How to play an acoustic guitar pick. Do you know how to play with a pick? What is a pick

Many novice guitarists are faced with the question - what to play, with your fingers or with a pick? A reasonable question, but not entirely correct. Basically, it all depends on the choice of instrument, for example, the classical Spanish guitar is played with fingers, or rather nails. Of course, you can play with a pick, but as a result, it is almost impossible to get the proper sound from the instrument.

Features of the choice of technology

The situation is slightly better with acoustic and electric guitars. High-speed technical solos are much more convenient to play with a pick, therefore picking technique has set the main paths for the technical development of these instruments. Unlike the classical guitar, which has a wider neck and a larger distance between the strings, playing with a pick has made it possible to reduce the distance between them and make the neck thinner.

What do I want?

Before choosing something specific, you need to ask yourself the question: what do I want? Even if in the future you intend to master all the basic styles of the game (which is quite possible and even desirable), you need to start somewhere. If you like classical music, Latin American or Spanish passion, melodic waltzes and romances, soft and pleasant sound, then you should definitely start with classical guitar.

Do you want a ringing sound, do you like early British bands or country music? Looking for an instrument to accompany your voice? Acoustics are perfect!

If you like most modern genres, fast solos, fat riffs, or Hendrix, Gilbert, Vai, Satriani, and a huge variety of different performers. If you like classic rock-n-roll or blues saturated with hard working days - the electric guitar is your choice!

When choosing a guitar, you should consider the necessary accessories. For classical guitar, this is a footrest, this is due to the playing technique, we will talk about it later.

For an electric guitar you need an amplifier or an audio interface (in other words, an amplifier), you can read about how to choose them in and in the article about. You can also purchase additional effects pedals, belt and other joys.

An acoustic guitar does not require additional accessories, except for a strap, which is also optional.

Sound extraction principle: processing the sound body

Techniques for playing with fingers and picks are fundamentally different in terms of playing, but they are similar in terms of the physical understanding of the process of sound production - minimizing friction and limiting the amplitude of string vibration.

If excessive friction occurs while playing, the playing process will slow down at best, as it can lead to “dirty” sound and even errors during performance. A large vibration amplitude of the string causes the string to hit the frets, which negatively affects the sound and the duration of the sound (sustain).

How to play with a pick: there are special features!

Before talking about how to play with a pick, you need to understand why you need it and, of course, master the technique of using it.

The pick, aka plectrum (if you hear the name "plectritar", do not rush to wave your hands and poke your fingers, this is just an alternative name for an electric guitar, albeit not popular) is used to facilitate the interaction of the musician and the instrument and to increase the playing speed. If, for example, you can play with a fight without a pick, which is also not very convenient, then only brilliant guitarists can play high-speed passages with their fingers, for example, not very famous, but very talented guitarist Dmitry Mamontov (whose work I was introduced to by his friend and part-time my first guitar teacher).

Pick technique

If we talk about technique, then many beginning musicians, unfortunately, do not pay due attention to this. Agree, when you see an instrument, and especially a guitar, you just want to pick it up and start playing, it would seem, what is difficult? Put two fingers here or there and hit the strings for your pleasure! It's actually not that simple.
When playing with a pick, you should immediately learn how to properly hold it in your hands. How to do it? There are tons of video tutorials on this topic, for example, this one.

To all this, I would like to add that the most important thing is that you feel comfortable holding it in your hand. Of course, there are some restrictions on this, but in the end, you shouldn't experience any inconvenience anyway.

Immediately, I will note the fact that at first your hands will get tired very quickly, literally in a matter of minutes. This is quite natural, every musician has gone through this. Here it is rather a psychological "clamp", to get rid of which will help only to practice the instrument. In fact, even on an acoustic guitar, if it is tuned correctly, clamping the strings and even more striking them does not require much effort. Please note that if any pain occurs anywhere in your arm, the exercise should be stopped immediately, otherwise sprains and other injuries may occur. Remember: everything is good in moderation.

