Pick chioces.

[WmBuoymaster]

What is the advantages to using a Fender or Dunlop traingle pick versus smaller ones. I am having a hard time keeping the normal size picks in my fingers. Would a larger one such as the triangle ones be a benifit? I cant believe what they cost but Im just not grasping the other very well. No pun intended.

[Mandoplumb]

I think you mean disadvantages of larger pick. I don't guess there would be any if you can control it. A large pic to me seems more flexible, and awkward to me but that may be because I've never gotten used to them, of course I've never gotten used to them because they seem more flexible and awkward to me. Just my thoughts on that.

[Randi Gormley]

Playing around with picks is one of the perks of the mandolin. Size, composition and weight are all fun to try out. If something doesn't work, just pick up something else. There is no "right" pick just like there's no "right" string gauge (except ultralights for old bowlbacks, but that's something entirely different).

some of the classicists use Roman picks which look like willow leaves. Some use triangles. I personally like a tiny jazz pick that's fairly thin, although not particularly flexible. I own a couple of guitar-sized picks that I use when my arthritis flares up and I can't grasp my usual (a rare occurrence, but it has happened).

If you find the larger triangle picks more comfortable, go for it.

[Mark Wilson]

Playing around with picks is one of the perks of the mandolin. Size, composition and weight are all fun to try out. If something doesn't work, just pick up something else.

And for the first few years - hang onto all of them. The one you don't like today will be the one that works best next year

[T.D.Nydn]

There are some of us (gulp) that spend stupid money on picks. ...

[HonketyHank]

Buried somewhere, probably not too deep, is a thread on the "traveling pick sampler" or some such. You put your name on the list and you get sent a very wide selection of picks to sample (not to keep). Then you send them along to the next person on the list. Somebody here will probably give you a link to it if you can't find it. Some folks have even made videos of their comparisons.

[Bill McCall]

My pick preference comes and goes, as mentioned earlier. Its a constant struggle to hold the pick loosely, but not have it drift in my hand. The Dunlop Primetones comes in textured and non textured finishes in various thicknesses, and aren't Blue chip or Red Bear priced. Should be worth a try.

While some folks swear by one pick, I swear at all of them, usually daily.

[WmBuoymaster]

My pick preference comes and goes, as mentioned earlier. Its a constant struggle to hold the pick loosely, but not have it drift in my hand. The Dunlop Primetones comes in textured and non textured finishes in various thicknesses, and aren't Blue chip or Red Bear priced. Should be worth a try.

While some folks swear by one pick, I swear at all of them, usually daily.

Swear eh. Lol.

I'm gonna try a few different ones. I have a lesson tomorrow and maybe they will let me test drive some. Thanks

[JEStanek]

For $10 you can try a variety of lesser expensive decent picks. I have tried the Wegens and some other (not the Blu Chip) and find that on one mandolin and string set, one particular pick sounds better than some other one. Variety is good. My base pick is the Dawg pick. But, try a bunch out, have a little collection and see what works.

I've drilled 5-7 small holes into a pick to help it stay put in my grip.

Jamie

[jasona]

And for the first few years - hang onto all of them. The one you don't like today will be the one that works best next year

This. I am now back to Dunlop 207s as my preferred pick after having tried everything through the years. Really drawing excellent tone with it too.

[Chris Daniels]

Buried somewhere, probably not too deep, is a thread on the "traveling pick sampler" or some such. You put your name on the list and you get sent a very wide selection of picks to sample (not to keep). Then you send them along to the next person on the list. Somebody here will probably give you a link to it if you can't find it. Some folks have even made videos of their comparisons.

I have been summoned!

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...erested/page23

C.

[Mark Gunter]

^^^ This!

The pick sampler is a "must do" for a newbie. Opened my eyes and put me on a path of pick collecting. Also, it changed a lifelong habit - I began using large, thick triangles after a lifetime of using teardrop-shaped, medium gauge picks. (A lifetime with guitar, I'm a mandolin newbie).

You might prefer something different, we all have different preferences, but give the sampler a try and find out if you like any of the ones in there.

[Ivan Kelsall]

I find the large triangular shaped picks too much of a fingerful for me. Too much material not doing anything except getting in the way of how i hold my pick. The Dunlop 'Primetone' 1.5mm teardrop shaped 'grippy' ones are 'the' best' picks i've ever used. I did buy some 1.5mm 'smooth' triangular ones,but as i said they were too much to grip,so i gave a couple away - i'll keep the other 2 in case i have a 'relapse' !.

The best advice re. picks for anybody = try every pick that you can,of every shape / thickness / material & eventually,you'll find the 'right one for your mandolin'. However,that doesn't mean that if you find another brand / gauge of strings' that you prefer over the ones that you're using now,that the pick will sound the same. Different pick / string combos. will have different tones on 'your' mandolin = it takes time !,
Ivan

[PhilGox]

If you only ask about the possible advantages of a triangle pick:

-Three tips to use instead of one = lasts three times longer.
-Any which way you get it, it's in the right direction, you can't miss it.

