Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

Speed pickers - do you angle the attack of your pick against the string, or do you stroke it at a 90 degree angle to the string? What is your fave pick style?

Do you anchor your hand to the body of the guitar, or let it float free?

If you anchor your hand to the axe, do you do it with your pinky or with the heel of your hand?

Strat players - how do you keep from hitting the volume knobs & p/u switch when you play?

philbymon wrote:Speed pickers - do you angle the attack of your pick against the string, or do you stroke it at a 90 degree angle to the string?

90 degrees.

philbymon wrote:What is your fave pick style?

The patented Johnny Ramone Monkey Paw style, HARD.

philbymon wrote:Do you anchor your hand to the body of the guitar, or let it float free?

Anchored, unless using the JRMP.

philbymon wrote:If you anchor your hand to the axe, do you do it with your pinky or with the heel of your hand?

Heel

philbymon wrote:Strat players - how do you keep from hitting the volume knobs & p/u switch when you play?

Remove them.

Uh...I play with my fingers. Even on guitar (half the time). I use heavy gauge strings and an ultra thin pick. There's no speed picking involved.


I'm no help.

joseph6 wrote:Uh...I play with my fingers. Even on guitar (half the time). I use heavy gauge strings and an ultra thin pick. There's no speed picking involved.


I'm no help.

Oh, I also use heavy gauge strings, ground roundwounds exclusively, GHS Brite Flats when available, 1.00mm picks (usually recycled copper and nylon mix), recycled guitar straps (Couch Straps uses seat belts, linings, etc. from cars and planes).

philbymon wrote:Speed pickers - do you angle the attack of your pick against the string, or do you stroke it at a 90 degree angle to the string? What is your fave pick style?

Do you anchor your hand to the body of the guitar, or let it float free?

If you anchor your hand to the axe, do you do it with your pinky or with the heel of your hand?

Strat players - how do you keep from hitting the volume knobs & p/u switch when you play?

Damn good one Philly.
I pick straight flat level.
I like a good rockabiliy style(Brian Setzer,Eddie Cochran)open string on some and note picking intertwined and up the neck not past 15th frett and back again.
I float if I'm playing the Strat,I float and rest on the acoustic,also depends
if I'm setting or standing.
If I anchor and I'm setting,My pinky is,if I'm picking is pointed down and resting on the strike plate.
I don't anchor my hand to the axe.
The axe for me has to have a comfortable balance on my lap or it has to hang right,this way my movement with my hands and arm to move easier
up or down(plus at my age a little arthritis sets in.)
To keep from hitting the knobs I don't have too much of a problem,but I'm real bad at hitting the p/u If you figure that out please share it with me.
Damn good post here Philly.

Glad to see you're "green", Mike. Also, a plane seat belt is a very novel and unique guitar strap...very different.

Phil, I believe you've said before that you use a pick for bass playing, as well...correct?

Yessir I do. i've found that altering the depth it sticks out of my fingers will keep me from hitting the p/u. I try not to "dig in," when I'm picking.

The fastest pickers I've ever seen all seem to attack the string at almost a 45 degree angle, while using hard, sharply pointed picks, & many of them anchor their hand to the axe with their pinkies. I've been told it gives them a point of reference, somewhere to begin, as they choose which string to strike in their licks. The only time they aren't anchored, is when they are strumming.

I, of course, cannot do any of this stuff...I'm no lead player.

no pick, just fingers on 13's.

philbymon wrote:Speed pickers - do you angle the attack of your pick against the string, or do you stroke it at a 90 degree angle to the string? What is your fave pick style?

Do you anchor your hand to the body of the guitar, or let it float free?

If you anchor your hand to the axe, do you do it with your pinky or with the heel of your hand?

Strat players - how do you keep from hitting the volume knobs & p/u switch when you play?

All of the above depending on the tone and attack I am going for. I don't really bring the metal shred but when really ripping rock or blues the pick is flat and wrist is floating. I often use the heel or pinky for muting. If you want some good technique ideas watch this guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEzIcm6BeBQ

I hate that guy! He's just too good!

I love his control. Man! Just imagine the hours of practice (that i'm not willing to put in) to be able to do that sorta thing!

philbymon wrote:I hate that guy! He's just too good!

I love his control. Man! Just imagine the hours of practice (that i'm not willing to put in) to be able to do that sorta thing!

Yep Satch is pure technique. I read his story and if I remember right he basically locked himself in a closet with his guitar for two years. When he emerged he had serious chops and began teaching guitar in New York and later Berkeley. Many of his students have gone on to become amazing players themselves including Steve Vai. I don't love all his music but I appreciate the extraordinary commitment to technique on his instrument.

Satch can sit in with my band anytime. I'll even roll his amp in for him.

TheJohnny7Band wrote:

philbymon wrote:I hate that guy! He's just too good!

I love his control. Man! Just imagine the hours of practice (that i'm not willing to put in) to be able to do that sorta thing!

Yep Satch is pure technique. I read his story and if I remember right he basically locked himself in a closet with his guitar for two years. When he emerged he had serious chops and began teaching guitar in New York and later Berkeley. Many of his students have gone on to become amazing players themselves including Steve Vai. I don't love all his music but I appreciate the extraordinary commitment to technique on his instrument.

Satch can sit in with my band anytime. I'll even roll his amp in for him.

Satch is on my short list of virtuoso guitarists I like.

philbymon wrote:Speed pickers - do you angle the attack of your pick against the string, or do you stroke it at a 90 degree angle to the string? What is your fave pick style?

Do you anchor your hand to the body of the guitar, or let it float free?

If you anchor your hand to the axe, do you do it with your pinky or with the heel of your hand?

Strat players - how do you keep from hitting the volume knobs & p/u switch when you play?

I generally use my finger nails as a pick even on faster licks. But when I play fast with a pick:

Angle is about 15-25 degrees to the string. When using a fixed bridge guitar, I rest the heel of my hand slightly behind the bridge partially resting on the guitar body. On a Strat about the same resting on the body & bridge. On a strat with a vibrato bar I can get a slight vibrato when I want it by varying the palm pressure on the bridge.
I occasionally use my pinky to pick in some songs, so that doesn't work as a position guide for me. I also use my fingering hand to pick some notes occasionally when my pickin hand gets too busy. Does that count?

I never get wild when I play so I don't have a problem with the volume controls or pickup switch. But when I am playing rhythm chops the switch can get hit if I'm not really paying attention. I can't say I particularly care for the Strat style of switch at all.
As you can see if you have seen my vids, I don't generally use two tone controls. I locate the volume and tone in the bottom of my pick guards about where the two tones are located. In the video where you see 3 controls, the top is a varitone (6 position switch) , so it doesn't move if I bump in in a moment of passion.

When I do use a pick, I use a very thin nylon pick as they give about the same tone as playing with my finger nails.


Good useful topic.

Obviously not a speed player.
I pick by feel for a variable attack depending on the musics mood at the time.

Not much issues with knobs / switches.

Though just this week I advised Ray to unscrew the plastic tip of his three way. That shortened it enough to decrease inadvertent pick up changes.

Removing the tip, eh?

That's one I never heard of before, sans! i'm glad it's working!