Pick rotating while strumming?!

geetarguy85

Hi All,

I'm guilty of having seriously neglected my strumming technique over the past 13  years. I've decided to rectify that as of a couple of weeks ago, however, since applying focused practice I've realised that the pick tends to rotate while I'm strumming. This means that the first few strums are great, but after maybe 5-10 strums the pick has rotated such that one of the edges is contacting the string rather than the tip. In turn, that gives me inconsistent strums, and I end up missing the strings sometimes.

It's driving me nuts! I've tried many different picks including:

• Jazz IIIs
• Dunlop Big Stubbies
• Dunlop Stubbies (my go-to picks for my normal playing)
• Tortexs (varying thicknesses from maybe .7 to 2.0mm)
• Generic picks of varying thicknesses

I hold my picks with a conventional thumb-index grip. Reasonably loose so that my hand isn't tensed up, but not so loose that I drop the pick.

I have this problem with both electric (PRS SE Cu24, 10 gauge strings) and acoustic (PRS SE Angelus Custom, 10 gauge strings).

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thank you in advance  

Lestratcaster

Try the Dunlop gator grip, or the nylon grip ones, the gator grips have a special sandpaper like surface so you're meant to have better grip. 

I've switched to the Tortex wedge as its got a wider shoulder for extra gripping surface. I can probably still get by with the normal Tortex's but find these ones better.

m_c

I used to suffer from this quite badly, and still do to some extent but I can now control it enough it's not a problem.

Experiment with the angle the pick is hitting the strings (I.e. drop/raise your wrist slightly), and learn how the pick reacts. The pick spins because you're not hitting the strings square, so the strings gradually spin it around. Adjusting the angle keeps it square, and with practice you learn to raise/lower you wrist to bring it back to where you want it.

Maynehead

It could be because you have too much of the pick sticking out from under the thumb. The more the pick sticks out, the less you have to grip and also the more torque the strings will have on the pick itself to make it rotate.

Try with as little of the pick sticking out as possible, it doesn't matter if your fingers brush the strings slightly whilst strumming.

Phil_aka_Pip

If you grip the pick between thumb and forefinger you may find that applying pressure with varying parts of your thumb tends to rotate the pick on its longitudinal axis around the last joint of your forefinger. As your wrist rotates to move the pick to the string you're trying to play on, so you must rotate the pick to ensure it is parallel to the string when it strikes it. This in turn helps the pick not to rotate about its equatorial axis.

bingefeller

Try holding the pick between your thumb, index and middle when strumming.  

Phil_aka_Pip

bingefeller said:

Try holding the pick between your thumb, index and middle when strumming.  

I think I've seen pics of Jimi Hendrix doing it that way. Doesn't work for me though

Veganic

I think we can rule out the pick being the problem 

Hard to see what you mean without pictures.

So a 2 dimensional pick is rotating.
It is either rotating toward your wrist ( anticlockwise for right handed looking down) or the other way.

If an external force is rotating then you are probably either forward slanting or back slanting the pick.
Another possible cause is your fingers are moving relative to each other(like a someone throwing a dart?).

Does any of that sound familiar?

Solutions? I dunno
Try a very thin pick.
Flat approach to the strings.
Try strumming up the neck over the end of the froetboard or anywhere up to the 12th fret. This will reduce the string force on the pick and make pick slanting very difficult. (I think it sounds great on electric anyway but what do I know?)

Let me know if it helps via the 'lol' to 'wisdom' scale. 

 

stickyfiddle

Maybe just get used to it? I mean that utterly seriously - I played almost entirely with the pick "backwards" for a long time. As long as you're not doing Vai/Gilbert/Petrucci type stuff.

fandango

Other potential solutions:

1. Gorilla Snot
2. http://www.pykmax.com/

And have you ever tried a stylus pick?

Alvin

How about filing the points off to make them round .  That way it can't be the wrong way around .  Many people don't use the pointy side, there's no rules .

Alvin

Or drill holes in them like Rick Parfitt ?

Matt_McG

I had a little play around trying to make it happen. If I hold the pick fairly lightly and strike with the pick slanted relative to the strings (which I would do normally if playing single note lines), I can make it rotate towards my wrist.

However, if just change my wrist angle slightly to bring it parallel to the strings, or more parallel to the strings, the problem goes away. 

Roland

I’ve had this same problem of a rotating pick whilst strumming. It was due to slanting. Now, when picking single strings I purposely slant to vary the level of attack. Sometimes I move the pick from the elbow, sometimes from the wrist, and sometimes with a finger movement as well. So I wasn’t going to add a second finger to my pick grip. Instead I did three things which, working together have reduced the effect of the problem. 

First, I moved my second finger up so that the side of the finger, between nail and joint, is in contact with the back edge of the pick. It’s not holding the pick, just supporting it. Secondly I changed my picking style so that the pick is flat as it contacts the strings when strumming, but kept the slant for picking individual notes. Thirdly I sought out different picks. The last batch I’ve drilled three 1/8th dia holes across the pick, similar to a Techpick.

geetarguy85

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I'm pretty sure it's due to me attacking the strings at a slight angle, so I'll try some of the things mentioned here to remedy that.