For Real, What Thickness Pick Should I Be Using?

[@joeyraymond1168]

all those salty commenters should be more appreciative of someone who is willing to give out so much music knowledge for free smh.. thanks for the vids as always brotha!

[@seandaniel23]

My man Joey! Always good to hear from you!

[@41mhz25]

Joey Raymond Straight up man! Sean Rocks! He always keeps it fun and interesting. Some people are just miserable and they need to share that misery.

[@joeyraymond1168]

41 Mhz right? lol some people just have nothing better to do than to spread hate.

[@da5idnz]

I think a thinner pick is better for beginners - something like the .60. Beginners are not used to dragging a pick across strings (it sort of feels to them like dragging a stick along a wooden plank fence) and a thinner pick gives them more leeway (a bendy green branch instead of a thick stick). Experienced players like thicker picks, I think. They know where the strings are and it gives more control and accuracy.

[@seandaniel23]

Good call. I started with the .60s and gradually went up.

[@jhrdrake7205]

Nonsense, Paul Gilbert uses .60 and he could smoke any of us any day. So does John Frusciante and EVH used thinner picks. The greatest thing about thinner picks is that you can pretty much throw your compression pedal away. Those volume spikes that come with heavier picks are gone. All it takes to really play well with a thinner pick is a very relaxed hand and they glide through the strings perfectly. Now playing with thick picks just feels like hitting the strings with a brick! They thud, thin picks sing.

[@jhrdrake7205]

@@seandaniel23 Started with thin went thick for a while and like Paul Gilbert settled with the fact that thin are the best for all around playing, strumming, solos etc. The herd goes with thick but thick are very limiting if you dont want to play shred or jazz. If you are the only guitar in your band and want to strum funk, pick solos etc I believe thin are the way to go. Or thinner at least. See John Frusciante, he swears by the .60s

[@dpcustom]

re picks: the answer is: depends on the song! Do you want a sharp attack on the notes, or a mellower sound? The thickness will affect these. I always have a selection of 4 or 5 of varying thicknesses or materials, and choose depending on the effect I want in playing that particular song. No one choice is right for all music!

[@seandaniel23]

Definitely right on!

[@lordrob13]

.73mm is my fav pick thickness!

[@lordrob13]

whatever has grips on it cause my fingers get pretty sweaty. i find .73 to be great for both strumming and soloing so thats what i go with. also jimmy page uses that size pick and jimmy page is god

[@seandaniel23]

Best of both worlds!

[@41mhz25]

When I started playing I took the advice of using the fattest pick I could find along with the thickest strings I could get my hands on. I was told it would help me build finger strength so when I switched to fishing line I could play fast and decisive. Five years later I still want the thickest pick and fatest strings I can get my hands on. Its gotten into my head and thats how I roll.

[@seandaniel23]

Whatever works! Keep rocking my man!

[@timothkeyyprice]

Liked your ideas, agree mostly. But this is important: the 5th of F# can only be C#. Db does not appear in the key at all. Not knit picking, but accurate, and learning this helps to take some of the confusion out of spelling notes in keys. Thanks.

[@seandaniel23]

Thanks for adding to the convo Tim!

[@cheezewheel]

I like the grippy picks, I used to rough up picks with a key or sand paper.

[@seandaniel23]

Definitely like the gators.

[@RC32Smiths01]

For the next QandA: What are your top 3 favorite keys to simply play in? Major and/or Minor

[@seandaniel23]

Consider it done!

[@RC32Smiths01]

thanks my man!

[@captainkangaroo4301]

Since they stopped killing tortoises I’ve settled on the Blue Chip TAD 55 as a flat pick. And the Fred Kelly Slick Pick and John Pearse for thumb picks. But I’ll bet I have used 50 different kinds over the years. You just need to try a bunch and find what you like and expect it’ll change over time.

[@seandaniel23]

Right on Jeff, just try as many as you can!

[@Jbeliski]

I really like the triangular even sided picks where it doesn't matter which point you use. They feel great and you can play them drunk.

[@seandaniel23]

Haha, good call.

[@metroidandroid]

that pink dunlop tortex plays amazing, I think it is 0.7mm, I need to buy them again!

[@seandaniel23]

whatever works!!

[@kkdeveauxgue5492]

I use med. Gel picks I used the heaviest for yrs.but it just thinkens the sound,but you gotta be careful because you'll get tired from holding and strumming and picking at the same time,a med.gel gives me more flexibility across the strings..I don't know whatever works for you..

[@seandaniel23]

I'll need to check out the gel ones.

