) shape, 2) material, 3) size. Here are some very general thoughts on the matter with a focus on playing Celtic tunes.
The decision of what pick to use is a highly personal matter. Many elements most go into the decision process: style of music, gauge of strings, type of instrument, and sound characteristics. It comes down to deciding on three things; 1) shape, 2) material, 3) size. Here are some very general thoughts on the matter with a focus on playing Celtic tunes.
Memory
Picks are made from various material. All have a quality called “memory”. That’s a measure of how rapidly the pick returns to it’s original shape after plucking a note. Light gauge picks have poor memory. That is they then bend more than heavy gauge picks. A light gauge pick takes longer to return to its original shape than does a heavy gauge pick.
A beginning player will find a light gauge pick to be a friend. But, ultimately a light gauge pick will slow down performance and make good articulation impossible to achieve. That’s because the player is moving on while the pick is still recovering from plucking the last note. When playing acoustic rhythm guitar, many players prefer a light gauge pick. These can produce good tone at moderate volume. However, a light gauge pick is rarely the right tool for picking Celtic session tunes at dance tempo.
At the extreme, some players use picks that do not bend at all. Proper use of this type of pick requires knowledge of the tune and a strong picking hand. Stiff picks have perfect memory because they don’t budge at all.
A light gauge pick will have a thickness of around 0.50mm. A heavy gauge pick will have a thickness of about 1.00mm or more. The type of material used to create the pick will determine how stiff the pick will be for any specific thickness.
Material
Pick materials include: delrin, acetal, various plastics, nylon, wood,shell, bone, horn, metal and even stone. If it can be shaped, it can be turned into a pick!
The most common available picks are made from acetal, nylon, delrin, (aka Tortex or Delrex – trademarks of the Jim Dunlap Company and the D’Adario Company) and ultem. That list arranges the pick material from the easiest to the hardest to bend. That is Delrin has better “memory” than nylon. ULTEM is VERY hard and produces a very bright tone. Many electric guitar, jazz players use picks made from ULTEM.
Shape
The shape of the pick is also very important. The “standard” shape is a rounded triangle. Modern Jazz players often use a very small, stiff tear drop shape. Gypsy Jazz player rely upon a very thick, very large pick with a depression to accommodate the thumb.
The only way to know what pick works best for you is to experiment. Picks aren’t expensive (except for the hand made picks that can run $75 each!). Be ready to change picks as your playing develops.
Personal preferences
I use several types of picks for playing Celtic tunes. Most often I play with a pick made from acetal delrin with gauges no less than 0.50mm and no greater than 0.80 mm. These provide good tone with some flexibility but not so much that I can keep up with a fast tempo. This material creates my pick of choice for tenor banjo and bouzouki.
I also use a Wegman M-100. This 1.00mm thick pick was designed for mandolin use. I find it perfect both octave mandolin and bouzouki. The M-100 provides excellent soft tone and volume, but zero flexibility.
Occasionally I use a nylon pick with a gauge of 0.80mm. When I need a bright sound for a rhythm guitar I frequently use a pick made of ULTEM with a gauge of 0.50mm.
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I am a long time customer of Pick Punch. My go-to shape is the Baby 346. As some one who perpetually loses picks and is grumpy about flexibility and shape, I find Pick Punch provides a great support system. One sheet of plastic can easily produce fifty or more picks and costs about $3.25. That makes the unit cost no more than 6.5 cents. The punch cost is about $25.
Some Sources for Picks
D'Addario Picks
http://www.daddario.com/pwpicks.Page?sid=8411c0c5-ea6b-453c-b75f-4015d1c33231
Jim Dunlop Picks
https://www.jimdunlop.com
Wegman Picks
https://www.wegenpicks.com/
Michael Wegman is a professional model builder. His knowledge about materials is extensive. His attention to detail and craftsmanship are extraordinary. Many Gypsy-Jazz guitar players swear by his picks.
Clayton Picks
http://www.steveclayton.com/
If you have trouble keeping the pick in position, take a look at the Clayton Shark pick. It has sand embedded into the plastic. That provides a sure grip. Great when you are sweating through a festival
Herco Nylon Picks
Some players love the tone of a nylon pick. Herco is a source for those picks
https://www.jimdunlop.com/category/products/guitar+picks/herco.do
https://www.theguitarmagazine.com/features/pick-of-the-bunch-jim-dunlop-herco-nylon-picks/
The large triangular Herco pick model is very popular with mountain dulcimer players.
The famed Irish band U2 uses a Herco nylon pick. They play the pick upside down and use the large end of the triangle, not the pointed end.
https://www.stringsandbeyond.com/herdim-standard.html
http://www.daddario.com/pwpicks.Page?sid=8411c0c5-ea6b-453c-b75f-4015d1c33231
Jim Dunlop Picks
https://www.jimdunlop.com
Wegman Picks
https://www.wegenpicks.com/
Michael Wegman is a professional model builder. His knowledge about materials is extensive. His attention to detail and craftsmanship are extraordinary. Many Gypsy-Jazz guitar players swear by his picks.
Clayton Picks
http://www.steveclayton.com/
If you have trouble keeping the pick in position, take a look at the Clayton Shark pick. It has sand embedded into the plastic. That provides a sure grip. Great when you are sweating through a festival
Herco Nylon Picks
Some players love the tone of a nylon pick. Herco is a source for those picks
https://www.jimdunlop.com/category/products/guitar+picks/herco.do
https://www.theguitarmagazine.com/features/pick-of-the-bunch-jim-dunlop-herco-nylon-picks/
The large triangular Herco pick model is very popular with mountain dulcimer players.
The famed Irish band U2 uses a Herco nylon pick. They play the pick upside down and use the large end of the triangle, not the pointed end.
https://www.stringsandbeyond.com/herdim-standard.html