Fighting is the easiest

Striking means hitting the strings up or down, with or without muffling some of the strings, depending on the chord, or muffling the strings with your right hand (if you are playing right-handed guitar), and, accordingly, a cyclically repeated combination of several strikes.

This, in my opinion, is the simplest game technique that can be mastered in just a matter of minutes. Take a pick in your hands and slide it over the strings from top to bottom or bottom to top so that it only touches them slightly. Gradually accelerate this movement until you get a quick glide of the pick along the strings without any hesitation. Congratulations, you've mastered the fight.

Important: Remember that rhythm is just as important when fighting. Rhythm is the main component of music, without which its existence is impossible. You can practice with metronomes, which you can even find on the Internet, or play the song along with the original included in parallel.

Development of the picking technique - learn all your life!

The next stage of playing with a pick is playing on individual strings. Here the playing technique becomes more complicated, now you need to pay attention to the position of the right hand, the angle of the pick on the string and the correct movement of the hand and arm in general. To get started, I suggest that you familiarize yourself with the following video tutorial, which covers almost all the nuances of sound extraction with a pick.

Basic exercises for developing technique are also given here.

The main nuances are as follows - the hand should be relaxed, the movements should be performed only with the hand (which some guitarists try to argue, but it is thankless to argue with physiology), the pick should not hit the string with the flat part in order to reduce friction.

Here I want to mention all kinds of exercise machines, massagers and other accessories that many novice guitarists, for some reason, want to buy. There are, of course, benefits from them, but, in any case, the best guitar simulator is the guitar itself. Therefore, before spending the nth amount on the purchase of a simulator, think that it is better to spend time mindlessly pinching / squeezing / twisting Chinese plastic or rubber, or holding it behind the instrument.
To further develop the technique, I recommend the following schools of play:

John Petrucci's School of Play:

Frank Gambale School of Play:

Also, you can find good and fairly simple video tutorials of popular songs on the following channels:
httpv: //www.youtube.com/watch? v \u003d channel / UCJgRMHrtQpnhKHdsGiFQRyQ
httpv: //www.youtube.com/watch? v \u003d channel / UCpypU2XLYmOsf36xgcgrW3w

Busting Technique: Classic

Strumming (with your fingers) is most commonly seen in classical guitarists, folk and country performers. Finger playing is also quite common among modern rock artists, for example, Kirk Hammett plays the intro of The Unforgiven by Metallica with his fingers.

This style of playing has its advantages and disadvantages, some of which I mentioned earlier, for example, the impossibility of developing a huge speed of note extraction for playing high-speed passages, with very rare exceptions. The advantages include such features as the ability to play on selective strings (for example, you can simultaneously hook 1, 3, 5 and 6 strings, which in the picking technique can only be done alternately, albeit very quickly) and playing without intermediaries, which, undoubtedly increases your “feel” of the instrument.
As with the picking technique, you first need to "set" the technique of playing.

Before I start explaining the technical aspects of hand positioning, let me remind you of the devices for playing: it is highly desirable to purchase a special footrest, it costs about 500 rubles in almost any music store. It must be strong and always metal. There is no point in overpaying for the brand, it is enough just to tactilely check it for backlash and stability.

Why is it needed? First of all, this is a feature of the game of this instrument and it was created exclusively for the convenience of landing. Correct seating is achieved in the following way - sit on the edge of the chair, but firm enough, do not fall apart on it. And position the guitar as shown in the following picture:

Important: do not lean your weight on the guitar or place your right hand weight on it. The rule is the same as with the pick: the main thing is that you feel comfortable.
The setting of the right hand is very clearly shown in the following videos:

Nails or claws?

Why are nails needed, which I mentioned at the very beginning? It is the fingernail that allows the guitar to sound loud, long and without clanging. You should immediately get a nail file, this is a very important attribute of a classical guitarist. The nails should have slightly rounded corners and a straight plane at the end of the nail (roughly in the shape of a bracket ”)” as shown in the picture).