[@kkdeveauxgue5492]

Sean Daniel Yeah their real comfortable to use Everytime I recorded a song it just sounded like I was pounding against the strings and you could hear the strumming over the sound I was producing it's not a good nite.heavy picks just give you more depth and Acr..that's it..you get sound too,,but on acoustic I wouldn't recommend heavy picks

[@CompoundInterest-SG]

If I use a pick, I use the thinnest I can find, which right now is 0.46. I find that with thicker picks, I have to overly cautious with it to not get stuck on strings or play obnoxiously loud. With a thin pick I don’t have to worry as much about those things, and can just strum away. But maybe it’s just because I am bad at using a pick. I mostly play with my fingers rather than a pick.

[@seandaniel23]

It's true though those thinner picks will just glide over the string set. It definitely gives you a signature sound.

[@DarkOakBlogTv]

I plucked for a decade before I even picked up a pick (no pun intended). Sounds weird but I felt a disconnect from my guitar when I used one. Nowadays I pluck and strum all with the hands and nails alone (even on electric :O ). Suits me fine and I like my sound. Still always feel like an odd sock when I play or gig with others though.

[@seandaniel23]

I hear ya! I'm actually kind of headed that way.

[@MRPERFECT_79]

I saw on reelz that the desert folk are a dangerous new street/desert gang.

[@seandaniel23]

I'm afraid.

[@areejkhalid904]

How can people be sooo DISRESPECTFUL!! Those are completely the jealous ones, DAMN those people :P, and your videos are very helpful, and best part they are FREE!! huge respect for you MAN

[@seandaniel23]

Thanks so much, Areej!

[@areejkhalid904]

You're most welcome 😄

[@venchergaming]

I use .71 and a 1.20 for most things i play, but i have a few original pieces that i use a .52 due to the tone produced.....maybe a little too meta for pick choices

[@seandaniel23]

Whatever works!

[@dotdots2660]

This valley girl knows a lot about guitar.

[@seandaniel23]

I try :)

[@DavidRFIT]

I'm can't wait for the Salty Lousiana land owner comment of the week

[@seandaniel23]

We'll get to all of them.

[@MasonMishael]

Could you please put Q&A in the title? I love your Q&As, but I sometimes skip over them until I come around to it later. Then I'm like, oh I wish I watched this sooner!

[@olivermead415]

I've played for about a year, and I use the thickest picks I can find, which at the moment is a Jim Dunlop Big Stubby triangle 3.0mm. I tried using a piece of flint, that I had smoothed off and polished, for a while but that was harder than steel so it wore away the strings quite fast

[@timothyrice1621]

Oliver Mead Yeah, I started with the Jim Dunlop Big Stubby 2.0 mm and didn't quit that until I found the 3.0 mm

[@seandaniel23]

Those are beasts!

[@armata6530]

I myself am I bass player. I saw primus live on Monday and it was insane. I was just curious as to what your opinion is and your thoughts on bands where the bass is the lead.

[@seandaniel23]

I wish there were more of them! Huge Primus fan! Never gotten to see them live though!

[@armata6530]

Sean Daniel glad to hear that! As I’ve done lessons with many teachers learning bass, they all kinda teach me how to be the typical bass player and I think it’s just time I go off on my own and write some music of my own. Not so traditional.

[@areejkhalid904]

Sean what do you think about 0.69 mm pick for strumming?, and does the thickness of pick effect the strumming, sound of chords or anything?

[@seandaniel23]

I think those are great!

[@Simhovla]

For the next Q and A, Sean do you even lift or do any sort of sport/activity?

[@seandaniel23]

Definitely a lot of basketball and swimming :)

[@icestorm40]

I had never heard of the Shins before, so I did my listening homework. About two and half minutes or so in I realized why...............

[@seandaniel23]

Not for everyone :)

[@SanitysVoid]

Does anyone know what kinda pick is a .071? Is that thin, medium or heavy?

[@seandaniel23]

To me that’s medium-thin. I personably think thin is .6 and medium is .8

[@aparise1]

It's not the size of the pick, but how you use it............my wife is saying bs right now.

[@themacocko6311]

AaronP Poop, I just typed that joke...

[@seandaniel23]

Hey oh!

[@judosailor]

I have this pet theory that the better a person gets on guitar the thicker the pic that they use. Or at least, the better you are on guitar the less you are afraid to try out and experiment with thicker picks. When I first started I used a very flimsy thin pick. As I got better I eventually settled on the good old fender medium. But now since I’ve recently started going back and trying to get even better, including playing some scales and lead, I’ve ended up settling on the John Petrucci jazz iii.

[@seandaniel23]

I'll agree with that.

[@camh_plays2241]

I'm an acoustic player but I really like 1.14 picks. I prefer thinker picks.

