Official Guide to Buying and Using a Thumbpick (Guitar Lesson)
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 4. 10. 2010
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Jim Deeming, JamPlay.com's fingerstyle master, is here with an amazing free lesson. This time around Jim will guide you through the process of finding the ultimate thumbpick so that you too can melt faces in that fingerstyle way. Learn more from Jim by clicking here : www.jamplay.com/youtube7 .
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Thank you, Jim! I've used National TPs for decades - I found them much too long for comfort. I discovered thru extreme frustration that they could be easily trimmed to a size and shape that felt so much better than the stock version. I also learned to polish the cut edge so the pick slipped more easily.
Excellent and informative video. You answered a lot of questions for me. Thank you.
This is the best explanation of how to choose and use a thumbtack that I have been able to find to date. Well explained, good detail where needed, no waste of time on a "concert" displaying the "playing prowess" of the presenter. Just straightforward, and useful information. Thank you sir.
Good video.Informative, well made, voice to music balance is spot on.The sound effect is cringe worthy. Almost gave me a heart attack lunging for the volume nob to save my monitors.
Thank you for your input and advice. Will look into them. Just starting to try out fingerstyle and thinking a thumbpick would be helpful.
Damn!!! Your whip or hit sounds scared the shit out of me during the intro!!!
lol!!!!
I thought I was the only one. XD
When does it start?
This tutorial helped me greatly. And, although I'm alone, I didn't mind the fly-swatter intro. It made me jump a bit...well, a lot, actually...but kept me on my toes for the rest of the video. Thankfully, it didn't occur again.
Hey Jim, great video! Informative, to the point, and clearly speaking from lots of experience. We're lucky to have you up here :) I agree with the others below, however, about the painful introduction whipping noises.
Really like this video! Thanks, Jim, you're a natural!
So you're advertising a product to me by scaring me half to death?
Thanks, Jim, for the help on this. Appreciate it.
Thanks for the video. Needed one as I have problems holding regular picks because of the accident I had. Cannot hold a regular plectrum on my right hand. So made one myself. Great to see your video as an example.
Hey Jim Thanks for the guide.
Great calming and informative overview. Rockabilly style made me interested.
That smashing sound at the start of the video is very annoying by the way!
I was thinking the same thing!!!!!!!
LOL! It scared the crap out of me!! I thought somebody threw something at my house the first time I heard it!
blindguava Me too!!!!
I agree much to load and very, very annoying. the rest of it is very useful information. thanks
as is 30 seconds of my life I'll never get back....
Nice explanation of thumbpick options.
+1 on the Fred Kelly Slick Picks, I like delrin for warm tone and poly for bright. They are the only thumbpicks that fit perfectly with no discomfort, plus the pick is shorter than most which is good, but I still file it down a bit to make it even shorter. I also score the insides with a knife to add friction and prevent slipping.
FYI The FK Speed Picks are also great for songs with a lot of strumming and they add bounce.
What an excellent discussion!
Thanks, so helpful. Found you by accident now I'm checking all you other videos.
Good! We do several weekly live lessons here on our CZcams channel.
whats with the FLY SWAPER. That noise scared the sh out of me
+StreetArtillery hahahhahahahaaha
hahaha me too
StreetArtillery hehe i pooped too
HOLY MOTHER LORD!
Wearing headphones and I flinched every time!
Thanks for this very informative video.
Very helpful. Thx for sharing.
What I don't understand is why don't any guitarists really like to use these? I always see during performances when they start out with a normal pick and then have to throw the pick down fast to get to play a fingerpicking part of a song. Then when they're done they have to go find that pick again to continue playing a strum style. Is it just not comfortable for them? Are they not meant to be used for strumming? It gives you the convenience of both strum and finger style picking.
Thanks for the info, great video. đ
I built up a huge blister on my thumb learning the acoustic intro to Crazy On You. So yeah, we finna need one of them
Thank you so much for this very cogent overview of thumbpicks. I have encountered the shortcomings of the national. Too thick for backpicking as a plectrum; clunky. I used to use tortex plectrum picks. But, a non-player gave me a gift of some Beatle-logoed picks made of this Delrin you speak of. That's all I use now and I guard the half dozen she gave me like money! LOL. I am certainly going to order the Fred Kelly pick because I want the thinner-but-stiffer back pick capability you find it affords. Thanks for this. You Da Bomb
Thanks for the info!đ
Thank you for your good experience
Great demo!
The whip sound at the start is just painful!!!
I pooped my pants so hard in the intro! Holy sh*t!
:D
Nice tutorial.
Great voice to listen at.
Very good information...Thank you
Excellent video. Thanks so much.
I was enjoying the music in the introduction until someone started swapping flies and because of the sound, I'm having an existential crisis.
rofl
Nice guide, thanks man.
thanh you for the help on this
My ass is literally on fire after that intro. The guy in the video is very nice and communacted what needed perfectly.
thank you!!
very helpful
I've used various thumbpicks over many years. Ernie ball pink thumbpicks have been my favorites, very thin, less stress on the thumb, however, unavailable now. I know how
to reduce the eventual pain, and immobility with some thumbpicks, and occurs as a result of using any thumbpick, especially those too thick and too long.
