# How hard do you pick?



## DoomJazz (Apr 24, 2013)

I've fallen off the 8 string horse in recent months and have returned, only to find that my picking hand is confused. The technique is still there, I just can't figure out how hard to dig... Help? 

EDIT: I should mention this is for single note runs. I can riff just fine, but soloing is a different story...


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## rikomaru (Apr 24, 2013)

I am personally a gentle picker generally speaking, but there are times when even i have to dig deep lol I find that on solos the first thing to go bonkers on me is the way i hold the pick itself. Do you hold your pick flat or angled? If at least part of the problem you're having is how well you get from string to string, this may be of concern. Either way, your picking force will vary naturally depending on what you intend to do for that given part. I hope this helps in some way 

edit: by "get from string to string" i mean how smoothly your pick flows across the string itself.


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## Ninjahat (Apr 25, 2013)

very hard mostly.

But it's good to be versatile.


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## M3CHK1LLA (Apr 25, 2013)

you try turning your pick at different angles?


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## redstone (Apr 25, 2013)

Pick hard - soft grip.


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## isispelican (Apr 25, 2013)

pretty hard, always sounds better


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## AliceLG (Apr 25, 2013)

I beat the shit out of the strings when riffing, but I'm more gentle when soloing.

Unless there's a fast run, then I pick really hard, mostly by arm and make a shitload of mistakes 

I also have an extremely strong grip that doesn't help at all. The 4mm V-Pick I'm using has helped a lot with that, considering getting an even thicker one.


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## yingmin (Apr 25, 2013)

17.3 newtons.


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## Konfyouzd (Apr 25, 2013)

^That...


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## The Spanish Inquisition (Apr 25, 2013)

I pick as hard as I can.







No, but really, I pick quite hard, because I want to play harsh, which is needed for my kind of heavy music.


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## Given To Fly (Apr 26, 2013)

Too hard. I need to work on picking lighter and quicker through the string.


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## stuglue (Apr 26, 2013)

I've learnt to hold the pick with a very light grip. I discovered the method after learning how a drummer should hold his sticks. Having a tight grip on the stick kills what any kind of bounce back from the snareskin, and, importantly all kinetic energy is absorbed by the hands and forearm, after time these constant vibrations lead to injury. Now taking this approach with the pick means I don't have hardly any pressure on the pick, each time I strike the string the pick moves, its not rigidly held in place so there is less resistance which makes it easier to pick. A side effect is that I don't get a bassy tone as I get more of the pick attack and sound. Give it a try and see how loose you can get your grip.


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## lelahel (Apr 26, 2013)

pick very hard on guitar
and very very hard on bass!


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## axxessdenied (Apr 27, 2013)

I pick the strings at the same intensity as I tune them. Otherwise you're not going to be hitting the right pitch with your pick attack


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## Whereistheclick (Jun 30, 2013)

Pretty hard at lower tempos on single note runs, but I've found that it helps to keep the picking hand relaxed and not dig in so much at a much higher tempo. Personally I've found that digging hard while picking fast slows me down. I dig in on riffs most of the time


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## Pezshreds (Jun 30, 2013)

in grooves I nearly pick the strings off the saddles haha


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## GuitaristOfHell (Jun 30, 2013)

It depends on what I'm playing.

If it's metal my strings are getting their faces beaten in 

However, for something like Jazz or blues I won't "dig in" as much. Hit with little pick as always just lighter.

EDIT: For lead style stuff I tone it down a lot.


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## ncfiala (Jun 30, 2013)

I pick very lightly and only keep about a 16th of an inch of the pick sticking out. I've found that the harder I try to pick the harder it is to keep relaxed and to keep my movements as tiny as possible.


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## Lagtastic (Jun 30, 2013)

GuitaristOfHell said:


> It depends on what I'm playing.




This man knows what he is talking about.

How hard you pick, plus the angle you move the pick through the strings, makes a massive difference on your tone. The angle of your pick is extremely important, especially if you play with large amounts of distortion or overdrive, and many times gets forgotten. Beyond that, upstroke versus downstroke with the same strength and angle makes a difference as well. 

Play around with different amounts of force and pick angle. 

If you listen to Yngwie, especially mid-career, he has some stuff that sounds bluesy as hell and some stuff that sounds very metal. He uses the same exact guitar/amp/effects combination, but simply changes his approach to addressing the strings to create the different tones. Many players with extremely good tone do that as well, but outside of metal style settings. A few that come to mind are Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Johnson, and BB King.


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## noise in my mind (Jun 30, 2013)

ppp to fff ect


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## Pedantic (Jun 30, 2013)

I'll pick differently depending on the mood of the song. Dynamics and what not.


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## GuitaristOfHell (Jun 30, 2013)

Lagtastic said:


> This man knows what he is talking about.
> 
> How hard you pick, plus the angle you move the pick through the strings, makes a massive difference on your tone. The angle of your pick is extremely important, especially if you play with large amounts of distortion or overdrive, and many times gets forgotten. Beyond that, upstroke versus downstroke with the same strength and angle makes a difference as well.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the compliment! Plus, the thicker the pick the less hard you have to "hit" I use Dunlop Jazz II Carbon Fiber and they feel around 2mm for me and those will help your sound immensely.


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## Kaickul (Jul 1, 2013)

I picked very softly but I use thick picks, 2mm and up. One of the reasons I hardly break any string no matter how much I play.


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## erotophonophilia (Jul 1, 2013)

Buy a shitload of different picks. Every time I've taken a break and come back, I've never been able to use my previously favorite pick with the same exact efficiency.


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## Pat_tct (Jul 1, 2013)

I'm in the minority here i think but I pick very soft.
Even when riffing out I don't dig into the strings as hard as others.

I don't know why. maybe because I use pretty hard picks with 0.88 - 1 mm
And i believe that picking softer makes my strings live longer...


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## Maniacal (Jul 1, 2013)

Totally depends on what I am playing. However, the majority of the time I try to pick gently with the smallest movements possible.


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