With a little help from the Floppy Pick = Pronation/Supination

Playing Technique
#1

Short and sweet(aphorism- as Mcluhan suggested).

Maybe hard picks aren’t all their cracked up to be, think about it, in forearm Pronation(flat on the guitar-towards full pronation), the pick supinates(on the downstroke), and pronates(on the upstroke) and in forearm Supination(underside of forearm visble- towards full supination), pronation on the downstroke and supination on the upstroke.

This means a V shape between the pick and forearm on one stroke and a U shape on the other stroke- almost impossible to see in forearm pronation but very easy to spot in forearm supination (so called “downward pickslanting” - my preference btw).

So some pick flexibility may be good for making it all happen for aspiring players(as physical suggestion). Just watch Albert Lee in the “compound curve” video.

Any thoughts?

#2

I guess it depends. While pick could be rigid, fingers are not. Thus a pick could ‘play’ (decline back and forward). It is quite obvious, for example, in Troy’s playing. My grip is more rigid, so my pick doesn’t decline as much on slo-mo videos.
So, my guess is that soft pick/loose grip are alternatives of each other.

#3

That would lead to this it would appear, the decline (as you say) would be evident either in the side of the pick that shows underneath the grip(flexible picks) or it would above the in the grip(heavy picks) where the pick isn’t as visible and I feel leads to the two finger on front of the pick grip so as to keep control of the pick(I do this on and off). But I think that’s a good explanation.

Btw I’m pretty convinced that the decline is not up and down or side to side, but both(a blend) and that the finger or fingers holding the front of the pick constantly adjust to this and actually work in concert with it. I also see this back and forth as being a function of Leading edge and Trailing edge play(no matter what angle pick is held at).

This seems why it is difficult to get used to “holding” the pick in the first place.
After all when something is moving then how stationary can it be held any way-barring glueing sand paper to your finger as EVH is supposed to have done.

#4

I prefer medium picks (Ultex sharp 0.73mm) because with a little pick flex I can get the notes to snap if I use minimal edge angle. I can’t get that from heavy picks no matter what I try.

FWIW, I use finger motion to change from leading edge to trailing edge on the downstroke, and the opposite on the upstroke. (At the precise moment that the pick strikes the string, the edge angle is neutral.) I do this finger movement because it feels smoother and more consistent than not doing it, not for tonal reasons. I get a similar tone without this edge-cycling as long as I have a neutral edge, it just feels clunkier.

#5

I can’t at the moment use ultrex except in really fast playing, I just disintegrate them almost instantly. For me fexible means .96 tortex(pink ones with the turtle).

I am pretty convinced that whether there is an angle on string touch or not the pick hits the string with either trailing edge downstroke LE US counter clockwise movement of the (wrist, elbow, shoulder- what have you) or the Leading edge DS, TE US in a clockwise movement of the picking hand. If not the edge then definitely the face knowing this has made a huge difference in correcting and even diagnosing non planned rest and string choices.