In the old guitar school, the nail technique said that the plane of the nail should be parallel to the plane of the string and the guitarist should hook the string - pull it upwards. Now the advantage of the new school is obvious, which says that the nail should fall on the string at an angle at about 30 degrees and slightly muffle it with the pulp of your finger. In this way, the most pleasant sounding is achieved. See the video below the second link for more details.

If you do not want to grow your nails, then you can get the so-called "claws" - special devices that are worn on the fingers and perform the function of nails, but I would still recommend growing your own, since playing with your nails has a positive effect on the sound.

For general development, I advise you to purchase or download on the Internet the book “A Self-Tutorial for Playing the Guitar” by A.M. Ivanov-Kramskoy. It describes in great detail the technique of playing, the basic techniques and, which is extremely important, provides the most magnificent works for independent study.

Other playing techniques

In addition to the main ones, there are also alternative playing techniques. The most common of them
is a technique that any self-respecting bass player should know, namely slap. It is also used on electric and even classical guitars, but much less often. Its essence lies in the fact that the strike on the string occurs from top to bottom towards the guitar deck, forcing the string to hit the frets and make a very characteristic strumming sound. It is also common to play with a slide - a glass or metal tube worn on a finger
left hand of the guitarist.

The essence of the technique is that the strings do not touch the frets, and their function is performed by the same
the pipe that the guitarist drives over them. Note that a well-developed ear is required to use this technique.

There are other alternative playing techniques that you can find on the Internet.

Article in theses

At the end of this article, I will summarize all of the above and give general guidelines for playing the guitar:

• If you experience any pain in any muscle, stop immediately to avoid injury
• The best way to develop your technique is to practice the instrument directly
• Play along with the metronome and tune your guitar every time you practice, develop a sense of rhythm and hearing
• Look for information wherever possible, remember the golden words: hard in training - easy in battle.
• If you have the opportunity, take a few lessons from the teacher and ask him all the accumulated questions

14 2

It is very important!

The guitar pick is one of the elementsthat matters most to your and your instrument's sound. You should pay special attention to how to hold the pick correctly.

You can come across so many ways to hold a pick, but you cannot say with absolute certainty that each particular way of holding a pick is the most correct.

However, the vast majority of professional guitarists use the following picking method:

The main elements of such a pick grip:

• The mediator is clamped only with the thumb and forefinger
• The pick lies on the side of the index finger
• The thumb touches the pick at a (more or less) right angle

(the rest of the fingers can either be freely unclenched - straightened or bent, see how it is more convenient for you)

The bending angle of the index finger is individual for everyone, the main thing is that the tips of the fingers do not protrude beyond the tip of the pick.

Still, I recommend a two-finger pick grip, in which the rest of the fingers are unclenched, in my opinion, with this method, free fingers will not interfere with playing and touch the strings, giving the pick more room to maneuver.

Types of guitars and their differences

In support of my choice, I propose to pay attention to how to hold the pick of many (and almost all) famous guitarists playing electric guitar and not only.

How to choose a pick

I was very surprised when I tested various picks that the sound produced on the same guitar had completely different sounds. It never even occurred to me before that it was so important.

In addition to sound, the pick affects the playing comfort, accuracy, control over sounds and articulation, as well as technical freedom and many other aspects.

Therefore, it is very important to take a little time to make the right pick for beginners.

• spitz shape: sharp or rounded
• thickness (expressed in millimeters, for example 0.7 mm or 1.5 mm)
• to size
• material

The choice of a mediator is an individual matter, but there are several universal rules.

First of all, you need to decide what you want to play.

Pick thickness

• Extra Light thin (less than 0.45mm);
• Light thin (0.46 - 0.7 mm);
• Medium medium (0.71 - 0.85 mm);
• Heavy thick (0.86 - 1.20 mm);
• Extra Heavy very thick (≥ 1.21 mm),.

Acoustic guitar picks should be medium thickness, but here everything is also individual. I will add that, in my opinion, a pick for an acoustic guitar is no different from a pick for an electric guitar.

MI note for tuning guitar listen in HD

And here bass pick thicker, but on bass and strings are much thicker.

