Does anyone use thumb picks?

[swankerme]

I recently bought a set of Herco thumbpicks, which are standard triangular shape but wrap around your thumb/finger.

http://www.amazon.com/Herco-HE112P-Thumb-Picks-Assorted/dp/B0002OOMWQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1301153331&sr=1-3

Perhaps I am inexperienced, or maybe I am just a pick "clutz", but I tend to drop my picks frequently. I have recently been using these guys wrapped around my index finger, what an amazing difference it makes. Does anyone else use them in mandolin playing?

[Rodney Riley]

I tried one thumb pick. It must have been too small because my thumb would go numb and start throbbing pretty quick. Gave it away. Using "Star" .60 mm picks now.

[Bertram Henze]

I use a thumb pick and fingerpicks for fingerpicking, not for platpicking.

Like Rodney said, thumbpicks tend to hurt after a while - they are supposed to hold fast under any circumstances without the aid of the index finger, after all. This applies for normal thumbpicks, though, I don't know about these "hybrid" thumb-flatpicks.

But the normal aids and procedures against pick slippage (rosin, holes etc.) described elsewhere were always good enough for me to get along with normal flatpicks.

[Ivan Kelsall]

One of the principles of using a flat pick for playing a Mandolin,is to hold it loosely between thumb & first finger.With a thumb-pick there's no way that you can do that.The thumb-pick will be far too rigid. Stick with the flat pick as we've all done & you'll get there just as, again,we all did. Dropping & flirting picks all over the place is 'par for the course' - enjoy it,
Ivan

[John Flynn]

"Grip aids" including holes in the pick, sticky stuff, a thumb pick etc. are personal preference. I've tried most of them, but prefer not to used them. I think it's important to develop that "feel" or "balance" that allows you to hold the pick loosely, but consistently. I have used a thumb pick with two finger picks for finger-picking, which worked well, but I've abandoned that technique in favor of cross-picking. I like the flexibility to easily switch from rolls to flat picking to strumming.

[montana]

I've always used herco thumb picks to play mandolin.

[Malcolm G.]

I just received the Blue Chip JD Crow thumbpick for my banjo work. Great! And on finger-pickin' guitar too.

Tried it on mando - for me - a disaster.

I'll stick with heavy flatpicks for mandolin.

[Plectrum]

I like a heavy flatpick for guitar and mandolin. Something I've done in the past is to score criss-crossing lines on both sides of the flatpick with a razor blade to create some grippy texture.

[EdSherry]

For me the "hybrid" flat/thumbpicks (like the Herco) just don't cut it for mando. Too little flexibility in the pick angle relative to the hand and strings.

I agree that dropping picks is no fun. That's why almost all of the picks I use on a regular basis either have holes in them (like these Wegen bluegrass picks):

http://elderly.com/accessories/items/WP-BG-WHT.htm


or raised embossed lettering to give me a better grip (like these Jim Dunlops):

http://elderly.com/accessories/items/PK12P-100.htm



I often use the Fred Kelly "speed picks" to swap between fingerpicking and flatpicking on a guitar, but they're not stiff enough for me to use on a mando.

http://elderly.com/accessories/items/PK24-H.htm

Some folks use rosin on the pick to give them a better grip (like this "Gorilla Snot" or equivalent -- don't laugh, it works!):

http://elderly.com/search/elderly?terms=gorilla+snot



(NFI for all of these.)

[pops1]

I just got a blue chip thumb pick, but made with a flat pick bevel. A thumb pick is designed to come down on the strings not go up and down. Had it made close to the thumb so not so long and its close like i hold my pick. Only wanted to use it for dances that get real long as sometimes my thumb cramps up when playing acoustic and hard. Use the pick most of the time, but it has it's place.

[Rickey Noel Mitchell]

Due to an accident years ago, I've really never used any thing else and I probably couldn't play without one. The secret is... I sand down the inside of the pick to the preferred thickness.
Picking with a regular thumb pick slowed down my cross picking and wore out my hand a whole lot quicker.
Also...when I say sand it down, I mean file it down unless your good with a dremel too or similar.