# Thumb picks



## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

I play a blues/country style using a flat pick and my fingers. Lately I've almost found it more comfortable to forgo a pick altogether and use my thumb and fingers. But with this technique I can't get the attack I like. I've never felt comfortable with regular thumb picks. They are great for fingerstyle but I'd be going back in forth instantly between flat picking and thumb and fingers. 
I've recently seen some pick products, from Herco and Fred Kelly that have a thumbpick that looks like a regular flat pick attached. 
Has anyone ever used these type of picks and can you tell me about your experiences?


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

I used the herco for a couple years and really liked it. Can't get them where I live now (I lost and/or broke the few I had when I moved up here) so I switched to the Dunlop metal ones. I like the Herco because it does sound and feel like a normal pick when you want it too, but I like the attack I get with the dunlop so I don't think I'll be going back. I also have collosal thumbs, so I like the easy adjustability of the metal ones. I only use it occasionally, flatpick is my usual, so anything I say has to be seen as coming from a rank beginner as far as thumbpicks are concerned. Also, if this makes any difference, Steve Earle used the Herco and has switched to the Fred Kelly - why do I know this? I have no idea! Another cool thumbpick I've seen is from V-picks. A hybrid of metal for the thumb and acrylic, but I can't seem to find a link now.


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## lchender (Dec 6, 2011)

You might want to try your hand at hybrid picking (i.e., holding the pick between your thumb and index finger and using the remaining 3 fingers in a regular fingerstyle technique). A lot of country and folk guys use that technique and it sounds like it might be a good fit for what you're trying to accomplish.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

lchender said:


> You might want to try your hand at hybrid picking (i.e., holding the pick between your thumb and index finger and using the remaining 3 fingers in a regular fingerstyle technique). A lot of country and folk guys use that technique and it sounds like it might be a good fit for what you're trying to accomplish.


Yes its been a really great fit for me for the last 25 years. But lately I've been curious about trying a thumb pick. As I said earlier, lately I've been dropping the flat pick periodically in favor of picking with my thumb. I find it very comfortable to include my index finger in the picking, something that is not possible holding a pick. However, I find most thumb picks very uncomfortable to flat pick with. My style requires me to go back and forth between flat picking and fingerpicking.
I was just curious how many here had tried some of these hybrid thumb picks that looks like its got a regular flat pick attached to a thumb pick.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Fred Kelly makes an unusual variety of thumbpicks, but I prefer the basic ones called Slick Picks. Have used them for years. Some of my friends use the Speed Picks.

http://fredkellypicks.com/

Peace, Mooh.


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## lchender (Dec 6, 2011)

guitarman2 said:


> My style requires me to go back and forth between flat picking and fingerpicking.
> I was just curious how many here had tried some of these hybrid thumb picks that looks like its got a regular flat pick attached to a thumb pick.


Sorry, I partially misunderstood you. I thought you meant you were switching back and forth between using a pick and pure fingerstyle (no pick), but you already are a hybrid picker. 

I don't hybrid pick at all because I could never get the pick and my fingers to be similar enough to each other tonewise. I tend to "palm" my pick in the crook of my middle finger (holding it between the 1st and second knuckle on the UNDERSIDE of the finger) when I need to switch to straight fingerpicking (i.e., be able to use my thumb and index finger for fingerpicking). I've gotten so I can switch back and forth very quickly. Might be worth a try if you don't really want to resort to a thumbpick?


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## ccuwan (Jul 9, 2008)

*Deja vu*

I wrote this a couple of years ago but it seems to be applicable again:

"I too had great difficulty adjusting from thumb play to thumb pick play. The scale was all screwed up as the pick stood so far from the edge of my thumb. The change was too great to adjust to on short notice. What I've been doing and it works great for me is file down the thumb pick until it extends just past the edge of my thumb. I find this is much more comfortable than the great extension on an unmodified pick. The pick in the picture is the basic Dunlop thumb modified to my needs."







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