zombywoof Posted March 30, 2014 Posted March 30, 2014 I have been wanting to get the hang of using a thumbpick for as long as I can recall. But to me it is like trying to drive with platform shoes on or something. I always come away feeling that I need to be able to feel the strings with my fingers. But I do love the Blind Blake -like snap you get with the pick. Anyway, the last time I put in a string order with Elderly I went ahead and had them send me a couple of those Fred Kelley Bumblebee picks (mediums). Of all the thumbpicks I have tried these have been the best so far. But it is now like my thumb is bionic or something. I am a pretty aggressive player but my bass seems to be overpowering everything else. So what the heck am I doing wrong.
retrorod Posted March 30, 2014 Posted March 30, 2014 HaHa.....I checked out the ad....I think I will hold off on buying any until the Patent gets issued.. I feel your pain! I don,t know how anyone could get along with that contraption..... http://www.elderly.com/accessories/items/PKBBT-H.htm Rod
RichG Posted March 30, 2014 Posted March 30, 2014 I use metal finger picks with a plastic thumb pick. Or, no picks at all. I can't use a thumb pick without having the metal picks on other fingers. I know a lot of players do it. I can't Rich
retrorod Posted March 30, 2014 Posted March 30, 2014 I think that Rich has a good idea. The metal fingerpicks should help you 'balance out' your 'thumb-heavy' attack.... no?
j45nick Posted March 30, 2014 Posted March 30, 2014 I use metal finger picks with a plastic thumb pick. Or, no picks at all. I can't use a thumb pick without having the metal picks on other fingers. I know a lot of players do it. I can't Rich I'm pretty much in the same boat on that one, down to the metal/plastic combination. After using picks for years, I'm trying to develop a similar amount of snap just with fingers and nails, but it's not quite the same. The hard part with finger and thumb picks is getting something that will stay in place without making your fingers go numb after a few minutes.
ponty Posted March 30, 2014 Posted March 30, 2014 The thumb pick has to fit well. The Fred Kelly Speed picks is the best I have ever used. It fits well, thinner material, and small blade. Some thumb picks will feel enormous in comparison.
Stefano Sunburst Posted March 30, 2014 Posted March 30, 2014 I recently bought a pair of the Shark Tooth Crossover thumb picks with the Velcro strap. They certainly stay put and don't slide off. They're picking up some well known endorsers,' like Steve Trovato. For now I still use the Fred Kelly orange Slick Picks.: I like the rounded point and pretty firm grip.. Tried the Bumble Bees, but didn't get on with 'em I may just stick with flatpick and fingers, hybrid style. The thumb picks do give a little extra volume when palm muting the bass strings. Still confused, but enjoy experimenting. www.sharktoothpicks.com. Swang on,
ParlourMan Posted March 30, 2014 Posted March 30, 2014 Persistence is key, saying you can't because it's not natural after 5 minutes of trying is an excuse for losers. Imagine everybody who's been told they'd never walk again just accepted it.... Get that thumbpick on, don't take it off till you can do it. Be a man about it.
zombywoof Posted March 30, 2014 Author Posted March 30, 2014 I have some old National metal thumbpicks that I got as case candy with a lap steel (along with a cool bakelite bullet slide) which I have played around with. With plastic thumbpicks I tend to shorted the tip. Thing is I am much better with the thumbpicks on the lap steel. The Kelley picks though do not feel as clumsy as others I have tried. Have any of you guys tried the Saddle thumbpicks? They sound interesting.
onewilyfool Posted March 30, 2014 Posted March 30, 2014 Yeah…don't be shy about "sculpting" the thumb pick end to suit your style…..I chop one down pretty far and angle it to suit my playing style……I've also used a large "Alaska" finger pick..sort of like a fingernail extension on my thumb with pretty good results….If I was a pro player, I'd just get acrylic nails...
L5Larry Posted March 30, 2014 Posted March 30, 2014 Be a man about it. I never could get on with thumbpicks. I first tried when I was first learning, and kept dropping the flat pick in the soundhole. I got real good at shaking it out though. Tried again 30+ years later when I got interested in Chet/Travis style and classical, still couldn't get on with it. Both these attempts were with a traditional "National" style thumbpick (probably the same one). Bare fingers for me.
Boyd Posted March 30, 2014 Posted March 30, 2014 The thumb pick has to fit well. The Fred Kelly Speed picks is the best I have ever used. I have been using these myself for the past 6 months and they're terrific. One reason I like them is that your thumb won't overpower everything else. That Delrin plastic is pretty amazing. I can pound on them for a couple months with very little sign of wear.
EuroAussie Posted March 30, 2014 Posted March 30, 2014 Im still a novice picker, tried the thumbpick but just feels totally alien to me. I understand the benefit but on the other hand at this point in time I really like the feel of the thumb on the strings. I think Im still a couple years away to give them a real chance..
