Hi Troy, you have done it again with a great expose on an aspect of guitar playing. One thought on the reason for different amounts of chirp. You mention a few times the mass and hardness of the pick as it strikes the string changes the amount of chirp. I believe it is not about how the pick strikes the string, but how it “frets” the string. After all your entire hand and arm is part of the mass striking the string. The harder and smoother the pick, the more clarity and sustain of the pitch that is momentarily “fretted” by the pick. This is provable by the following experiment- hold the pick with the left hand against the string and pluck it with the right hand- like playing slide. I compared a coin to a fender 351 by the way. The coin created a clear pitch while the celluloid heavy barely does. The effect is almost exactly the same as when you tap the pick against the string- just slightly louder. I think the harder and smoother material creates a clear bridge and reflects back the energy into the string allowing it to keep ringing while the softer and/or rougher material absorbed more of the energy of the string, deadening the note or chirp.
Anyhow I love these new videos and will check out the rest.
Thanks
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Doesn’t @Troy also describe it in the video as the pick “fretting” the string momentarily? That’s what I took from it. Like you, he also speculates about the difference in reflection vs. damping (between pick and bridge) for different pick materials.
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I used a beveled stone pick, but stopped because it created excessive chirp: similar to striking a string with a glass slide. I started using Dunlop Big Stubbies because they are almost as stiff but soft enough to mute the chirp.