Pick Noise

[David]

Can anyone give me a steer regarding the elimination of pick noise? I have the tendency to strum heavily at times and the pick noise really annoys me.

[Mr. Pohl]

The obvious is use your fingers. That aside (because it's a fairly smartass answer), some fingerpicking stylists use acrylic lacquers on the nails to make them able to withstand performance without splitting. The drawback to this is that the nail doesn't breathe while the lacquer is on and it makes the nail more brittle over a long period of time.

You might want to try experimenting with a heavier pick that will withstand the rebound and eliminate the slap.

[rjo]

I agree that a heavier pick will make less noise as a general rule. Pick material also varies widely as to pick noise. Experimentation is the key.

[billv]

What kind of pick are you using now? And what gauge? As has already been mentioned, pick materials, gauges and shapes make for radical differences in tone and extraneous noise.

Bill V.
http://www.billvencil.com
http://www.myspace.com/billvencil