ParlourMan Posted March 30, 2014 Posted March 30, 2014 Im still a novice picker, tried the thumbpick but just feels totally alien to me. I understand the benefit but on the other hand at this point in time I really like the feel of the thumb on the strings. I think Im still a couple years away to give them a real chance.. No reason not to do both. It is a freak out and a PITA for a bit, but it's worth the effort. No time like the present.
blindboygrunt Posted March 30, 2014 Posted March 30, 2014 Why not just use finger? If thats what feels natural , be yourself !
fortyearspickn Posted March 30, 2014 Posted March 30, 2014 The problem, err.... CHALLENGE, is that if you use a thumb pick - you really need to also use finger picks. I've tried plastic on the thumb and metal on the fingers to try to achieve balance. But, I came to the realization that if I learned how to pluck differently based on that combination of different material, I'd be locked into the feel of that combination and not be able to change picks, or use bare fingers. Additionally, I play around with the 5 string and the fifth string on that is COMPLETELY different than the EADs, on a guitar. Impossible for a weekend picker to switch style and touch between guitars and banjo - so I just kept everything natural. That made it easier - because I could actually FEEL the strings. With a finger pick - I couldn't feel the string.
zombywoof Posted March 30, 2014 Author Posted March 30, 2014 Why not just use finger? If thats what feels natural , be yourself ! Because I have never gotten over my fascination with different sounds. I am constantly goofing around trying to see what I can pull out of a guitar. And if I am looking or something a bit different, buying thumbpicks are a heck of a lot cheaper route than buying guitars. But in the end I will probably just end up going back to playing au natural.
fortyearspickn Posted March 30, 2014 Posted March 30, 2014 Persistence is key, saying you can't because it's not natural after 5 minutes of trying is an excuse for losers. Imagine everybody who's been told they'd never walk again just accepted it.... Get that thumbpick on, don't take it off till you can do it. Be a man about it. Toe Pick.... So, PM. based on this - I understand stories I've read where some people learn to play the banjo with their feet, when they have lost the use of both their hands. So, for those of us having two hands and two feet - are you promoting the idea that we should be able to play the banjo and accompany ourselves on guitar? Would a harmonica be a bridge too far? How could we add a penny whistle to the band?
Boyd Posted March 30, 2014 Posted March 30, 2014 Why not just use finger? If thats what feels natural , be yourself ! I like the idea of finding your own style, and that's pretty much what I've done ever since I started playing. But recently I've been trying to learn Lightnin' Hopkins style, and if you want to play like him, you HAVE to use a thumbpick.
Working Mans Blue Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 The thumb pick has to fit well. The Fred Kelly Speed picks is the best I have ever used. It fits well, thinner material, and small blade. Some thumb picks will feel enormous in comparison. These have been my favorite. They almost feel like they're not there. But I still use just my fingers for anything that's not the old style alternating thumb bass line, I find you just need a thumb pick for the best sound in that style I don't think you need to use fingerpicks with thumb picks. I don't. But you do have to learn to control the attack of your thumb to not be so overpowering. That's another good thing about the speed pick, they're built for speed not volume, they're not as loud as others
BluesKing777 Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 I think the bumbles are a bit thick to start, probably why the bass is too loud. Aren't they designed to be lick an ordinary pick with an extra attachment? I have a tin full of all the ones I have tried over the while, but I have mentioned it before...none better than Dunlop mediums which you usually can buy at a shop in the middle of the desert, which go nicely with a brass fingerpick or two. BluesKing777.
ParlourMan Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 Toe Pick.... So, PM. based on this - I understand stories I've read where some people learn to play the banjo with their feet, when they have lost the use of both their hands. So, for those of us having two hands and two feet - are you promoting the idea that we should be able to play the banjo and accompany ourselves on guitar? Would a harmonica be a bridge too far? How could we add a penny whistle to the band? No, not at all, my little motivational piece above was more aimed at saying "I can't do it" is a rubbish excuse when there's people who have defied all manner of truly valid reasons for "I can't do it" or "you'll never be able to do that again" etc... if you want to play with thumbpicks, get one on, dont take it off until you can do it. Don't give up till you have reached your goal, don't take no for an answer. Successful people are not people who have never failed, simply those who have never given up no matter how many times they have failed, stumbled, fell etc... get the thumbpick on, you'll be better by the end of the day than you were at the start, Rome wasn't built in a day, I'm assuming there's no world tour imminent so there's no need to panic, piece by piece put the skillset together through repetition, practice, error assessment & correction and achievable targeting. Job done! If you've been told you can't walk again.... try... plenty people have been told that and walked, I'm not saying ot doesn't take guts, it does, it also takes a bit of teeth baring pain too but if others can do it, you can at least give it your best shot!
fortyearspickn Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 No, not at all, my little motivational piece above was more aimed at saying "I can't do it" is a rubbish excuse when there's people who have defied all manner of truly valid reasons for "I can't do it" or "you'll never be able to do that again" etc... if you want to play with thumbpicks, get one on, dont take it off until you can do it. Don't give up till you have reached your goal, don't take no for an answer. Successful people are not people who have never failed, simply those who have never given up no matter how many times they have failed, stumbled, fell etc... get the thumbpick on, you'll be better by the end of the day than you were at the start, Rome wasn't built in a day, I'm assuming there's no world tour imminent so there's no need to panic, piece by piece put the skillset together through repetition, practice, error assessment & correction and achievable targeting. Job done! If you've been told you can't walk again.... try... plenty people have been told that and walked, I'm not saying ot doesn't take guts, it does, it also takes a bit of teeth baring pain too but if others can do it, you can at least give it your best shot! Well, PM, if you insist on being serious, I will add a log to the fire, cliches be damned, "The only reason for not achieving a goal or being in the process - is giving up or dying." Jim
ParlourMan Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 Well, PM, if you insist on being serious Take that back... I've never been so insulted on an internet forum..... how dare you.......
Mojorule Posted April 1, 2014 Posted April 1, 2014 I'll give another 'thumbs-up' for the Fred Kelly orange speed pick. I've always played with bare thumb and fingers and found standard Dunlop thumbpicks too cumbersome to bother with. I was given an FK orange in the summer and with very little perseverance I found it very usable. I do find that the resulting sound is bass heavy, but I'm not sure that anybody sitting in front of the guitar does. It's horses for courses - the thumbpick is great for John Fullbright-style picking, and utterly useless for any classical-style patterns. I still default to bare hands, but it's nice to have a thumbpick in the armoury.
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