As for the pick for nylon strings, it seems to me that there is no such thing, choose a pick based on sound and convenience.

DIY mediator at home

What to use instead of a pick and what can be replaced

How to make a pick yourself? A homemade pick can be made with your own hands at home from scrap materials, cut from plastic card for example, I once cut them out of records), cheap and cheerful.

Instead of a pick, any plastic of suitable thickness will do. Of course it will be an unprofessional mediator, but as the saying goes, "fish without fish and cancer". I remember even playing with a coin, although of course it is very harmful for the strings.

Now you can buy a set of guitar picks on Aliexpress or a special punch for picks for very modest money.
.

How to replace a guitar pick?

Yes, all that can be taken with two fingers).

What can you make a pick from? Mediator material

• something plastic will do, plastic is our everything, but it sounds "like a digital amplifier after a lamp"
• you can also make a pick from wood, good tone, attack, no overtones
• the leather pick is cut from the belt, it gives a good low sound
• metal pick, gives a sound, but also has a right to exist
• a pick from a turtle shell, you can't forbid living beautifully)
• a pick made of bone, a bit too much in the middle and tops, the main thing is that the pick is not made of bone)

Download the pick drawing

Download 3d model of a pick with dimensions 1 to 1 in DWG format - for SolidWorks and in a format for printing on a 3d printer and make a pick yourself. I recommend buying a set of nylon picks of different thicknesses and trying them all, paying attention to playability, sound and control over the sound, so you can determine which picks are best for yourself.

I do not recommend using picks thinner than 1mm for playing solo... Why? Because they are too flexible, a soft pick is not conducive to accurate note picking when playing solo.

How often to change picks

It should be borne in mind that a guitarist's pick is not bought “for years”. Depending on the intensity of the game, the pick will have to be replaced with a new one, some are enough for half a year, and some are barely enough for a few days.

When you see that the edge of the pick is noticeably worn off, it means that it's time to go to the music store.

This is important, because as the pick gets worn out, the pick starts to affect the sound far from the best, and wear and tear significantly affects the technique and accuracy of the game.

Outcome

Decide how you will hold the pick (it will be difficult to retrain), and choose your first pick of the thickness you need and comfortable - all this is really important, especially at the initial stage of training.

Psychology today "rules" in almost everything. Without it, now, well, there is simply no way ... Two important principles lie at the basis of any learning, including pick technique On guitar:

1. Gradual practice.
2. Lively interest in the game.

And it is important to understand that it is by starting small and moving forward gradually that it is much easier and faster to achieve good results.
As for the second point, I would advise play at the top of the tunes that you like instead.
the melody you like is not difficult to find on the Internet.

Your task:

Hone your picking technique by playing the one-voice line.

From theory to commonplace practice:

The pick can be held in different ways when playing. Personally, I do it like this:
I pinch in a natural way mediator fingers of the right hand. Tenaciously, confidently, but without obvious tension. The position of the hand is no different from the position of the hand in normal finger play.

Initial exercises:

Play with a pick - simple movements: "beat" lightly on the string from top to bottom, then from bottom to top ... and repeat all the time (these are the movements that allow you to play notes very quickly), extracting the sound from the first string. Then from the second, etc ...

At the same time, for better stability of the hand, you can rest its little finger on the guitar deck. Sometimes it is more convenient for this to rest a little with the inside of the hand (the base of the thumb) on the bass strings. (So \u200b\u200bstill usually learn to jam with ...). This will be especially useful when playing fast passages on strings 1 and 2.

It is clear that extracting mediator bass strings, you can't put the brush down.

Then play on the third string. And of course, gradually increase the speed of the game.

remember, that mediator technique on the classical guitar is inferior to the finger in almost everything. Since in the first case, neither fast arpeggio, nor tremolo, nor rasgeado can be played. However, in the volume of the game mediator significantly surpasses fingers, as well as in the speed of playing gamma-shaped passages.

