Pick doesn't always rest

JazzDawg

Well, I see what you are saying....

I think the first pic is a bit extreme, but then again in looking at what I do, I sometimes change that angle a bit too. The angle I'm talking about is relative to the string .\ , though there is a bit of a complex angle to be sure. There are times when I play a faster passage by using more of complex angle as you show in the 2nd pic, maybe not as severe, but it is something like it.

I hope I've not confused or clouded the discussion. I mean, who am I anyway, right, I just started this style too, and don't have anyone in the area to check. Though I was able to work with Ryan one time and nothing bad was noted in my picking rest strokes - at least he didn't say it me. ;-p

Now's probably a good time to have Michael set the record straight, huh.

BluesBop Harry

Passacaglia,
I think both pictures are ok, if somewhat extreme on the first one
With the Wegen you automatically get the first one because of the bevel, so you use more of the edge. But never bend your wrist sideways because that will hurt you, just go with the natural position and adjust your grip so you get the right angle. Again, a wegen will make this easier to get.
The second angle (tilt) should be just so you rest securely on the next string, if you do too much you might have trouble playing sweeps and not enough and you'll skip strings without resting.
You have to experiment a bit to find out what works best, in the end everyone ends up developing slight variations.

JazzDawg

Ok, finally got home from work. Very long day...

On pp. 17-18 there are some photos of the pick angle of attack, figures 6-8 showing the rest stoke pretty well. You can see that the pick is more flat against the string at about a 45 degree angle. That's the bit to practice. I think once you've practiced it a bit, you can vary it according to the sound you want to achieve, and it would vary with the speed you play somewhat.

Now, I'm going to go practice it, myself.

edev.gtr

I've discovered two more issues contributing to my pick slippage.

The first is that I was very diligently keeping my right hand off the guitar. Completely off the guitar. Not on the body, not on the strings, nada. After watching videos on I saw that this approach is perhaps a touch overzealous. Allowing my non-pick fingers to lightly touch the strings and body of the guitar (ahem, noted on page 13 of Gypsy Picking) improved things very much.

The second issue is that I was resting too long. I think. I tried playing faster as an experiment and the pick slippage all but disappeared. The reason is that I was quickly popping up for the next down stroke. So should I pop up quickly, regardless of the tempo? It seems like a good choice musically, that it would feel more eager and energetic. But is it technically sound? As an extreme example, what's the right way to play a whole note at a largo tempo with respect to how long the pick rests on the following string?