Thanks, Jim!
I attached a two millimeter rubber material to my thumb pick. It comes in strips and has an adhesive backing. It can be purchased from DIY stores, and is mostly used In the electrical trade. It's been attached to the pick for months and it's never moved or hardly worn.
More importantly it gives a great sound.
Interesting information. I play the baritone ukulele with has nylon strings. I have summarized some of your comments in my notes for Bari-Uke playing. Jim recommends: Fred Kelly Picks a) (light gauge) Slick Pick made out of Delrin and doesn't loosen up and has a wide paddle. Doesn't slip off. Should fit snuggly. Jim also recommends a green Fred Kelly pick called the Speed Pick. The pick portion is narrowed into a tinier tip and is recommended for a nylon string classical guitar. The less the pick is into the string the lighter the approach, or softer the sound. The more "into" the string the more intense it gets. Thumb is more parallel to the strings. Recommendeds Elderly dotcom.
VERY HELPFUL!
Informative on more than one level and not simply a commercial. I was a bit disappointed that the "Saddle Thumb Pick" was not mentioned. (Perhaps the saddle picks were not yet being marketed.) I tried the saddle pick and liked it because: 1) getting a good fit is very quick and very easy and 2) because the transition from bare thumb is less than that required to use the standard style thumb picks. I now use saddle picks for slack key picking and most other finger picking. However, consistent with a comment made in the video, I sometimes choose use a more traditional style thumb pick when doing a song requiring down-up picking or alternating between flat picking and finger picking.
Great video by the way...No right or wrongs, it's just about what works for ya.
Peace Y'all!
Dear Jim. Thank you for producing this video. Quite educational, informative and helpful in my opinion. Going back to playing my D-35 after being in corporate America for decades. Yes, I'll order some today. From " a pick in my pocket" wanna be. JMJ
Fantastic video - I was actually trying to find the name of the pick that Doyle uses, and sure enough you mentioned it. I love the 2 camera angles and I really dig your guitar playing. This video was a lot of help, thanks!
PS- do you ever notice that when someone says "no offense" that they are getting ready to be offensive - lol.
Thank you, Jim! I
I got an old dobro thumb pick that was my fathers and that does the trick for me.
THANK YOU!! :D I've player about 8 years of classical guitar now but my wrist is getting all screwed up because of the angle you told about! Thanks for this video, you saved me! ;)
Cheers to 16 years :D
Excellent video, thank you. What type of Martin guitar is that you're using?
I'm watching the informative video as I comment now and am praying there are no more whip sounds at the end.
LOL!!
I bought Dunlop's hated them. Just received some Fred Kelly slick picks and love them!
I've been using some double sided permanent clear scotch tape and putting a strip on the inside top and bottom so it grips your thumb pretty well without the pick being overly tight. I, also, file the picks I get to make them more flexible at the tip because so many are just too stiff.
JUST GOT THE SLICK PICK LIGHTS FOR THE THUMB WAYYYYY BETTER THEN DUNLOP, WHAT A DIFFERENCE, i THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDIO !!! THE SHAPE IS BETTER! IT FEES BETTER YOU REALLY NEED THE RIGHT THUMB PICKS !!!
Thanks for a great explanation.I do like Fred Kelly picks and order them from Elderly Music.I didn't realize the thin were the same thickness around the thumb.Next order,I'll try thin.
thin.
Thanks for the info will save me a lot of trial and even more error
thumb picks are like which car should i buy every one has different feels you got a try a heap of them till you feel the one that's right for you. then that's your pick... nice video hated the breaking glass bit jangled my nerves
Lol oh man that intro was scary AF
evzn djyecnv. vc
Thank you.
Nice guide, thanks! I just wonder what 'official' means in this context.
Ref keeping the pick on, Waylon Jennings always licked his index finger and thumb, with a thumb pick try sucking your thumb prior to use, another thing I have done with a flat pick is use antiperspirant on the thumb and index finger
IM going to try the large light gauge, i use a large Dunlop and it fits well ,but its too heavy THANK YOU!
I used to use JD calicos but have since gone to Fred Kelly's Slick Pick Heavy POLY! Plus the plectrum area is shorter - for me it's better because it's closer to the string and also makes for easier snapping.
I've always used a flat-pick but recently an old injury that has come back to haunt me (smashed right elbow) is blocking the ulnar nerve which feeds the back of the hand . This has weakened my grip on the plectrum which I keep dropping.. My pinky gets numb too. This has forced me to use a thumb pick. Hell! If Johnny Winter could use a thumb pick so can I.