Have a nice day and great mood! I am glad to welcome you again on the pages of my blog, dear friends! Another portion of useful content today will flow into your bright minds and illuminate with new knowledge. The technique of playing with a pick and its features - this is what will be discussed today in this small but useful article.

Mediator technique Is how you extract sounds from your guitar using a pick. Moreover, it will not be an exaggeration to say that every guitarist has his own peculiarities of playing with a pick. These features are expressed differently for everyone. For example, there are many varieties of pick grip. It is important here at what angle the guitarist holds the pick, or how his brush works while playing.

But you can definitely determine how to hold. It is clear that it is taken with two fingers - thumb and forefinger. However, it is worth making sure that the tip of the pick does not protrude more than a quarter from under the fingers, otherwise it will not stick tightly in the fingers. Also, the force of pressing the pick with your thumb should not be too strong, otherwise you risk simply breaking it.

There is simply no universal way to play. However, there are two picking techniques that are especially interesting from the point of view of the game itself. And we can definitely say that they are easy to learn. This is a simple guitar beat (or playing with rhythm patterns), as well as a technique called a variable stroke.

Starting with the technique of guitar striking, it is worth noting its main difference, namely, that the hand during the game must move freely over the strings, and not be pressed against the string stand. The second name of the method follows from this - the hand must move rhythmically and quickly enough. In this case, the brush itself should be located, as it were, parallel to the stand, and not. The shoulder during the game should not perform any action, only the forearm and elbow joint work. This way you can play individual.

Full melodies or solos are played in the second way. In the case of the alternating stroke method, your brush already becomes slightly pressed against the string stand and receives less will. The hand should move in accordance with which string you are playing. Movements should not be sweeping, as if you are playing towards the guitar. It is also important that the "strike" on the string is symmetrical in both directions, that is, the inclination of the pick is the same both when moving the hand up and down.

In general, it should be said that learning the mediator technique is a rather monotonous process. Beginners try their hand at studying scales and all kinds of exercises described in the books. However, over time, they all become boring and boring. Here you should take into account the following fact - it will be much more interesting to practice your technique if you take those melodies that you know and love as a material for training. Plus, you can add something new just by looking at the playing of already experienced guitarists. It will also be quite entertaining if you try to adopt the style of your favorite artist.

And do not be mistaken that from the very beginning you will get it perfectly. It is necessary to approach the work on the technique, as they say, scrupulously, but at the same time with some gradualness. This means that starting small and gradually moving forward, success will come to you faster.

In conclusion, I would like to add that only constant practice will bear fruit. Do not be lazy to train for at least a couple of hours a day and in a month you will already see good results. So do it and everything will be ok. Until next time!

Today, a pick or plectrum (this is its second name), despite all its shortcomings and features, is an integral companion of any seriously trained guitarist striving to conquer musical heights. As in any creative activity that is related to the guitar, in order to learn how to use this device correctly and beautifully, practical courses are needed. Of course, you won't be able to learn this technique in a couple of days, you need to devote two to three weeks to training.

What is a pick

This is a thin plate, usually round or oval, made of plastic, metal, bones and wood. She hooks the strings when playing the mandolin, domra and other similar instruments. Sometimes it is made in the form of an open ring and put on a finger and is called a plectrum. Its serious disadvantage is that the finger technique has been, is and will be the most convenient for acoustic instruments. In this case, in order to get the maximum bright sound, you will have to learn a completely different type of pick - finger pick.

How to play a guitar pick - basic aspects

The electric guitar, in turn, does not accept fingers and prefers only a pick. For example, it is convenient to play a solo thin, a rhythm medium or thick. There are guitarists who think about how hard they need a guitar assistant, the answer is very simple - better to buy a couple of different hardness, since their price is not expensive and everyone can afford these devices.

Very often beginners come across great difficulties when playing with a pick. As for the fast and good technique, there is no need to talk about it. Its thickness starts from 0.4 to 4 mm, the timbre of the sound emitted depends on this. They are usually used when playing solos and riffs because you need to show the clarity of the guitar sound. Thin transmitters are better suited for playing games.

