Playing Technique

[jauernis]

Just wanted to do a quick survey of how you players hold the pick and do you attack the strings straight up and down or a slice at it sideways (if that makes sense)

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Index finger and thumb form the letter D, not totally straight up but slicing the string in an angle just a bit.

 

[Fox Mulder]

I keep it parallel to the strings while doing rhythm. Slanted for solos. I would love to hear more opinions as I'm not completely sure if I'm doing the right thing. I saw a rare dimebag tutorial where he holds the pick slanted while doing heavy rhythm though

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

I keep it parallel to the strings while doing rhythm. Slanted for solos. I would love to hear more opinions as I'm not completely sure if I'm doing the right thing. I saw a rare dimebag tutorial where he holds the pick slanted while doing heavy rhythm though

Here's a Devin Townsend video where he explains his technique a bit:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwHAxjmIv6o&feature=channel[/ame]

 

[muckypup1]

I normally keep it straight when i'm recording slower stuff, but when i'm playing death metal i almost always have the pick slanted slightly, it gives it more attack, at least to my ears

 

[Paulie!]

depends on the part parallell with most slower stuff, angled for most leads/sweeping/squeals, faster alternate picking stuff (ie: 200+) almost if not completely perpendicular (sp?)

-P

 

[Plankis]

Paul Gilbert is the master when it comes to picking. Notice the floating pickinghand and the slight angle forward and the very clean playing of course.
I tend to play parallel or in a slight angle. I've tried everything else, but everything other than parallel starts feeling uncomfortable after a while.

 

[ahjteam]

I noticed that I do the slightly slanted, but apparently I'm doing it wrong as usually it ends up sounding pretty scratchy.

 

[professorlamp]

index finger and thumb, parallelto the strings for all leads and rhythm but a floating wrist for strumming

 

[TravisW]

I do primarily slightly slanted, and occasionally perfectly parallel. That's why I prefer my picks to be as sharp as possible--I hate the sound of running 1/8 inch of plastic through a string.

 

[FIXXXER]

slanted, away from the bridge, so i'm doing it completely wrong i guess

 

[abigor731]

slanted for alternate picking/general riffing
parrallel for sweeps, clean chords

i think for chuggahs it sounds better to have it slanted

edit: it also depends a lot on the pick if you'r using a jazz III or something you can have it more angled

 

[ratsapprentice]

Playing from BELOW motherfuckers!!!!!!

 

[Jind]

Index finger and thumb (I really have very little pick surface exposed), three other fingers straight out with a slight curling in, not tucked under, with side of pinky finger silencing strings I'm not picking - I attack the strings with a slight angle at almost all times.

 

[John_C]

what paul gilbert said but perhaps without quiiite so much pick noise

 

[madbutcher]

I pick completely the wrong way. I use my index and middle finger when picking. Most of the grip and pressure comes from pinching my thumb and index on the pick and my middle kind of stabilizes the pick. Except when chugging along muted chords. Always slicing at at somewhat of an angle. Holding it the proper way has always felt so uncomfortable to me. Probably why I can't play very well!

 

[MarcusGHedwig]

I modeled my picking technique after this guy's:



Anchored pinky, pick between flat part of the thumb and side of index (rather than the tips of one or both), works for him, works for me

 

[grywolf627]

I pick pretty much like your avatar (Lynch). Go figure, huh? But I didn't do it to copy him, it just came natural that way. Then one day I say pictures of Lynch playing and saw we picked the same way.

 

[MarcusGHedwig]

God, Paul Gilbert is one of the fastest and cleanest players I've ever heard, but that scratchiness is AGONIZING, and probably is a large part of why I've never really liked his tone. And I love how his philosophy on picking with distortion is precisely the opposite of the generally accepted one on this forum (referring to when he says to pick lightly under distortion, rather than picking harder and just dropping the gain to compensate as most of us, myself included, try to do; I guess it's a rhythm vs. lead mentality difference)

EDIT: And god bless the guy - "With alternate I can get bigger motions, and although bigger may not be as efficient, it's BIGGER, and bigger sounds more rock, and louder, and better, and I like rock and louder"; not only do I agree, but I also love any justification I can get to avoid learning how to economy pick Every time I've tried, it's felt completely counter-intuitive and just taken way too much conscious thought

 

[Notuern]

I hold the pick between my thumb and index finger + middle finger, i've found that this allows me to have slightly more control over the muting by tilting my middle finger.. the only problem is that i have a horrid callosity and a slightly loose cuticle on my middle finger.