FEATURE > HOW TO PICK YOUR PICK
how your style develops. “I like to play solos, so I prefer a heavy pick for digging in,” says Ernie Ball’s Brooks, “and that’s the only pick I use. So I’m aware that that’s had a big impact on my rhythm style, which might be quite different if I’d used a medi- um pick all these years.”
Although players of all types are encour-
aged to be adventurous with every con-
sideration we’re discussing here, there are
still some pretty reliable rules of thumb
to follow if you’re new to guitar and are
overwhelmed by the possibilities. For
acoustic players, here’s what we recom-
mend: Acoustic chord strummers will
generally want to use a thin pick, prob-
ably one made of cellulose, Delrin, or faux
tortoiseshell. Acoustic flatpickers engaging
in more intricate playing and single-note
lines will probably prefer something a bit
more rigid, perhaps a medium or a heavy.
And they, too, will want to seek out some
of the excellent tortoiseshell replacements,
such as Red Bear’s Original and Tortis,
good old-fashioned
Fender Medium
or D’Andrea Classic
Celluloid will also work.
And if thumbpicks are your
calling, most manufacturers
have something that’ll suit your needs.
There’s no accounting for taste, of course,
and the only way to really find your true
voice on the instrument is to keep practicing and keep experimenting. Ultimately,
only your own ears can tell you when
you’ve found the pick that best assists you
in realizing the sound inside your head.
And chances are, your idea of what constitutes the ideal pick will evolve over time,
or at least broaden to include different
considerations for different applications.
So try as many as you can and keep
your ears—and your mind—open. With
that approach, you’re sure to always pick
a winner.
To Each
Their Own
To see what the pros
use, check out our photo
gallery of artist picks at
premierguitar.com.
The Achievement of a Family Tradition Dating Back to 1640.
AMERICA’S OLDEST INCORPORATED
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MUSIC STRING MANUFACTURER
WHERE TRADITION MEETS INNOVATION
CONTINUOUSLY FAMILY OWNED
AND OPERATED SINCE 1640
CONTINUOUSLY FAMILY OWNED
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