[@stevanlezaja4203]

Corey Hicks I usually play electric guitar but I prefer thicker picks on acoustic, too (1.4mm)

[@seandaniel23]

1.14s are good too.

[@theodoregriffin3565]

Sean, Your lessons are by far the best I’ve seen on KZbin. Especially the ones on strumming and dynamics. Is there a way I can contact you with specific questions?

[@whitesonmwansa7822]

How do you avoid playing arpeggios when trying to make/play lead part of a song?

[@seandaniel23]

Personally I think the key to that is full scale shapes. Specifically doing triplets backward through a scale or mode, I'll try and talk about this more in a video soon :)

[@whitesonmwansa7822]

Sean Daniel Thank you.

[@DSpeir-pi6tm]

Happy Independence day :)

[@seandaniel23]

Right back at ya! Hope you had a great one!

[@terryg4589]

Question: What is the point in alternate picking? I've heard people say it gets the attack of the string of strings more consistent, but surely that is just down to practice. Is there anything wrong with wanting to go down two or three times in a row?

[@seandaniel23]

Nothing wrong at all. Personally I see alternate picking as an easier way to keep time, but 'economy' picking is just as practical.

[@straightshooter8662]

Loved the southern accent LoL

[@seandaniel23]

I'll try and use it more.

[@angelgallegos4250]

Important question regarding guitar...can you play wonderwall?

[@seandaniel23]

Every show!

[@ghfdt368]

What are some substitute chords for the 7 in a progression? I know on the 5 you can use a dominant 7 chord for example. But what can you substitute a diminished chord with to give a different flavour of tension? Thanks 🙂

[@TheSammyreynolds]

For the 5 chord you can substitute that for a m7b5 starting on the major 3rd of the 5 chord. Example. If you have a G7 chord you can play a Bm7b5.

[@ghfdt368]

sammy reynolds I actually didn't know how to find the m7b5 chord until now. That's really helpful thanks. I'm wondering what you can substitute a 7 for though also in a progression. For example if you were in the key of A, and it was a 1,4,2,7,1 progression or something what substitutions can you use for the 7?

[@seandaniel23]

My go-to is just making is a minor7 chord. So like in the key of C, just add a Bm7 into the progression.

[@meowtrox1234]

What pick to use for a higher fret action?

[@danielescoto9436]

Sean Daniel is hottt😍

[@seandaniel23]

(blushing)

[@joshuatate5671]

🤣

[@epicmonkey3347]

0:52 shoulda played wonderwall

[@seandaniel23]

Golden opportunity.

[@An2oine]

Steve Clayton .80 here.

[@seandaniel23]

Solid choice.

[@conbaz106]

1.0 is all a man/woman needs

[@seandaniel23]

Right on Conor!

[@ashuzguitar]

5:30

[@radsy5821]

You play a Taylor? I've had a Big Baby for about 15 years. Brofist.

[@seandaniel23]

Right back at ya James!

[@Seltaeb_]

What pick...? 1.14 Jazz IIIs. All else is wrong, deal with it. I know best, I have a cool hat.

[@41mhz25]

Seltaeb LMAO

[@seandaniel23]

Jazz IIIs for the win!

[@charlieg7388]

I can play with anything .....because I'm a rock n rollin...beer drinkin..son of a gun

[@seandaniel23]

Rock on Charlie!

[@lucashernandez8146]

Hi sean, there is a bot spamming questionable links if you haven't noticed yet. Have a great day.

[@seandaniel23]

I haven't seen it, I wonder if my filter thing is catching it in the comments.

[@batman8293]

Not sure if Sean Daniel or Blonde Guy...

[@seandaniel23]

Can't tell myself anymore :0

[@LunaticTheCat]

1mm picks are a little too bendy for me. I'm a fan of ~1.5mm picks.

[@AnkitRautMusic]

I use 0.46

[@seandaniel23]

The thin-ness!

[@TheKolen2434]

For real?

[@ReverendDudeKyle]

I'm a bassist so I roll with a 1mm

[@seandaniel23]

Like a boss!

[@dong4176]

you should read all your salty comments with that Alabama accent lol

[@seandaniel23]

Haha, I'm tempted.

[@joepolygraph]

Foghorn Leghorn the next one a wee better. Lmao. Add some "boys" in there, and give the audience an example.of how "sharp" he is Get it? Sharp? Ha Unless it's a chick being salty, and then it might be......... Wait for it FLAT HA I kill me Thank you everyone, dont forget to tip your waiters and waitresses

[@seandaniel23]

Hey oh!

[@skye_ostrea]

Please! stop im not like you bruh

[@seandaniel23]

Can't stop, won't stop!