Pick feels caught on strings

Playing Technique
#1

I have noticed that when picking even one string, my pick doesn’t seem to move across the string easily. I know that slanting the pick can make the pick snag in one direction similar to garage spikes but for some reason I feel a lot of resistance in both directions and feel like i have to exert much more force than is necessary to move the pick. I have tried introducing edge picking however with edge picking it feel like the pick just flops over the string and makes little noise without actually plucking the string.

When I hear people play unplugged their picking sounds very crisp and snappy without much tension. However I have noticed my picking sounds very dull and I just feel a lot of resistance from the string. I’m not sure if there is just something fundamentally wrong with how I am approaching the string. Any thoughts?

2 Likes
#2

Hey Jak,

It’s a really tough problem to deal with because a lot of times there are so many variables. In my case, it had to do with a lot of excess tension. Jaime Andreas from guitarprinciples has one of the best articles I’ve ever read on this subject:

If it sounds too metaphysical and New Age-y, well, it’s not… Rick Graham also discusses this in a few videos. Can’t find them at the moment.

Videos of your playing would be helpful too, sometimes the orientation of the pick can make either upstrokes or downstrokes feel more difficult than need be. But like I said you can have great form and any excess tension will still result in a sensation of having to exert extra effort. It’s very common to have this problem as your body learns new movements and engages muscles that are not meant to be engaged for the activity, not too dissimilar to sports like weightlifting or running.

3 Likes
Advice for unlearning bad technique?
#3

Have you tried a thin pick like Paul Gilbert or EVH?

#4

How many inches do you play from the end if the string (on the bridge)?

#5

If the strings had ink on them, how many mm of your pick would be stained?

#6

I have tried thin picks but it feels like the flex of the pick makes the resistance worse. I pick roughly in the middle of the 2 pickups, maybe a little bit closer to the bridge pickup. I don’t pick super deep into the strings, maybe 2 mm

#7

I suppose the point of a flexible pick or edge picking is to give the string a ramp to slide off off (or a ramp for the pick to climb over the string). I’m surprised that you view a flexible pick as increasing the resistance… posting photos is the next step.