A pick that forces you to play with only the tip sounds good as a practice tool. Kinda like sprinters who run with a parachute. Definitely not practical for performing or recording, but I could see how it could be used to reinforce good picking habits.
And like parachutes for sprinters they are just marketing gimmicks. (Parachutes do not build speed as much as simply running fast reps at max velo builds speed). Similar for picking, just use the pick you’re most comfortable with and work slowly on achieving the picking style you want. These things work on convincing you that they are practice tools when they just waste limited practice time.
i used this pick years ago when i was starting out just for practice- i’m not sure if it’s thanks to that, but i do notice my picking habits aren’t too bad now
Interesting idea, I might actually try it. I buy the high grip, texture picks but even those seem to eventually slip out of place in my hand! I might try this
@@WZRD5841 no lol, as a beginner just learn how to alternate pick. Stuff like this only really work once you get the basic fundamentals down, and you want to level up your picking skill. By basic i mean be qble to have both of your hands in sync (not playing 2 same notes while your left hand is changing note) at least be able to alternate picking at 130-150bpm without getting off time. And have somewhat decent control on your picking hand.
A lot of people say sandpaper your pick, but I like to drill a small hole in the center. You can even stack em and do a few at a time. Either way works, but the drill is a little faster.
As someone who has been a beginner for about 10 years now (practice is my mortal enemy), a pick that forces you to use the tip would be a game-changer. Just need one that’s more grippy. Once I’m able to pick with just the tip, then I’d graduate to being able to use more dynamics and get more creative with my playing. But it’s hard to be creative when you don’t even have a foundation to work with
What?? It would be easier, thats the point... Thats like saying "imagine getting used to riding without training wheels, and then trying to ride with training wheels again" Itll be easier... Lmao.
@@Princesssmellyif I were to go back to training wheels, I’d probably crash trying to go around a corner. You can’t lean into a turn with training wheels. So little turning is done with the handlebars on a bicycle. This pick is training wheels. Forcing basic technique over full range of possibility.
It probably should have the slippery material on the bottom point and something grippier for the part where you hold it. I’ve always wondered what you’d say about this thing. I can see where it might help build good habits as a tool, but not for regular use - like training wheels on a bike, you probably need to start with this and then slowly transition to a pointy pick to refine the pick technique until this weird training pick isn’t needed anymore.
I had one of those Stylus Picks back when I was in High School (‘89). The trick was to go slow and use only the tip. How you held the pick also mattered. The idea was that you picked up speed when you played with your pick of choice.
This pic teaches you to use a Jazziii better , this is a training pic , not for actual playing, for discipline when using normal pics to only use the tip.
I bought one when they came out in the 80s when it came out. Was packaged in a large gatefold card the size of a sheet of paper. It was a black material and wasn't slippery. It's not meant to be used for regular playing. It was a teaching tool for new players that actually worked for me.
I play bass with a .6 Tortex or .55 Gator Grip because the flexible pick allows me to play faster punk and metal. I shred off about 10%-15% of the pick before it becomes useless. Just like you did, you can get different dynamics using the side of the pick. You can pull much harder on the bass string so it snaps back. Plucking the string like this sounds more like slap bass. Ultimately though, my decision was made after trying many types of picks and finger plucking. The pick was easier for me as a beginner and the harder picks caused more strain on my wrist.
Yeah I play with .73 Tortex Sharps on bass, just feels nice to me compared all the thicker EB Prodigy/Big Stubbies that I started out with. Use 'em on a normal electric guitar too, but I like swapping to a Petrucci Jazz 3 for faster stuff on those.
It’s just meant for training. Not for actually performing with. I used one of those for practice like 20 years ago, and it did wonders for me. I haven’t used one since, but the technique it helped me develop is still solid.
They marketed it completely wrong. It should be marketed to players working on legato. A technique where you really want to train yourself to be very light with the pick
Oh I had these as a kid. I found them to be really helpful in holding the pick as a beginner. I still pull it out every few months to double check my positioning.
Before I started using dunlop tortex or ultex picks I found nylon and celluloid picks to be really slippery. Take an x-acto knife or razor and cut some crosshatching into the pick where you hold it, the amount of grip you have is improved tremendously. That being said, I gotta say that ultex is the way to go. They are very resistant to string wear and pretty grippy on their own.
This is my all time favorite pic, i use it everyday and live gigs. This one was a game changer and elevated my guitar playing and it even help me find my wife and I now have a family all thanks to this one amazing pick!
I think all that it needs is a grip texture and maybe a better material to grip on to,and it would be a good tool to use to learn how to use a pick correctly
I think it's a good pick for teaching the control of mainly playing with the tip of the pick but that's abaout it. In terms of grip could always just stipple it with a soldering iron.
You should scratch some texture into it I like to do that with the lighter picks I use to play acoustic with since they like to flop around. It works better than you would think I like to just score a simple 4x4 grid on both sides but the more scores you make the more it grips.
It’s a gymocky Idea however I have not tried it. I would think that it could be possible to play around with it and maybe get some interesting sounding techniques out of it, for specific situations and for something different.
I've been using the Fender celluloid picks with hash cuts with a razor blade since some kid showed me in the mid 90's. I always have 2 or 3 small Crown Royal bags filled with them. 1 as back up on my practice amp, 1 in my guitar case, and 1 in my bass bag. I've never played with anything else that has a good grip and also feels natural.
I had some. I thought of them as training picks for appregios. I never would use them live. The slipping and sliding was a problem easily solved with just a spot of velcro glued to each side. But yeah they did the job to get me to stop picking appregios and just glide through them. Not a live performance pick or anything you want to use where it's important to not make a mistake. Cause that edge is just like you said , it grip the string if u go in too much
honestly if you attached maybe electrical tape to give it some grip or some other textured tape i think this would rock as a practice pick or just a pick on its own. i wish the tip would be a little longer to give you more room though!
I wonder if you could rough it up with some sandpaper to fix the slippery issue As a super super super super new player (cant even play a song yet and haven’t practiced since like 2 years ago) that’s looking to get back into practicing, this may be good for me to help my muscle memory, because I find myself sticking the pick too deep quite a bit.
I grew up in a music store and we'd order all the gimmick stuff just for fun. Went through the jellyfish, that stupid stylus pick, that weird capo that you could leave some strings open, felt and rubber picks to emulate fingers. The only thing we ever ordered that was actually cool was the Ebow. That thing was pretty cool
For the slippery part you could try to sand down the part you hold with a low grit and it should give the guitar pick more texture for you to grip on to
Bro! When i discovered you, you immediately became my inspiration (to become more confident ofc). I have lazy eyes too, (mine's on both eyes, alternating so it cannot happen on both simultaneously). The "so what?" motto is so real. To people who have the same condition, embrace it with passion, it's a weird unique trait that makes us different.
I bought some in the late '80's and mine are a similar material as my Ultex Jazz IIIs so much more usable. It was good during practice so I wasn't getting stuck between the strings at speed but seriously, using a Jazz III will achieve a similar result and it's a usable pick for general use. I found mine recently in an old pick box and spent 15m with it. It helps but probably not enough to warrant buying it.
I used thin alice picks and dunlop tortex og and xl for the grip when I had my guitar. Can't imagine trying to use a thick and shiny pick. My guitar got stolen though and I never got around yo replacing it after moving.
I wonder if the slipping issue could be resolved with some light grit and paper just to give your skin some purchase but i do see a benefit of you are just learning and play with a pick i prefer finger picking but i can change up my grip for my thumb pick to act as a standard guitar pick so it works out for me
Seems to be pretty good for beginners. When I started guitar as a kid, the first 4 years or so I misused the pick and really dug in constantly. It led to me actually scraping off some wood over the years. No surprise it is just a handicap for people who already know how to use a pick.
Get a little piece of 50 or 80 grit sand paper and rub it side ways and then up and down try to make a cross pattern with the sand paper. The ridges from the sand paper will give you extra surface area for your fingers to grip on to
I had one for a long time, its a really amazing warm-up tool. It takes any sloppiness and magnifies it by way too much. Trying dynamics is supernhard because youre walking a tightrope
Everything is preference some people prefer to just use the tip. i think that it teaches you how to consistently use the tip of a pic because you dont want to go too deep accidentally. And if you want to fix the slippery problem you can rub it down with alchohol to remove oils and sand it to make the surface more grippy
I don't know how to pick it, if that can make perfect sounds relatively easy, I might need to use it in order to even begin practicing in the first place
I got one from my guitar teacher for like 3 bucks anout ten years ago. It was made out of opaque, matte, black plastic. Definitely a lot easier to hold than shiny clear plastic. Still wasnt a fan. Teacher also designed a weighted pick using a heavy duty plastic pick, and two pieces of stainless steel adhered to the sides. Basically DBZ weighted armor for your picking hand.
I think choosing the slippery surface design was also intentional. Because it's slippery, you have to hold it tightly. And, pinching something tightly by your fingers, your hand movements become more restricted compared to normal pinching meaning, your hand becomes stable. And so, by using this tool to practice, you get a stable hand while also forcing the beginners to get out of their digging deep in the strings habit. Once you master these two things, you will have a perfected neutral base for you to come back to after you are done with your wobbly hand style or pick deep into the strings style of music. I'm not a guitarist or anything like a musician but you know, I'm just being an internet keyboard expert. 😅
That honestly reminds me a lot of my favourite picks, the Jim Dunlop “Big Stubby” 3mm. It’s absolutely tiny but a chonky thing with a nice chiseled tip. It basically serves the same purpose as this but there’s no such things as “digging in too much” with the Stubby. This seems like a concept that might have lead to that but was obviously ditched because it has such obvious flaws 😂
looks like a helpful practice tool for players who dig in too much looking to refine their technique. it vaguely reminds me of my high school orchestra teacher, who had the high string players tape a plastic fork to their arms to prevent them from collapsing their wrist which can cause long term health problems. not every problem requires a mechanical solution, but it looks like a good resource for those who want a lighter touch. maybe put some adhesive or textured tape on there.
Just playing with a smaller pick would be an easier, more practical way to exercise this skill imo. I get the idea but as you mentioned it also punishes some dynamics that are used in real playing so I feel like it's be more useful to just use a smaller pick, even if it's just for practicing fast routines
In your routine it seems horrible, but what are your thoughts on it as a product to teach precision when playing? I personally would put a strip of gaff tape on it for grip, so that issue aside, what are your thoughts on it as solely a practice pick?
