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Thread: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

  1. #1
    Jim1Hays
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    Smile Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    I am sure most of you have heard of these but I have not seen it posted yet. I ran across the rubber pick grips at a music store here in northern colorado and they are great. They are a little pricey but they are worth it in my opinion. They slip over the top edge of the pick and even fit the golden gate and 207 size picks. They run $2.25 US dollars. Just thought I would throw this out there for anyone interested.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/s...-wandering-off

    I think in that thread they talked about PlastiDip and other liquid grip products that are sold for making power and gardening tools easier to grip. Should be at Home Depot/Lowe's
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  3. #3
    Registered User sblock's Avatar
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    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    There are lots of old threads on the MC related to this problem. And many proposed solutions! Here are some to think about:

    1) Some folks find that simply cleaning their picks regularly with a bit of soap or detergent makes them much less slippery.
    2) Some folks like to use picks that come with with a rough or raised section under the grip area.
    3) Some folks roughen the grip area with a bit of abrasive (sandpaper), or scribe cross-hatched lines with a razor or knife.
    4) Some folks like to use flatpicks that are hybridized with thumbpicks.
    5) Some folks apply a non-slip commercial product to the pick, like Gorilla Snot. Or dip them in PlastiDip.
    6) Some folks prefer picks made from rubber or less slippery materials.
    7) Some folks like commercial pick grips that cover part of the pick.

    And finally, the solution advocated by a great many of us:

    8) Many -- and possibly most! -- beginners are plagued by problems with the pick twisting, or moving in the hand grip, as they play. This is perfectly normal! However, they often find that this problem tends to go away as they get better and better at playing the mandolin. It happens for many reasons. Their grip eventually tends gravitate closer to the "center of percussion" of the pick, at which point the torques on it vanish while striking the string, reducing any further tendency to twist. They also learn (without thinking about it) to make many micro-adjustments in their grip while playing that compensate for the twisting problem. They learn to loosen the grip and angle the pick appropriately. They make many tiny, almost imperceptible changes in grip that lead to the pick seldom twisting. Finally, they also learn how to quickly swivel the pick back into proper position when things do go out of whack.

    Put another way: as you get better and better at flatpicking, the chances are pretty good that pick rotation will happen less and less, and you will not need to rely on any of the solutions in (1)-(7). Admittedly, this doesn't happen for everyone, but it does for most of us. Notice that a good many of the "mandolin heroes" we admire here on the MC (e.g., Thile, Marshall, Monroe, Grisman, Burns, Steffey, and many more) play (or played) with unmodified grips on their flatpicks. It takes lots of practice, but the problem can be tamed by technique alone!

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  5. #4
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    I find that my picks slip when I get tired. A very long late night jam at a camp site (heaven). After several hours of playing I might switch to Wegen pick, only for the holes it has in it that keep my grip firm.

    I have tried Gorilla Snot and the stuff works.
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  6. #5

    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    Loose grip is the key. On the occassion that I feel the pick starting to move I loosen my grip and it rectifys the problem.

    Seems counter intuitive but its true.

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  8. #6
    Registered User mee's Avatar
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    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    Quote Originally Posted by sblock View Post

    And finally, the solution advocated by a great many of us:

    8) Many -- and possibly most! -- beginners are plagued by problems with the pick twisting, or moving in the hand grip, as they play. This is perfectly normal! However, they often find that this problem tends to go away as they get better and better at playing the mandolin. It happens for many reasons. Their grip eventually tends gravitate closer to the "center of percussion" of the pick, at which point the torques on it vanish while striking the string, reducing any further tendency to twist. They also learn (without thinking about it) to make many micro-adjustments in their grip while playing that compensate for the twisting problem. They learn to loosen the grip and angle the pick appropriately. They make many tiny, almost imperceptible changes in grip that lead to the pick seldom twisting. Finally, they also learn how to quickly swivel the pick back into proper position when things do go out of whack.

    Put another way: as you get better and better at flatpicking, the chances are pretty good that pick rotation will happen less and less, and you will not need to rely on any of the solutions in (1)-(7). Admittedly, this doesn't happen for everyone, but it does for most of us. Notice that a good many of the "mandolin heroes" we admire here on the MC (e.g., Thile, Marshall, Monroe, Grisman, Burns, Steffey, and many more) play (or played) with unmodified grips on their flatpicks. It takes lots of practice, but the problem can be tamed by technique alone!
    This is so true and I never really gave it much thought but now I use the picks I first bought and thought I could never use.