Except this, it's just a matter of preference.

[Jes Woodland]

As has said before in this thread, trying different picks is a really interesting part of learning the Mandolin. I've tried different thicknesses, materials shapes...I've even made my own out of different hardwoods and metals, just to see what sound/tone I get.(South American Purple Heart is my favourite home brewed pick)
PAS is also much cheaper than MAS!

[Mike Snyder]

Watch the Marshall and Thile instructional videos. If you are able to get the big triangle picks back on the first knuckle index finger and lots of thumb in the grip, the back edge of the pick sits in the inside of the second knuckle index finger. The pick will not turn. The grip can be relatively loose and the tone will be fat. Works best with thick big triangle picks. Felt odd at first, and may not be your "thing" but it works. Plenty good pickers do different, but it's a way that works. Have fun!

[JeffD]

As an aside. No need to feel self conscious liking many picks for many reasons. There are some hard core pick collectors out there. We have nothing on them.

It is likely there is a Pick Collectors Café somewhere on the web, where they debate on whether to risk damaging your picks by actually playing a musical instrument with them.

I really enjoy people who are passionate about stuff.

[CES]

I like a large triangle 1.3-1.5 mm pick. Have a couple of teardrop shaped wegens still around, but the triangle versions (and my Blue Chips) get almost all the play now. Definitely try a bunch out, and agree to keep all of them for a few years. Who knows what you'll try over and like...

I find that I'm even preferring 1.4 mm picks on guitar now, though I'll use 1-1.2 mm picks if I'm mainly strumming rather than flat picking. Big change from the Fender mediums and 0.73 mm Tortex picks I started with, lol

[MC16]

Watch the Marshall and Thile instructional videos. If you are able to get the big triangle picks back on the first knuckle index finger and lots of thumb in the grip, the back edge of the pick sits in the inside of the second knuckle index finger. The pick will not turn. The grip can be relatively loose and the tone will be fat. Works best with thick big triangle picks. Felt odd at first, and may not be your "thing" but it works. Plenty good pickers do different, but it's a way that works. Have fun!

Here is one of those videos. Its 10 minutes long, but worth the watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdhVC0DzfFY

[DavidKOS]

Here is one of those videos. Its 10 minutes long, but worth the watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdhVC0DzfFY

Frankly Thile lays it out pretty durn well. There's not much to disagree with, and the one thing at about 5:30 -ish in about the thumb vs. 1st finger, closed or open grip, is pretty volume dependent.

If you play an electric instrument or do not need top volume, then the fingers can be well matched in up and downstrokes - but if you need a lot of power and volume (say in a BG band that has a banjo) then Thile's makes a good point about other fingers supporting the index finger.

Watch some of his other videos of all genres and see just how much he does support his fingers - and just how much he slightly opens up to use a touch of circular picking at times.

[David L]

As an aside. No need to feel self conscious liking many picks for many reasons. There are some hard core pick collectors out there. We have nothing on them.

It is likely there is a Pick Collectors Café somewhere on the web, where they debate on whether to risk damaging your picks by actually playing a musical instrument with them.

I really enjoy people who are passionate about stuff.

At a quick glance, that looks like the picks are collected for what they say or who played them, not HOW they play. that is like collecting an instrument because of who owned it, not how it sounds.

[JeffD]

At a quick glance, that looks like the picks are collected for what they say or who played them,..

Yea. Some collect based on artist, some on brand names, or marketing on pick, some on who owned them or played them, some on color, shape, everything but how they play. It seems a lot like stamp collecting, where using the stamp to actually send mail is no part of nothin'.

It seems that the artist collectors, some of them, talk about getting on the stage after a show and picking up picks the band dropped. And also rock stars who deliberately drop picks or throw them off stage for collectors.

It would not surprise me if there were picks in collectors circles that were never made for pickin'. Just for collecting. Again, like commemorative stamps, dog stamps, cat stamps, and such.

And probably some who only collect picks made for pickin' and others who only collect picks that were actually used.

[Chris Daniels]

And also rock stars who deliberately drop picks or throw them off stage for collectors.

Yngwie Malmsteen has turned this into an art (or assault). I was FRC at a recent show he was a part of and he was flinging picks everywhere at a rapid-fire pace. Despite not really caring since I had one of his from 25 years ago I ended up with three, tossed another three or four to rows behind me, could have caught half a dozen more that went sailing overhead, and got hit in the forehead twice.

They're OK picks for mando being 2mm Dunlops so I've already put one in Pick Sampler #2 and will probably add another to #1 when it gets to me in a week or so.

C.

[WmBuoymaster]

Excellent video. Probably the best one I've seen. Man I need to learn who the big boys are with this instrument.

I'll be grabbing a few picks today at my lesson and give them a go. Thanks for all the info!!

[Franc Homier Lieu]

Here is one of those videos. Its 10 minutes long, but worth the watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdhVC0DzfFY

This is such a great video, I just gotta embed it (again, it appears in many other Cafe threads....)