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Author Topic:  Proper way to wear finger picks
Scott Duckworth


From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
Post  Posted 4 May 2013 12:12 pm    
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I know there are several posts on this. What am I doing right or wrong? These are National NP2's.






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chris ivey


From:
california (deceased)
Post  Posted 4 May 2013 1:22 pm    
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they look ok to me. i personally like the blade to stick out a little straighter rather than wrapping so close to the fingertip, but i think that varies from person to person.
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Chris Templeton


From:
The Green Mountain State
Post  Posted 4 May 2013 1:46 pm    
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I don't have my camera here, but one of the things Jeff Newman showed me was taking a pair of needle nose pliers and pull the "tongs" (the part that wraps around the finger) forward and flatten out the "tops". That pulls them forward and they grip better
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John Billings


From:
Ohio, USA
Post  Posted 4 May 2013 1:46 pm    
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A lot depends on your hand position and posture. I swivel my picks so the blade hits the string on its flat, not it's edge. They're straighter, but don't stick out very far from my fingertips.

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Jack Hanson


From:
San Luis Valley, USA
Post  Posted 4 May 2013 1:55 pm    
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Check out eBay seller “sauce4050.” Clem sells a DVD of a 1983 concert by Jeff Newman and Buddy Emmons. The accompanying photo is a slightly out of focus shot of the latter’s right hand. Don’t see how you could possibly go wrong in emulating his approach. By the way, the merchandise on this site is quite reasonably priced and is highly recommended.
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Scott Duckworth


From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
Post  Posted 4 May 2013 2:13 pm    
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That pic on eBay helps a lot. Thanks.
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CrowBear Schmitt


From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
Post  Posted 4 May 2013 2:55 pm    
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from the archives here









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Chris Templeton


From:
The Green Mountain State
Post  Posted 4 May 2013 3:23 pm    
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Now that's what I'm talking about!
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Richard Sinkler


From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
Post  Posted 4 May 2013 3:38 pm    
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Quentin Hickey

 

From:
Nova Scotia, Canada
Post  Posted 28 Nov 2014 5:57 am    
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Scott they look perfectly fine!! Just wear them the way they are most comfortable for you. Don't mess around with them too much once you get used to them or you will have to change youre hand position and picking technique. Dont get hung up on this there is no clear cut rules on how to wear them its a personal journey as is alot of other points in this insturment.
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Mark van Allen


From:
Watkinsville, Ga. USA
Post  Posted 28 Nov 2014 10:09 am    
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You'll notice a lot of these shots have the (National, JF style) fingerpicks wrapped so they go right around the top of the fingernail quick, where hangnails develop and any little finger injury can be quite painful.

A few years ago I discovered Bob Perry fingerpicks, Cobalt plated ( lasts a long time) over a basic National shape, but just slightly longer in the shaft area, so that the same placement of the blade out in front of the fingertip allows you to crimp the sides behind the cuticle area. Much more comfortable and stay on the finger better. More expensive, but definitely a better mousetrap for me.
http://elderly.com/accessories/cat_or_pgc_page?step=20&cat_or_pgc=PKFG&special_links=links_PK&sort_on=cat_or_pgc,artist,title&page=2&query_start=8&reverse_str=
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Tom Gorr

 

From:
Three Hills, Alberta
Post  Posted 28 Nov 2014 10:17 am    
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I look at those contorted wrist positions and am glad I learned pick blocking, and settled on a more natural hand position. It's painful just looking at those pictures...for me...ymmv.