  9. #7
    Paul Wheeler
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    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    Just a quick lick to the relevant finger surfaces, gives me enough "tack" to keep the pick from wandering. Possibly a little more effective just after a sip of beer. In any case, a low-tech answer to a low-tech problem. Endless supply, never gets mislaid.
    He joyously felt himself idling, an unreflective mood in which water was water, sky was sky, breeze was breeze. He knew it couldn't last. -- Thomas McGuane, "Nothing but Blue Skies"

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  11. #8
    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    I had this trouble a while back & began using the ''Monster Grips',tiny little self adhesive grippy pads that stick onto the pick. the only problem with them is that they too can get a tad greasy, & once that happens,the picks still slip. I began wiping them down with a 'facial tissue',the sort of things that you get on aircraft flights for wiping your fingers after a meal. That worked,but you need to keep doing it. I now do what Bill Monroe used to do - ''lick 'n pick'' - just wet the pick with saliva & it works. I think that maybe some sticky substance such as powdered Violin rosin would be the best & most long lasting - rosin stays tacky all the time,
    IvanClick image for larger version. 

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  12. #9
    Registered User Mandobart's Avatar
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    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    I drill about three 1/8" holes in the middle of the pick. Provides skin-to-skin contact through the holes for a better grip. Its easy, free, can't peel off, doesn't wear out, fits every pick,etc. Yes even my pricey Wegens and blue chips.

  13. #10
    Registered User Eric Platt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    It still happens to me with Wegen Bluegrass picks from time to time. Most other materials don't rotate in my hand. Wegen does. Even the built in texture and holes don't seem to fix it.

    Otherwise, yes, number 8 is the best method. That said, I still carry around some textured grip picks in my bags for when I'm having a bad day out.
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  15. #11

    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    Totally agree with Eric - for me, the Wegen picks just slide around all over the place! Never have that issue with any solid pick.

    To the OP - just stick at it (no pun intended!) and the situation should improve. And try the many tips that have already been provided earlier in this thread.

  16. #12
    but that's just me Bertram Henze's Avatar
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    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    Quote Originally Posted by Ivan Kelsall View Post
    I think that maybe some sticky substance such as powdered Violin rosin would be the best & most long lasting - rosin stays tacky all the time
    It really does. After all these years I am still using it.

    the world is better off without bad ideas, good ideas are better off without the world

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  18. #13

    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    Quote Originally Posted by Ivan Kelsall View Post
    I had this trouble a while back & began using the ''Monster Grips',tiny little self adhesive grippy pads that stick onto the pick. the only problem with them is that they too can get a tad greasy, & once that happens,the picks still slip. I began wiping them down with a 'facial tissue',the sort of things that you get on aircraft flights for wiping your fingers after a meal. That worked,but you need to keep doing it. I now do what Bill Monroe used to do - ''lick 'n pick'' - just wet the pick with saliva & it works. I think that maybe some sticky substance such as powdered Violin rosin would be the best & most long lasting - rosin stays tacky all the time,
    IvanClick image for larger version. 

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    Good day, Ivan.

    I am very sorry to hear you weren't completely satisfied with our product, and would like to send you a replacement pack. Please drop us a line at info@monstergrips.com. Either it was defective or there was sweat build up. Everyone's chemistry is different, but when the sweat builds up, it will get worse each time, so we recommend washing them with a non-moisturizing soap such as Dawn Dish soap. Moist towelettes and lemon wipes often contain moisturizers along with the alcohol, giving a temporary feel of clean, but making the problem worse as well.

    We guarantee our product, and assure it is the very best available on the market.

    Please give us a chance with the replacement pack.

    All the best to you and yours.
    https://www.monstergrips.com/faqs/

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  20. #14
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    As Sblock has stated above, new players often find this problem goes away with experience. That was pretty much my experience many years back. When I do have problems holding onto picks because my skin is too dry that day I just use a little Gorilla Snot. Even dried up you can get enough out (generally, YMMV). I'll also note that I have yet to see any counterfeit Gorilla Snot on the market. In the absence of any of that rosin is great as is simply washing the pick in warm water. If the rubber holders or pads are your thing then that's cool as well. Over the years I've seen cork, sand paper, holes and a variety of other methods used.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
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  21. #15

    Smile Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    Quote Originally Posted by MikeEdgerton View Post
    As Sblock has stated above, new players often find this problem goes away with experience. That was pretty much my experience many years back. When I do have problems holding onto picks because my skin is too dry that day I just use a little Gorilla Snot. Even dried up you can get enough out (generally, YMMV). I'll also note that I have yet to see any counterfeit Gorilla Snot on the market. In the absence of any of that rosin is great as is simply washing the pick in warm water. If the rubber holders or pads are your thing then that's cool as well. Over the years I've seen cork, sand paper, holes and a variety of other methods used.
    As some background, I invented our grip because I had tried everything else, and they didn't work well enough for me, and the rosin solutions are simply as you would expect, having pine sap on your fingers, which I found frustrating to get dirty or on the guitar, and have to wash my hands after.

    When my wife and I first started out, we attended one of Tommy Emmanuel's shows, and had a chance to sit with him beforehand for quite some time. He thought the product was fantastic even though he doesn't primarily use a flat pick, and thought that placing one inside the thumb-pick would even help.

