The other end of dynamic range

[Br1ck]

We can talk endlessly about banjo killer acoustics, especially us flat pickers, but there is little discussion of tone at the quietest end of the tonal spectrum. I have been exploring this lately. Last night, late, I wanted to play some. I've been keeping my D 35 in the house for when I don't want to go out to the studio. I've been exploring how light my pick grip can be while still holding on to it by playing as softly as I can, while retaining precision. Easier said than done. So here I am, eight or nine years into owing my 70 D 35 and I've just realized how lovely the tone is at the edge of silence. I imagine you finger pickers are more inclined to visit this space. My lightening up on pick grip is in part to relieve stress from an arthritic thumb joint. I'm using fiddle tunes to try and maintain speed while retaining a very light touch. Very interesting as it would seem counter intuitive, but it's a good exercise in pick control and there are a lot of great tones on the quiet side of things.

 

[adorshki]

We can talk endlessly about banjo killer acoustics, especially us flat pickers, but there is little discussion of tone at the quietest end of the tonal spectrum. I have been exploring this lately. Last night, late, I wanted to play some. I've been keeping my D 35 in the house for when I don't want to go out to the studio. I've been exploring how light my pick grip can be while still holding on to it by playing as softly as I can, while retaining precision. Easier said than done. So here I am, eight or nine years into owing my 70 D 35 and I've just realized how lovely the tone is at the edge of silence. I imagine you finger pickers are more inclined to visit this space. My lightening up on pick grip is in part to relieve stress from an arthritic thumb joint. I'm using fiddle tunes to try and maintain speed while retaining a very light touch. Very interesting as it would seem counter intuitive, but it's a good exercise in pick control and there are a lot of great tones on the quiet side of things.

'At's how I finally discovered how to play my F65ce.

 

[walrus]

Interesting thread! I also have been trying to lighten up on my right hand technique. You might try using a thin pick, too - whole different sound...

walrus

 

[adorshki]

Interesting thread! I also have been trying to lighen up on my right hand technique. You might try using a thin pick, too - whole different sound...

walrus

Careful...that's halfway down the short slippery slope to bareback fingerpicking. And I don't mean your nose.

 

[bobouz]

Yes, there’s a whole different world at the other end of the spectrum.

A long time ago, the very first thing a friend showed me on a guitar was a fingerpicking pattern & three chords. By coincidence, it was the sound l’d always been drawn to the most. Having never tonally been much of a fan of flatpicked solos, I tried a flat pick once for about five minutes & never tried it again (except on mandolin).

It took me quite a while to figure out that sheer volume in a guitar was not an important criteria or virtue with my playing style, and I began to understand why people like Merle Travis & Chet Atkins seemed to feel so comfortably at home on both acoustics & electrics. I now use .010s on all my guitars, and play with low action & a light touch. If I need to get louder or have greater fretboard access, a double-cut hollowbody electric will do the trick nicely, while the actual playing style stays essentially the same. That said, every guitar is different & sometimes a guitar will excel at either end of the spectrum.

So many styles & variations - Fun stuff!

 

[walrus]

I will very occassionaly do some hybrid picking, but I am definitley a flatpicker not a fingerpicker. Tried to get comfortable with it once, but it didn't take...

walrus

 

[F30]

Depending on what I'm playing - the how is really important, I too sometimes use a thin pick and play very cleanly and gentle on both Dreads and OMs - it really is a very different sound and feel than fingerstyle or heavy picking and strumming.

 

[Br1ck]

Hard or soft, I find much more control with my heavy 1.4 casein Charmed Life picks, 1.2 sometimes. It's an interesting exercise playing fast and quiet at the same time.