Pick Attack- How Do You Address It?

[TSJMajesty]

I've been paying careful attention to my pick attack lately, wrt my technique as well as tone.

For technique, I'm working on playing as legato as I can, iow, making each note flow right into the next one, with no gaps at all. We may think it's obvious, but for example, when I have to do a quick outside picking string change, that goes right back to the starting string (like b-e-b) within a riff, I have to work a little extra to keep that clean. It's in my wrist motion, but it affects how that attack sounds.

So I kinda know what's going on there, to make the attacks as clean as possible, but I also want a tight attack when it comes to tone.

I can hear harmonics, which are fine, as long as they aren't overpowering, but I also don't want any "mud." Mostly a concern on the wrapped strings.

So I was wondering what types of things you like to focus on, tone-wise (or technique), to get a really sharp, quick, focused pick attack.

Any specific tone tweaks, or deep-dive tricks in a modeler for example, or pedal settings you like to use, that you find are helpful?

 

[FuzzyAce]

I don't overthink it too much. But I do like stiff picks, 2mm normally. They give me the quicker and brighter attack I like. My soloing style is legato more or less, hybrid sometimes, alternate picking to varying degrees with short runs. I guess throw in economy picking too. I just do whatever feels right at the moment, lol.

 

[TSJMajesty]

I throw in legato when I feel like I'm falling behind in alt-picked stuff!

 

[FuzzyAce]

I throw in legato when I feel like I'm falling behind in alt-picked stuff!

I don't see it as falling behind though. I genuinely prefer the sound of legato playing than just straight up alternate picking. It takes a special player to make fast alternate picking interesting to me, guys like Lane or Morse, Herring, Gilbert and even JP although I haven't put in as much listening time with him. Early on I just instinctively played a certain way and refined and learned in the best way I knew how. Fast alternate picking wasn't a motivating factor for me I guess.

 

[laxu]

I also don't think too much of it. I find that for me Dunlop picks with a reasonably sharp point in 1.14-1.5 mm thickness are good. Nowadays I use the Dunlop Flow 1.35 mm which are right between that range. Too thin and I find they can be flappy and kinda "plasticky" sounding, too thick and they are not that comfortable for me to play.

Otherwise I try to be conscious about where I pick. Especially on multiscale guitars where the bridge is a bit further away on the lowest strings, so it's easy to accidentally end up picking too far towards the neck pickup when you should be a bit more towards the bridge for a tighter attack.

 

[GTR37]

Muting if you want to have that tight stacatto attack
You need to mute IMO
And a good muting technique is not as simple as it seems
If it fast alternate picking you want it to be mostly in the wrist , try not engaging your forearm as much just use the wrist and relax as much as possible , it’s not easy but releasing all the tension in the arm will actually make you faster in the long run

 

[DrewJD82]

Just the tip!

I consider my right hand equally or more important than my left. It’s the gas pedal, brakes, clutch and shifter, engine and I consider the left hand the steering wheel and tires.

I‘m constantly applying different pressures on it and manipulate it from different points; my elbow is like one of those Alien tongues where a smaller alien head comes out and then a smaller one after that; when I’m just bangin’ away I use my elbow as the main force behind the pick, as more control is needed it moves to the wrist and then the fingers for anything really intricate.

But even between my thumb/finger, I loosen up on it and tighten up on it depending on what I’m doing. Overall it’s generally pretty loose and I rely on the text printed on the picks for grip. That’s actually why I haven’t switched away from those JP picks, because other picks sound better to me, just not enough to loose the physical benefit.

The biggest identifiable factor to me, the thing I personally believes is in line with “tone is in the hands” is how I push through the strings rather than allowing the pick to glide over them. It’s like the string ‘pops’ out the other side of the string and that gives the notes more definition/attack than when I loosen the grip on it and just let the pick glide off a string. This especially comes into play with speed/trem picking. Particularly with certain types of distortion that can otherwise be a bit muddy/soft feeling (lookin’ at you, Dual Recs and sometimes Marks).

 

[la szum]

Al DiMeola has entered the chat.

 

[Eagle]

Find a thick pointed pick that doesn't make too much of a clack.
These work well;

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

Not sure exactly what you're describing, but "pick slanting" (upward/downward) is a concept that is very valuable and not ubiquitous, and might be what you're looking for.

The instructional vid is Ben Eller, but Troy Grady is the king of picking secrets:

Ben Eller



Troy Grady: