Where do you pick/strum?

[TG]

Where do you pick/strum most of the time? Near the bridge or near the neck pickup?
And then tell us if you are mainly a tele player, a strat player or both.

I'm wondering if there's a correlation between picking position/style and which of those 2 guitars you prefer.

 

[quackerz]

I strangely find myself picking near the last fret when I'm not cautious. I think this is because Tele's have no upper horn and that's where the guitar sits on my body when strapped on. Sitting down, my palm rests on the bridge saddles and my tone changes a bit. I only have 2 Teles and a short-horn Danelectro so they're about the same there.

 

[madgrinder7]

I had to pick them up and look!

I pick and strum about halfway between the pickups on my Tele, right above the middle pickup on my Strat, between the pickups on the Les Paul, and just ahead of the pickup on the Junior.

I try to keep them all in rotation. I really don't have a #1 because I set them all up the way I like, but lately the Junior has been seeing a little more action because of the P90's "quack".

 

[maestrovert]

Where do you pick/strum most of the time?

anywhere from the end of the fingerboard, to right up against the saddles, depending on the tune....i'm constantly using the Tele's controls too

 

[Bones]

All over the place depending on what I'm doing.

 

[jdimitri]

Acoustic: mostly in the middle, changing only for effects
Tele: everywhere, i play with the tone control and picking position constantly changing..
Gotta love that tele

 

[Abe]

I tend to pick near the neck pickup on a tele. What I've discovered recently is that at least for the way I play, the higher notes get "plinky" if I play there as I go up the neck. Moving back towards the bridge seems to get them back a bit fuller. Maybe it's all in my head, but it seems to be that way for me.

 

[The Amazing Phil]

I think the de-plinking is because you're picking closer to the middle of the free section of string.

Myself, I usually pick somewhere between the 20th fret and in between the pickups, sometimes going up by the saddles, but it's all a matter of what the tune I'm playing demands really.

 

[PJ55]

Right Between the Neck PU and Bridgeplate

I play Teles & Strats, but I prefer the Tele for fingerpicking work, since the strings sit higher above the pickguard, and there's no center pickup to obstruct picking. But really all the maneuvers you master on a Tele will translate to a Strat, it's just a different feel, and you need more control.
Probably why most of the "pick & fingers" virtuosos like
Brad Paisley, Mart Stuart, Ray Flacke, Albert Lee, Steve Travato, Steve Morse, etc. often play Teles (although you'll see some of these guys on Strats & Music Mans from time to time). The Tele was made for fingerpicking. Remember, it was the first called the "Electric Spanish Guitar."

 

[Johnny Caster]

Yeah, I pick and strum all over the place depending on what sound I'm going for. There's a definate difference in tone, sustain and twang in different areas.

 

[bobthecanadian]

i play both tele and strat models. i usually pick between the neck and bridge pups. however, on the strat i need to pick a little closer to the bridge sometimes to avoid hitting the middle pickup.

i don't i move the position of my right hand very much but i do use the volume and tone controls quite a bit. so, my picking position does change, but i am usually in the middle. i alter the tone by how i pick the note, not so much where i pick it.

 

[e-merlin]

Where do you pick/strum most of the time? Near the bridge or near the neck pickup?
And then tell us if you are mainly a tele player, a strat player or both.

I'm wondering if there's a correlation between picking position/style and which of those 2 guitars you prefer.

I think you may have solved the mystery about Strats and me!

Early in my playing I got a Tele and my teacher got me to laying the heel of my hand on the saddles. That's the primary way I pick to this day. Of course I move my hand around depending on the sound I want, but I mostly pick close to the bridge.

My picking style doesn't work so well on Strats because the volume knob keeps getting in the way. I usually mod my Strats to a single volume and tone knob and move them to the lower two holes so I have room to pick. Also, I have to set the middle pickup down a bit to keep my pick from snagging on it.

 

[TG]

I think you may have solved the mystery about Strats and me!

Early in my playing I got a Tele and my teacher got me to laying the heel of my hand on the saddles. That's the primary way I pick to this day. Of course I move my hand around depending on the sound I want, but I mostly pick close to the bridge.

My picking style doesn't work so well on Strats because the volume knob keeps getting in the way. I usually mod my Strats to a single volume and tone knob and move them to the lower two holes so I have room to pick. Also, I have to set the middle pickup down a bit to keep my pick from snagging on it.

This is why I started the thread. I've gone thru a load of strats the past few years and I had the same trouble for the same reason. But recently I've gotten more into strumming near the neck and I found that a friend's strat was really great to play that way. So I've just got a strat of my own...again...and I'm having a blast with it. Can't hardly put it down. It will still be teles mainly for live work due to the tonal quality and the way they 'work' in a band so well, but I'm thrilled that I can have a strat too and enjoy it since I respect so many famous strat players.

 

[Pete Galati]

When I'm using a pick, the heal of my palm tends to be about at the bridge saddles for muting purposes.

I try not to pay a lot of attention to specifically what I'm doing though. Being real conscious of my technique messes it up. Best to just do whatever feels natural.

Pete

 

[63dot]

Where do you pick/strum most of the time? Near the bridge or near the neck pickup?
And then tell us if you are mainly a tele player, a strat player or both.

I'm wondering if there's a correlation between picking position/style and which of those 2 guitars you prefer.

if i play a strat type guitar with three single coils, it's between the middle and bridge or middle and neck pickups

with a tele, i have all that space in the middle, as is the case with any guitar with two humbuckers spaced apart

i generally don't like to strum and hit the pickup if the pickup is raised close to the strings but i keep the pickups set back a little anyway on any electric i have used over the years

 

[woodman]

Yeah, I pick and strum all over the place depending on what sound I'm going for. There's a definate difference in tone, sustain and twang in different areas.

a thousand times yes! you can make each pickup sound like three by picking close to the bridge, in the middle or up near the fretboard.

 

[jazztele]

right up by the neck pickup...sometimes, if i'm not paying attention, i tap it...