Making a pick change its stiffness while playing

Playing Technique
#1

I had a thought experiment: What if I get a thin pick, and think of it as a pizza slice, where I can “fold” it to some degree to make it stiffer?

While I usually play the 2.0mm Dunlop Flow (so stiff I cannot bend it at all), I can bend the thin Flow sizes, and sure enough, it seems that I can change the stiffness on demand to a fair degree. I’m not sure if this is useful, or if other people do it, but I thought it was pretty cool.

For those interested in what I mean, see this popular article.

So, does anybody here do this? Does it work for you? It it turns out that some people do curve their picks (somebody like @Troy will notice ), it suggests that they might have a lot more stiffness than one might expect at first glance. Anyway, this is fun/interesting, and I wanted to share.

#2

Dava picks are designed with this in mind. Check them out. I use their jazz pick which doesn’t do it that much, but their larger pick does…

1 Like
#3

Well its not not really curving in the pizza way- the tension changes depending on how much you choke down on the pick point. This one is a bit like a flow pick, with broader shoulders at the point than a jazz pick

16133783095633039565712813910085
161337830956330395657128139100853024×4032 1.85 MB

#4

@PickingApprentice beat me to it, Dava picks!

1 Like
#5

Do you use them? Or used them in the past?

#6

A buddy gave me some to try out, but I didn’t stick with them. I’m sure some people would love the feel though!

#7

Sure, but somebody can make ANY floppy pick stiff by treating it like a pizza slice. So this is what I wonder about, are some people playing very thin picks but sometimes curving them to make them stiffer?

#8

I don’t know of anyone that’s done that, might make an interesting tone for acoustic though!