Django's Pick Revealed!!

Teddy Dupont

I don't have the CD so I cannot be sure which picture you are talking about but I think the detail I have extracted below could well be from the one you are referring to.

I have never seen a photo that gives you any real idea of the size or shape of Django's plectrum. It is impossible to accurately differentiate between what is the pick and what is shadow.

Teddy Dupont

....And in this one it appears so thin as to be non-existent :? :-

Korat

The first picture comes close, the second one not. The good thing about the photo I saw is that at least there is no shadow. At least it gives some idea about how thick the pick is (very..). But looking at these 2 pictures somehow gives me the feeling Django was not very particular about his pick. But of course this is just my personal impression.

Korat

At last I have a scan of the CD cover with a picture of Django holding his pick. I do not have software to improve the quality of the scan, but the pitcure on the cover is of better quality. Perhaps one of the forum members manage to cut out a portion of the picture. Also, a scan of the entire cover (the back that is).

Korat

The back of the cover

a

in this picture, he's clearly holding a thin long pick...

I emailed Dregni about this and here's what he wrote back:

"I did indeed find out more about Django's pick, although the information came third hand via Baro Ferret to Francis-Alfred Moerman. If you've seen my second, illustrated book on Django, there's a picture on page 5 at a little LARGER than life size of a tortoiseshell pick made by Francis, based on picks that he saw Baro using, that in turn he was told were just like Django's. (Bit circuitous here, but it's the best I could find...) The pick's absolutely tiny, but about as thick as a Fender Heavy or Extra-Heavy 351."

Teddy Dupont

Korat wrote:

At last I have a scan of the CD cover with a picture of Django holding his pick. I do not have software to improve the quality of the scan, but the pitcure on the cover is of better quality. Perhaps one of the forum members manage to cut out a portion of the picture. Also, a scan of the entire cover (the back that is).

Having now seen your CD photo, I can confirm the detail below I posted earlier is cropped from that same photo. I have a very high resolution copy of this Harcourt Parry, Roger-Viollet picture from the early 40s.



The shadow on Django's first finger is such that it is not possible to tell what is plectrum and what is shadow. It is quite impossible to see what the thickness is and it may well be that he is not actually holding a pick at all, particularly since this is a "posed" photo. His fingers are certainly in a very odd, atypical position.

Below is another photo taken at the same time where the pick appears to be either very thin, impossible to see or, again, he is not actually holding one (although his fingers here are in his normal playing position).

a

here are some stills that show his pick.

i'm also interested in how he held it...
was it closer to the joint of his thumb or the tip. when it comes to the technique part, this makes a huge difference.

Korat

Teddy Dupont wrote:

Korat wrote:

At last I have a scan of the CD cover with a picture of Django holding his pick. I do not have software to improve the quality of the scan, but the pitcure on the cover is of better quality. Perhaps one of the forum members manage to cut out a portion of the picture. Also, a scan of the entire cover (the back that is).

Having now seen your CD photo, I can confirm the detail below I posted earlier is cropped from that same photo. I have a very high resolution copy of this Harcourt Parry, Roger-Viollet picture from the early 40s.

You are correct. Apologies for the confusion.
Judging form your response it would really be a find to unearth a picture of Django and his pick.
Isn't it possible to use the 'Jazz Hot movie and try to find a frame that gives a clearer view? Or has thi's been tried already?

a

those stills are the clearest images of his pick from the jazz hot movie.