Pick sweet spot
- Thread starter Antney
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Westerly Wood
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little bit behind the sound hole. or towards the bottom edge of the hole.
sailingshoes72
Senior Member
Funny thing. My pick position on acoustic guitars is usually determined by the most comfortable place for my forearm and wrist to hang on the lower bout. This mostly ends up being over the sound hole toward the bridge end. Maybe it is time for me to move out of my comfort zone and try something new! :topsy_turvy:
Quantum Strummer
Senior Member
I tend to play all over the place, from the end of the fretboard all the way to the bridge. Even behind the bridge if the guitar allows this. 
I find different instruments have different sweet spots. I can brighten a darker toned guitar or darken a brighter one just by moving up or down a bit.
-Dave-
I find different instruments have different sweet spots. I can brighten a darker toned guitar or darken a brighter one just by moving up or down a bit.-Dave-
I don't pick much above the top half of the sound hole. I move around for different sounds too - if I want a brassier, more piano-like tone I'll pick way down by the bridge.
adorshki
Reverential Member
Actually it depends on the tone you're looking for.
Closest to center of fretted string length yields woodiest tone, thus the preference for over-the-soundhole-closer-to-the-fretboard if playing "cowboy" chords.
And generically, the closer to the bridge, the "brighter" and more trebly as Dreadnut says.
So, like Quantum Strummer, I'll move it around even during the same song to either maintain a tone or else introduce some "contrast".
That's another thing that's a whole lot easier to do without breaking stride, when playing in classical position.
But my absolute favorite spot is actually fingerpicking ("bareback")right on the fretboard extension, halfway between the neckheel and the soundhole.
On all of my guitars that's the "WOOD" spot.
:friendly_wink:
Antney
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Good responses... but perhaps I wasn’t clear. Not where you play due to arm position or tone, but where is the sweet spot? The one position where a pick strum sounds smooth and not muddy and each string rings clearly with volume, the highs are Bell like and the lows are smooth like tapioca. The sweet spot...
Quantum Strummer
Senior Member
That's also my "home" position since it's where my right arm & hand naturally like to be. I also play with my fingers most of the time, but my approach with a pick is much the same.
As for the sweet spot…as I mentioned above, I find different guitars have different ones.
-Dave-
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adorshki
Reverential Member
I'm thinking you're citing the 'center of fretted string length' area, as I thought your question originally meant.
And yes, that's why it'll move a little closer to the bridge if for example you're doing bar chords and scales up around the 5th fret.
Generically, hitting the center of the string should yield the tone you're seeking, it's related to the physics of the vibrating string.
https://www.sciencealert.com/watch-what-guitar-strings-are-really-doing-up-close
Hitting the string in the middle of its practical (fretted) length gives the least distorted sine waveforms, the most "flute-to-pipe organ-like" sounds.
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It all depends on the song. If I'm strumming a John Prine song I'd be in the bottom half of the sound hole. If I'm picking out 12 bar blues on the bass strings and using my palm to dampen the strings I'm picking somewhere between the sound hole and the bridge. When I'm fingerpicking I'm usually also about 1/2 way between the bottom of the sound hole and the bridge.
Rayk
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Though I’ve strummed like most have close to bridge side and or fretboard side I stay settled in one spot on all my guitars and it is when looking at the sound hole from watchers position it’s always low E starting at 1 O’clock to 7 O’clock .
On all my guitars It seems just right picking or finger style.
fronobulax
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I tend to play all over the place, from the end of the fretboard all the way to the bridge. Even behind the bridge if the guitar allows this.
-Dave-
Bass and fingers but ditto. Anyplace between the neck and the bridge is fair game depending upon the tone I want. I tend to use a comfortable right hand position as the default position and move to vary the tone. When you are playing repetitive riffs one way to provide variety is to shift the plucking position and this change the tone.