Next comes the next question on how to pick on an acoustic guitar. It's pretty simple, if you prefer to play such an instrument, then feel free to use a thin plectrum when playing chords and a thick one when performing solo parts. The sound and clarity will not change from the look of the pick, but it is worth understanding that playing with a small assistant will be very convenient.

How to hold the plate correctly

You need to pinch your assistant with your thumb and forefinger. You do not need to squeeze your fingers with force, the hand should not be too tense, but it is also not recommended to completely weaken the hand, but it is necessary to do so so that the pick does not fall out of your hands. This means that he should not grab the strings where we do not need, but at the same moment he should not be completely invisible. Of course, the easiest way is to hold the pick in the way that is most comfortable for you, without adhering to absolutely any rules. If this becomes much more convenient and the sound comes out as a result good, without any difficulties and distortions, then you are doing everything right.

Placing your right hand - how to learn to play with a pick

The ideal option would be when the hand has no fulcrum, but it will be quite difficult to play. It is necessary to put your hand on the tailpiece, and it is not recommended to rest your little finger on the deck, otherwise speed will be lost. The most advantageous point is slightly below the bent elbow.

Regarding this question, you cannot force anyone to use a specific form of the right hand. And the musician himself should not depend on the opinion of other advisers. Since the most important and important thing is that it is convenient for you. This means that you can take the palm rest, or you can play without this device.

To play a beautifully chosen composition, you must know how to learn how to play your guitar pick correctly so that you don't get confused in the future. For the most part, when performing complex melodies, it is best to have your hand resting on an object. So it will be convenient and easy for you, and you can accurately and beautifully play the melody. And if you want to play lighter melodies, you can hold your hand freely. It's easy and simple to use the pick if you follow the correct and useful instructions. But it is important to remember that it is better for a musician to master two techniques of setting his hand and does not need to limit himself to playing in any one of all existing positions.

What is articulation and its application

When playing with a pick, this method is practically the most necessary and necessary. When playing with a plectrum, you need to go to ensure that even and clear sounds come out on impact. To do this, you can take a variable stroke. This is when the blows by the mediator must be performed both up and down. Start playing any melody, you can try to play it, for example, by hitting down. If you hear that the sound produced is uneven, not accentuated and, to put it simply, not very beautiful, then the most realistic way is to perform the melody from a strike upward. If you find it more comfortable to start playing with the plate by hitting it down, then perhaps this is the best solution for the problem for you.

Guitar strings of the soul

To understand how to play your guitar with a pick correctly, start with a slow tempo and then pay close attention to the rhythm. Any percussive sound is bright and clear. You need to pay attention to the connection of the plate with the strings, the connection of common strings, you need to carry out the end of the pick. At first, it is worth learning to hit the strings only in one direction - down, it is allowed to add strikes up. When you can confidently hold the rhythm and reduce the amplification of articulations to the maximum, then boldly continue the direction further.

Improving the technique of the game

1. The reception and understanding of how to play the guitar with a pick can help us in this, this is such a principle as "variable stroke", a quick alternation of beats up and down.
2. Practice every day, you need to play on one string. If it does, then it is useful to increase the pace.
3. You need to start playing the usual scales, "jumping" from string to string. Play any chord / riff and try to play it.

Thanks to such simple techniques, you will learn how to skillfully manipulate the element. In addition, there are some powerful and effective tips to better understand how to play a pick.

1. Variable stroke on common strings. The point is to play each string from sixth to first. We play with a variable stroke, that is, we grab the sixth from top to bottom, the fifth from bottom to top, and the fourth from top to bottom again.
2. Variable dash on two strings simultaneously. We use a couple of strings and put in a variable stroke. First, the sixth and fifth - lost a couple of times. Then the sixth and fourth, we play two or three times. Then the sixth and third, and so on until the first.

If you prefer to play an acoustic guitar with a pick, then you should undoubtedly know that the sound from this technique will come out brighter and more beautiful. Try to play more often, devoting at least a few hours a day to the game, and then your skills will improve and you will become an excellent musician.