Thumb picking

[SugarMountain]

how many of you guys use the nail of your thumb to play the bass notes when finger-picking?
i use my nails with my fingers but just the soft of my thumb and it bothers me that my bass notes arnt as defined

ive tried thumb picks but i find them awkward

i know it sounds silly but how do you use your thumb nail
surely its at the wrong angle??

 

[West R Lee]

Same here Sugie. never had a real desire to use a thumbpick I guess, doesn't bother me though.

West

 

[JerryR]

Hi Sugarmountain

Depends on the song - some I just use nails - thumb and finger - where I need to be very precise in the strings I pick. Louder tunes where I use a mix of fingerpick and strum, or just thumb and strum, I use a thumbpick. The thumb is angled downwards when using a nail, but horizontal to the strings more or less using a thumb pick as that sticks out at 90 degrees. When nails break (not a rare occurrence) I use Alaskapiks - on whatever digit has the broken nail - there was a thread on these a while back - I find they copy the natural shape of the nail better than other picks.

 

[drowlins]

I use my left forefinger amd middle finger for bass runs, and my thumb for melody, ala Libba Cotten.
I never let my "wrong handedness" get in the way of my playing, proof that if there is a will, there's a way.

 

[SugarMountain]

maybe i just need to grow my thumb nail a bit longer, im thinking of maybe using heavier strings too since im always in Open G or D or some variation it wouldnt be too much strain on the neck and i may get a nicer bass response

 

[Metalman]

how many of you guys use the nail of your thumb to play the bass notes when finger-picking?
i use my nails with my fingers but just the soft of my thumb and it bothers me that my bass notes arnt as defined

ive tried thumb picks but i find them awkward

i know it sounds silly but how do you use your thumb nail
surely its at the wrong angle??

Sugarmountain,

I use my thumb, but the nail never makes contact with the strings. It is the flesh of the thumb that makes the sound, and it doesn't work very well.
The only way to make it happen is the way the classical players do it. They arch their hands over the strings, with all fingers pointing downward. A very awkward way to do it if you're not used to it, but that's how it's done.

 

[GardMan]

I use bare nails... thumb and fingers... for most fingerpicking. Thumbnail doesn't have to be super long, because it's not the end, but the outside edge you are using to pluck the note. I found thumb picks awkward... always catching stings and flipping off or breaking the string. Only time I used one (and haven't recently) was in a thumb picking/strumming mode that I think is most similar to "frailing"on a banjo.

I have contemplated getting some aLaska picks for those periods of broken nails... but have never gotten as far as ordering them.

 

[Jeff]

I had much the same problems with thumbpicks; uncomfortable, flipping off, getting hung up on the strings, etc.

These Fred Kelly speed picks solved most of the issues, they are the most comfortable I have found, the split built in makes a substantial difference in how well they stay put & they are flexible enough they don't get hung up on the strings.

Makes a big difference in getting the bass to cook.

Worth the .75 they cost to give them a try.

http://elderly.com/accessories/items/PK24-M.htm

 

[dreadnut]

Yeah, I use those too, Jeff. From Earl Scruggs' book, a trick to keep thumbpicks from flying off during the middle of a song, use a sharp blade like an x-acto to score the inside of the pick with cross-hatch marks, where it meets the fleshy part of your thumb, it will help keep the pick in place.

Seems to be a common complaint that thumbpicks feel awkward. I agree, so do fingerpicks, at first. But once you get the feel of them, you get some great volume and consistency.

Your one wood feels awkward, too, but you'll never learn to hit it if you leave it in your bag!

 

[kitniyatran]

"Your one wood feels awkward, too, but you'll never learn to hit it if you leave it in your bag!



Are we back to sheep, again? " :?:

 

[West R Lee]

I've "flipped off" a many a thumbpick myself Jeff, but they stay on my thumb ok I guess :wink: .

West

 

[SugarMountain]

my biggest problem with them is that it sets your thumb further away from the strings so its a different position to how i normally play, last night i cut down one of my national thumb picks short so its just a tiny stub and it actually kinda works

 

[portsider]

I use my thumb, but the nail never makes contact with the strings. It is the flesh of the thumb that makes the sound, and it doesn't work very well.
The only way to make it happen is the way the classical players do it. They arch their hands over the strings, with all fingers pointing downward. A very awkward way to do it if you're not used to it, but that's how it's done.

I have an in-between hand position that gives me enough angle to use my thumb nail. I also have my nails fairly long (except my middle which insists on splitting all the time) with my thumb being filed so the left edge is more prominent.
From there I just adjust my picking hand angle to get the sound I want at any given time.

 

[Metalman]

Whatever gets you through the night . . .
As long as it is musical, that's what counts!

 

[JerryR]

my biggest problem with them is that it sets your thumb further away from the strings so its a different position to how i normally play, last night i cut down one of my national thumb picks short so its just a tiny stub and it actually kinda works

My thumb picks start off long, but eventually wear down to a nub anyway!

 

[capnjuan]

Hi Sugarman: I'm with Jeff and Dred; I use either speed picks on the thumb or a more conventional pointy, thicker one. The point on the speed picks can be chipped down w/ fingernail clippers and the larger ones can be filed down to get your thumb closer to the strings if that's more comfortable. Speed picks are also softer and more flexible than conventional picks; louder than thumbskin, not as loud as a conventional thumb pick.

With a thumb pick and Alaskas, I can get a nice folkie-dokie / bluegrass dum-ditty-dum-ditty-dum by picking w/ thumb and brushing the strings with fingers up and down. Can do this faster than with flat pick and without 'pick anxiety'. Not suggesting this is strong technique; I started with a thumb pick and Nationals and haven't worked hard enough at alternatives but I do like the speed picks.

For the sake of an example (hope this is okay w/ you Steel) - this is the link from Steelpickin's siggie; http://www.Youtube.com/23L He's using a looks-to-be conventional thumb pick, hardly losing any speed, and not too loud. So much depends on the song, arrangement, and what you're trying to accomplish.

 

[zplay]

Re: Steelpickin's playing: yeah, I'd agree that the thumbpick doesn't slow him one bit. - Nice playing!

I find that a thumbpick speeds things up for me and aids strumming, though gets in the way of slapping of bass strings, if you do that sort of thing. I agree with other posters who've recommended Kelly thumbpicks and/or else reshaping of the blades. I personally like the Kelly Speed Picks or Bumble Bees the most because they are closest to flatpicks in terms of their stability during up and down strokes.

 

[Dr Izza Plumber]

I get a few soft thumb picks in there, but I tend to shoot the middle finger into the bass strings more frequently.

 

[kitniyatran]

I get a few soft thumb picks in there, but I tend to shoot the middle finger into the bass strings more frequently.

If I tried thumb & fingerpicking in public much, I'd probably get shot a few extra middle fingers, myself. :lol:

I use flatpicks, 1.21 mm & up,usually. Without fingers. When I do dabble in fingerpicking, I use bare skin & nail; never liked the kinds of picks you wear. :x