    We set out to help other guitarists, and since then it exceeded expectations, and we found this is by no means a beginner issue, as Hershel Yatovitz, Scott Van Zen, Lincoln Brewster, Tyler Larson, and many others are vocal advocates of our product. We've been featured in multiple magazines, and changed the pick industry since 2014. You may have noticed an abundance of new pick designs, but they simply can't compete with our grip. To be honest, it is difficult and expensive to manufacture, but it works great and we will keep pressing on.

    Hope it helps.

  22. #16
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    Yeah, I'm just not real comfortable sticking something to an expensive pick if I don't have to. Gorilla Snot simply wears or washes off. I'm sure others will find your product attractive.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

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  24. #17

    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    Quote Originally Posted by MikeEdgerton View Post
    Yeah, I'm just not real comfortable sticking something to an expensive pick if I don't have to. Gorilla Snot simply wears or washes off. I'm sure others will find your product attractive.
    Understood and no worries. To clarify, you can remove it by picking at it with your fingernail when you desire. The adhesive will not damage a pick, and we have verified on BlueChip, StoneWorks, V-Picks, ChickenPicks, Howling Monkey, and many others.

  25. #18
    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    Hi Monstergrips - I was totally satisfied with the Monster grips. They work superbly well until my fingers get a tad moist/greasy. No manufacturer can account for folk's individual chemistry. Some folks have moist hands all the time & some folks have hands as dry as Death Valley !!.

    I do agree - your product is excellent, & washing my hands prior to practicing did work - until !!. For the info. of others - the Monstergrips are extremely thin,& the only way you really know that they're there is by the texture. I'd certainly recommend trying them out & i still have them on my Primetone 'smoothies'.

    Many thanks for the offer of a replacement pack - but the problem lies with me,NOT the 'grips',
    Ivan
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  26. #19

    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    Quote Originally Posted by Ivan Kelsall View Post
    Hi Monstergrips - I was totally satisfied with the Monster grips. They work superbly well until my fingers get a tad moist/greasy. No manufacturer can account for folk's individual chemistry. Some folks have moist hands all the time & some folks have hands as dry as Death Valley !!.

    I do agree - your product is excellent, & washing my hands prior to practicing did work - until !!. For the info. of others - the Monstergrips are extremely thin,& the only way you really know that they're there is by the texture. I'd certainly recommend trying them out & i still have them on my Primetone 'smoothies'.

    Many thanks for the offer of a replacement pack - but the problem lies with me,NOT the 'grips',
    Ivan
    Thank you for the insight, and we appreciate the feedback. Our offer still stands if you change your mind.

    Have a great week!

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  28. #20
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    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    Loose grip is the key. On the occassion that I feel the pick starting to move I loosen my grip and it rectifys the problem.

    Seems counter intuitive but its true.
    This is it, at least for me. When I have problems with the pick moving, it's a sign that I'm starting to get the "death grip" going. When my hand is loose and relaxed, the pick just seems to find the perfect spot. The loose grip seems to help achieve better timing and tone also. YMMV
    Mitch Russell

  29. #21
    Registered User Steve Lavelle's Avatar
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    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    After using thick Wegens for a long time, I recently acquired a BC CT-55 and found it spinning on me (pick is thinner than the Wegens I use). My solution is to apply some painters tape to both sides of the pick. Makes the thinner pick thicker and provides a grip surface.
    Steve Lavelle
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  30. #22
    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    The only problem with sticking 'anything' to a pick,is that eventually,it'll pick up some 'body oils' & cease to be tacky,then you need to clean / replace it. Yesterday,i used some spray Isopropyl alcohol to wipe over one of my Monstergrip applied picks - a 1.5mm triangular Primetone (not my favourite shape).It was as clean as whistle & 'gripped' like crazy - as they do. I used it for a couple of hours without the pick slipping in the slightest,but i know that if i continue to use it,it will eventually need cleaning again - so,for the sake of around the 10 seconds it takes to do it - so what - clean it !.

    I'll still have a few 'grippy' PT picks as well - just in case,
    Ivan
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  32. #23
    Registered User Steve VandeWater's Avatar
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    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    I traded a mandolin with a member of the Pittsburgh Mandolin Orchestra awhile back. He showed me this trick. Apply a bit of Nexcare tape to each side of the pick. I've been doing it ever since and it made all the difference in the world. No more slippery pick. I bought it at CVS. It's cushiony and very grippy!

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    It ain't gotta be perfect, as long as it's perfect enough!

  33. #24
    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    Steve - There's also a first aid surgical tape named ''Micropore''. It comes in small rolls,is VERY thin indeed,is VERY tacky & will do the job extremely well - until it picks up on 'finger grease',then you have to replace it. The ''Monstergrips'' need a de-grease every now & again,but they come back 100% tacky,& you don't need to keep taking them off,
    Ivan

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  35. #25
    Registered User Eric Platt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Picks Slippingand rotating while playing

    Because of this discussion, decided to try some of the Monster Grips. Put one on a Wegen Bluegrass 100. For my hands and my use, definitely helps. Will be trying it out today at a jam session. Obviously, this is not a long term review. For this particular need with this particular brand of pick, it seems to be helping.
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