I will comment, however, there are certain rhythm figures where pick blocking doesn't seem to work as good as palm blocking would.
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Sonny Jenkins


From:
Texas Masonic Retirement Center,,,Arlington Tx
Post  Posted 28 Nov 2014 10:17 am    
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Scott,,,I think Jeff would have advocated placement of the band a little more toward the end of the finger. I had mine like yours MANY years ago and he yanked them off, squeezed them together and stuck them on to where the back of the band was at my cuticle. I couldn't keep them on that way so now they are just a tad past the cuticle.
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John Billings


From:
Ohio, USA
Post  Posted 28 Nov 2014 10:22 am    
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Tom G!
I agree! And I couldn't play with the tips bent around the ends of my fingers that way. Seems very unnatural. Hands are all clawed up!
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Richard Sinkler


From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
Post  Posted 28 Nov 2014 10:29 am    
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Did anyone notice that Scott asked this question a year and a half ago?
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Wayne Ledbetter

 

From:
Arkansas, USA
Post  Posted 28 Nov 2014 2:47 pm     Picks
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Lol...Richard how did that get pulled up? What would be interesting is to see what Scott is doing. When I play the banjo I curve the picks more. When I play the dobro or steel I wear them more straight. I guess years ago I got a couple of Newman books and went more like he showed. I will say that palm blocking is not an easy thing to pick up.
Scott IMHO there is no right or wrong way to have picks. Lot depends on the physical attributes of your hands and fingers.
Be nice to have some pros weigh in on this.
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Antolina


From:
Dunkirk NY
Post  Posted 28 Nov 2014 3:03 pm    
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Mark van Allen,

Thanks for sharing. I'll be ordering soon.
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Scott Duckworth


From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
Post  Posted 28 Nov 2014 3:26 pm    
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I'm wearing them a little straighter. I'm also using Dunlop .018s, and a Blue Herco thumb pick.


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Quentin Hickey

 

From:
Nova Scotia, Canada
Post  Posted 28 Nov 2014 3:27 pm    
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Richard- I actually ran across this.topic doing a goovle image search on so.ething totally unrelated and had to get my two cents in Rolling Eyes . Yeah don't ask Laughing

Tom Gorr- I have to agree with you mostly. It is much more comfortable to pick the sgrings more squarely, but lets not forget that alot of your tone comes from how much "angle" you attack the strings at. Again personal preference.

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Quentin Hickey

 

From:
Nova Scotia, Canada
Post  Posted 28 Nov 2014 3:33 pm    
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I will likely never use anything but Jeff Newman picks. I just love them.
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Tom Gorr

 

From:
Three Hills, Alberta
Post  Posted 28 Nov 2014 4:17 pm    
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These things are all incremental trial and error processes and personal preference, for sure. In this last year, the most important thing I did for my hand posture was go to long bladed propiks, I can raise my hand and pick like my piano teacher once taught me to key...not to say I don't get a bit lazy time to time.

Last edited by Tom Gorr on 28 Nov 2014 4:57 pm; edited 1 time in total
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John Billings


From:
Ohio, USA
Post  Posted 28 Nov 2014 4:32 pm    
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Aren't the Newmann pics copies of the old Oahu picks? Or am I thinking of something else?


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Richard Sinkler


From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
Post  Posted 28 Nov 2014 5:35 pm    
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Really, I think it's good to bring posts like this back up. It can be very beneficial to new players.
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John Scanlon


From:
Jackson, Mississippi, USA
Post  Posted 28 Nov 2014 10:58 pm    
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Scott Duckworth wrote:
I'm wearing them a little straighter. I'm also using Dunlop .018s, and a Blue Herco thumb pick


I'd imagine that's pretty light for most folks around here. Seems like steel pickers generally prefer heavier fingerpicks.
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Jan Viljoen


From:
Pretoria, South Africa
Post  Posted 23 Apr 2015 11:24 pm     Fingers?
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I want to ask some advice on finger position or injuries.

I found lately that when I play my right hand with fingers is bundled up and I have a problem stretching the fingers afterwards.
Is that correct for someone playing too much?

Another one connected to the first question is that I found that my first finger is slow to reach the strings when I play a chord. Middle finger reaches easily, with the result that the first finger note sounds softer than the other note.
Middle finger is slightly longer than the first.
No problem with my thumb.

I type a lot as part of my job, but my right hand does not play ball.

I never had this problem, only the last two weeks.
Is this age related?

Sad
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