Stylus Pick - Any Thoughts?

Playing Technique
#21

I was speculating if this might encourage making a smooth shallow semicircle (as for good DBX technique) rather than a deep/ sharp V (string hopping); but I suppose a sharp V where the tip just grazes the string is still a possible outcome of training with one of these stylus picks. Then again we have other ways to get feedback on our technique e.g. filming, possible with the help of The Magnet. Losing the ability to get any dynamics by digging in with picking technique could be a big problem as well,

William

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#22

String Hopping has always been confusing to me, tho is it not doing the same motion with the same muscle… So the pecking V is not string hopping.

#23

Stringhopping is using the same muscle for both the downstroke and upstroke. The pecking V requires a flexion and an extension on both the downstroke and the upstroke. It is probably the most common form of stringhopping.

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#24

By the way, I discovered that I do still have a later stylus pick kit - with a CD and 3 picks - that I now remember ordering when I lost or couldn’t find the original booklet with a single pick. (That may actually still be around somewhere - the problem it is a tiny non-standard format of book and without a readable spine that disappears on a bookshelf).

It doesn’t feel like it would work with the paradigm of identifying an efficient motion by trying stuff out at speed initially; so that is another thing against it. In my initial look at it recently, I found that I could use it when tracking/ moving from low strings to high strings; but it would catch a lot in the reverse direction.

Also, the stylus pick website is a bit odd in that it has a number of books by the jazz guitarist Jack Grassell with titles that may implying building up speed; but they are really aimed at jazz guitarists building up improvisation or comping chops (and in standard notation without any tab which may not appeal to would be shredders). Of course, there is some overlap in those. The stylus pick book appears to be by somebody called Rich Acocella, based on a copyright notice in my electronic copy, although it doesn’t appear on the cover. I don’t think it’s a pseudonym for the other guy based on this video (supposedly featuring a stylus pick, by the way) or other videos posted on the account although I could be wrong (since his appearance may have changed with age or he may not be in this particular video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV8PcROWToo

William

#25

Thanks, that always escapes my mind, idk why.