Changing up your sound by changing up your picking
As players, we’re always searching for that
Holy Grail of tone, and we usually do so by
hunting for new and improved gear or vintage instruments. But are you fully utilizing
the tones you can get from your chosen axe?
Arguably you can get more sounds out of
your Fender Strat than you can from your
Taylor 610. With your electric, you can
add effect pedals or use different amps to
enhance what the instrument can do. But with
the acoustic, you can play hard or soft to get
the sound you want, and with just a little variation in your technique, the same instrument
can sound completely different. When playing
music, you’re not limited to just playing loud
or quiet to create a variety of tones on either
electric or acoustic. A well-crafted instrument
can generate a large range of natural sounds
without any electric augmentation.
Where You Pick
I’m sure we’ve all experimented with picking very close to the bridge and noticed
how much brighter it is there and how much
better it cuts. Conversely, if you strum or
pick closer to, or even over, the neck, you’ll
find the opposite effect: The instrument
sounds darker. There are many tonal varieties between these extremes, as well. When
you see guys like Clapton, Vai, or Beck pick
or strum over different areas of the guitar, it’s
not just because it looks cool. It does look
cool, but they are actually delving into some
of the different tones that can be produce by
striking the strings in these areas.
What You Pick
We know that one of the things that separates
our chosen love goddess from a lot of other
instruments is that you can play the exact
same note in several places all over the neck.
That’s unlike the piano, for instance, where
middle C is middle C, so deal with it! If you
fret middle C on the 15th fret of your wound
A string, it will sound remarkably different
than it will when you play it on the first fret
of the unwound B string. The thickness of the
strings and its point on the neck gives each
note its own individuality. I have to admit that
when I was learning to read music I found this
to be a hindrance. I never knew which middle
C to hit on what string. I now see it as a fantastic tonal playground where I have complete
control of not only a vast range of notes, but
how and where to play them.
If you don’t believe that a large part of a
player’s tone is in his fingers, try playing a
note on any string with your index finger
and then the same note with your pinky. The
thickness of your fingers, as well as the shape
of your hand and its ability to help you fret
that note, will greatly affect the tone. If you
were to take a series of notes and play them
all on the same string with the same finger
it will sound radically different than it would
if you played the same notes on different
strings with different fingers.
How You Pick
It may be fairly obvious to anyone who has
been playing for even a short time, but the
way you attack a note also makes all the difference in the world as to how it will sound.
It may be a simple observation, but that’s
why Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong sounds
radically different than Allan Holdsworth,
even on the same instrument.
The size, shape, and thickness of your pick will
also play a part in your attack and general
sound. I use Dunlop heavy teardrop picks
for most of my electric work. They allow me
to bring in the fleshy part of my right hand’s
index finger for harmonics and a modest
amount of fatness now and then without
having to fumble around with a big piece of
tortex between my fingers. On jazzier stuff
I’ll use a standard pick because, let’s face
it, I‘m not going to be shooting for a Van
Halenesque harmonic scream in the middle
of “Moonlight In Vermont.” When I play
acoustic I rely even more on my pick options
to help realize my tone. If I’m strumming
along on a ballad, I’ll want to hear the sound
of the pick on the strings—in that case, a
light gauge .50 mm is in order. If I’m rockin’
out or doing some heavy picking ala Richie
Sambora on the Bon Jovi classic “Wanted
Dead or Alive,” I’ll want to really dig in, so I’ll
revert back to a standard heavy 1.0 mm pick.
Palm muting also plays a big part in your
instrument’s tone. Shredders like my buddy
Mark Tremonti will tell you that palm muting
is an essential part of shredding. As you mute
the strings near the bridge with the palm of
you right hand (if you play a right-handed
guitar), it allows you to hear the pick attack
with greater definition and therefore accentuates each stroke. But palm muting done sub-
tly can also broaden your range of tones substantially. I will often mute just a little with my
palm. It’s very much like the damper pedal on
a piano and it really creates a sharper focus in
your notes when you need it.
I hope these tips will help you refine your
playing, and find that precise tone you’re
looking for. Until next time, keep jammin’.
Rich Eckhardt is a highly sought-after Nashville guitarist who has performed with singers ranging from Steven Tyler to Shania Twain. He currently plays lead guitar for Toby Keith, and also works as a spokesperson for the Soles4Souls charity (soles4souls.org). His new album, Cottage City Firehouse, is available at richeckhardt.com and CDBaby.com.