Hi Jim, thanks for video. What guitar are you playing? Thanks
Also, National used to make great thumb picks, but they really messed up the shank on them 7 or 8 years ago. Sticks out like an elephant tusk now. The best replacement I've found thus far is made by Golden Gate. Pushing it back further will also have the effect of shortening the shank, so that's another good reason to get it back good and far. Lastly, I'll disagree with Jim on alternate speed picking. The stiffer the pick is, the faster you can go. It helps to loosen the strings at least a half step. You want the strings to have some _give_ rather than the pick. I would challenge Al Dimeola to a picking race any day of the week just using my thumb pick. 64th notes? No problem.
After some decades of playing without a thumb pick I had no problem in finding a new angle for my thumb. I'm still struggling with finding a correct angle for the other fingers in my right hand when using a thumb pick!
great upload :)
Thank you ,
Alaska finger picks! Try a thumb pick with an Alaska finger pick on your index finger, or use more than 1 Alaska pick if you use those fingers. Alaska picks are not for your thumb, although apparently some people use them that way. They slip under your fingernail, and are short, so if you already use your natural fingernails, you'll love the Alaska pick immediately.
Best thing I have done for my playing in a long time. It rocks on banjo, guitar, nylon string, and some folks even play mandolin that way, although I flat pick mandolin myself.
Good vid, as the thumb pick is definitely a mandatory item to have and master in order to really play Travis picking, claw hammer, and many other finger styles.
The Alaska FINGER picks really work well for me also - love the DOWN stroke capability. I 90% adapted in about 2 or 3 hours of real playing compared to fingernails (that always break, etc..)
@jamplay do you think I could use this as a regular pick? Problem is that I play with gloves because of nickel allergy and regular picks tend to slide quite a lot.
0:32 Stone Cold steve austin enters !
what is the name of the song you were playing? I love the video by the way
Superb video, answered all my questions. Isnt youtube great! Seriously, thanks for going to the trouble of making this video you delivered very well. Ex forces right? Cheers :)
How does the thumb pick work for more aggressive styles of music? Like metal for instance? I'm having carpal tunnel or tendonitis when i hold my pick and its stopping me from playing the guitar. I can't even get through a whole song without stopping. I found that thumbpicks are an alternative to this, but i haven't seen any videos of people playing harder styles of music with them.
Do picks have different lengths? Length of tip from side of thumb to point?
I've subscribed! JmJ
Sir is it okay to practice thumbpicking in 1 11/16â nut width acoustic guitar
Thumbs picks seem to come in small, medium and large but you cannot find a chart anywhere that tells you what size to buy. Do you know?
I've always had my thumb parrallel to the strings. When I try to use a thumb pick it feels that I need to have my thumb too far from the strings - really unko...yuk!!!
is this a good pick for strumming acoustic guitars? or is it more for finger picking? unfortunately i havent found any videos of someone using those picks while strumming
Jim here looks like he has a really big knuckle on his thumb, so I can see why he doesn't push the pick back any further; however, for most people, the best way to wear a thumb pick is to push it nearly all the way past the thumbnail. The farther back you place it, the more it starts to feel like a part of you. If you put it way out on the tip of your thumb, you'll never get the hang of it.
I didn't know thee were such things as Officials Guides to buying a guitar pick. If I do my own video, would that make it an Unofficial Video?
CountryHouseGent why b a smart ass?
A stupid smart ass at that!
If you don't understand what the word "official" means, google it, rather than being a dick.
i bought one yesterday :D
What gauge was the bear claw? But seriously, this is a good video, thanks. Donât hesitate to file and shape picks as desired, itâs just plastic. My favorite is the orange Slick Pick, which I cut down and file down so itâs just a little triangle extending about 1/4â past my thumb. Iâm most often playing nylon strings with no pick at all, but this particular mod works when itâs appropriate without much adjustment to my playing. I can get enough âthumb feelâ to not suck :) also, a heat gun can soften most plastics and allow you to fit the pick to your fingers. As a disclaimer, the pick can be hot, duh.
wich dunlop pick is that at 9:46 ?(the smaller brown)
i agree, that smashing sound my be one of the worst sounds i have ever heard
Yeah, loose the whip sound.
Jerry Reed used picks similar to the speed pick
Can you strum with the Slick Pick?
The closest music shop near me is about an hour away and I don't think they even have thumb picks. I don't think my parents wouldn't want to drive me all he way there only to realize they didn't have what I want. I am thinking of buying one off line, do you think its a bad idea? I have small fingers by the way.
good
What model guitar are you playing? Thank you.
where can i buy the bear claw pick ?
cheers
Hey, i just recently bought a thumbpick some place in london, and notice how you insert your thumb in the thumbpick and it goes out to the side. Well mines metal and it goes forward. Somebody help me
Same
Half the comments,â the sound in the beginning is gay and Iâm also gayâ
No, you're not gay; you're homosexual.
summary: finger/thumbpicks are hard to find (use internet - elderly.com); National and Dunlop picks may loosen up while playing, so look for Fred Kelly brand; Should fit "snug"; Jim also carries a bear claw in his pocket; Increase string volume by plucking deeper (towards soundhole); Thumbpick helps bring wrist closer to guitar, allowing easier palm muting.