Proper pick orientation

[Peter123]

I just started playing about 2 weeks ago. This are going really well, progressing fairly quickly. But I've noticed a habit, I don't do it consciously but the pick hits the strings with the more rounded corner, rather than the sharper corner that is supposed to hit the strings. Does this make a difference?

[marcja]

Yes, it makes a difference, but that doesn't mean it's inherently wrong or a problem with your playing right now. As you practice more, you'll find even tiny changes in pick angle (e.g. pitch, yaw, roll), pick location (e.g. position between neck and bridge), and pick grip (e.g. loose vs tight grip, large vs small contact area), not to mention the pick's material and design itself, can all have major changes in tone and accuracy. Two weeks in, you're juggling so many new concepts and skills that I wouldn't worry too much about it. Once you achieve basic control and comfort with your mandolin, you'll no doubt revisit this.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Peter - It seems that you have the problem that i used to have when i began playing - the pick is rotating in your fingers. Try pressing a tiny amount of BluTak or any 'tacky' substance onto the pick surface where you grip it - anything sugary will do.
It just creates enough extra grip to prevent the pick from rotating.

From marcja - "....(e.g. pitch, yaw, roll)" . Have you been anywhere near the aircraft industry at all ?,
Ivan

[onassis]

A lot of people actually prefer the rounded corner. At two weeks in, I wouldn't sweat it. Plenty of time to work on details down the road. For now, I would just try to get used to making reasonably pleasant sounds with the thing.

[foldedpath]

I spent a couple of years playing on the rounded shoulder of the pick, because I liked the tone better than the tip. It's a bit darker or thicker sounding. Then I eventually switched back to the tip, because it was easier to do "treble" ornaments in Irish music, and I learned how to get that "thicker" tone by slightly angling the pick attack a little more (i.e. pointing the thumb down a tiny bit more towards the floor).

So it's just personal preference; whatever works for 'ya. Just make sure you're choosing it intentionally, and not because you don't have good control of the pick rotating in your fingers.

[UsuallyPickin]

Yup ...... picks do drift around a bit.... If you hold them to tightly that causes other problems. Loose grip , fingers and wrist after a time you will get used to hanging onto a pick and automatically adjust it if needed ...... R/

[sblock]

You can choose to play with the rounded shoulder (Sam Bush does!) or with the pointier end (Chris Thile does!), depending on the tone you seek and your own personal ergonomics. But it's one or the other: you must not allow the pick to rotate in your fingers, presenting a different surface all the time to the strings. Learning to keep the pick from rotating requires skill and practice, which you'll slowly develop. Yes, you can use picks treated with sticky compounds (like Gorilla snot), picks made of intrinsically stickier materials, picks with raised embossments or with holes drilled through them, and so on, to help minimize rotation issues -- but these only help a little, in most cases. What really helps is learning better picking technique! Stick with it, and it will come with time.