DSX players - where does your pick point?

Playing Technique
#21

so you’re saying that the pick will sort of right itself?

Yeah, just give a try. Tremolo with a loose grip and watch it move.

What @Pepepicks66 is saying is correct, though. If you let it move around, there will be a transition period where you’re misaligned which isn’t great. In his example, with some DSX alternate picking (A) following by section requiring a different pick-point (B), you’d be perfectly matched for all of A but then mismatched for all of B if you grip the pick firmly.

There’s tradeoffs involved with both approaches and this is something I struggle with too.

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#22

Adding to the general conversation: pick point alteration compensates for some mismatch between pick trajectory and pick slant.

For example, if you use zero degree pickslant and the pick is on a DSX trajectory, that is a mismatch (might be sacrilege to say, but it’s true - zero degree matches with trapped.), and will result in some amount of garage spikes. A tiny bit of positive pick point can overcome that, if your escape is shallow, or a lot if you escape is steep.

That said, if you’re trying to alternate pick everything, you probably want the pick point to be pretty close to neutral with a motion that will allow that.

#23

Ben Kerrigan seems to have the answer:

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#24

Ehhh, he has the pick buried ridiculously deep against the string when he plays with it flat, versus the tip barely in contact with the string with his “superior” grip. Bad comparison.

#25

Don’t see what’s wrong with it. It’s just an exaggerated demonstration to make stuff extra obvious. He’s (accurately) claiming that the trick is in the angle and there doesn’t seem to be an implication of the “use less pick” fallacy we all know.

#26

In my pronated setup, my pick point seems to point slightly towards the bridge. If I purposely point it the opposite way, when I play, it will gradually point back towards the bridge.
Not much though, if I wasn’t looking for it, I’d not even notice.

EDIT - never mind, I just checked again and it points a little towards the neck :sweat_smile:

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#27

Love this new episode of “Guitarists: we’re never sure what we’re doing!”. :sweat_smile:

Thank goodness for the Magnet.

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