Thank you Brother, for your excellent very informative video. I very recently gotten back to playing my 12 string Guild after a hiatus of fifty years (!). I am almost 77 years old and only had 43 years left to perfect my technique. I possess an American size 9 hand and was totally unable to use even XL thumb picks Your excellent tutorial is totally enlightening and in my case is a life changer! I am literally blown away at your mastery of the guitar! Wow! Thank you!
@joszefrviz398
9 ай бұрын
Far out. Hated thumb picks because they feel weird. But now I think there is no reason not to modify one and give it another go. Thanks for posting!
@bensmithguitar
9 ай бұрын
It makes life a lot easier for me!
@stephentaylor7490
18 сағат бұрын
Hi Ben You made an Ord thumb pick for a while ago. I totally loved it. Sorry to say I just dropped it and it broke! Just wondering if you could crank out another one. Thanks Stephen Taylor
@aperezdeal
3 ай бұрын
Finally. Some one just says it, “yeah it’s uncomfortable. Life is uncomfortable. Deal with it.”
@stevebutton4112
8 ай бұрын
Thanks Ben - works a treat. I've gone from a cack-handed thumb picker to slightly less clunky in an hour! And suddenly the volume difference between thumb pick and fingers is not so pronounced :-)
@mickholroyd2190
11 ай бұрын
Should try "Black Mountain " spring loaded picks..I only have 2 fingers left on my hand for strumming n they work great for me..
@davedavem
Жыл бұрын
This is my kind of content! 🙌
@bensmithguitar
Жыл бұрын
Niche...😜
@davedavem
Жыл бұрын
@@bensmithguitarwe've all got to have one! 😆
@KyPalmo
5 ай бұрын
Super niche! Love it, exactly what I was looking for help with
@rowbags3017
11 ай бұрын
This is such a handy video! Thanks for posting it. I bought a budget lap steel a while ago that included a set of fingerpicks - all of which are clumsy and too tight. I'll have a tinker! 😉
@Sharpened-Stick
Жыл бұрын
Cool, love this as I was looking to mod some thumb picks I just bought.. Would also be great to get a video from you on nail care and shaping.
@kevdennis4884
Жыл бұрын
Great video Ben. If I cut my pick down too much, I then cut it all off and stick a normal pick between my thumb and thumbpick and then shape that.
@bertbregdenz2756
Жыл бұрын
kind regards from Berlin 🌻
@demej00
2 ай бұрын
I make my own thumbpick by drilling two holes in a flatpick and putting a zip tie through them and size it to my thumb. Perfect for fingerpicking and strumming and flatpicking. A regular thumbpick is too hard and clumsy for me.
@anthonywhite6530
10 ай бұрын
Thank you for sharing
@cody31
Жыл бұрын
Awesome lesson. Thank you very much.
@MrGreglarry
6 ай бұрын
Glad you put the part in about adjusting the size. They are always too tight for me and cut the circulation to my thumb. I have to make them a bit larger by widening the fit with hot water and the submerging in cold water.
@BobChamberlin-r8i
6 ай бұрын
Butane torch lighter doesn't work. It makes them smaller and starts them on fire 😅
@peterszkalonai4960
4 ай бұрын
Try Black Mountain thumbpicks, they are spring loaded, so they fit pretty much any thumb, and they come in 3-4 shapes and thicknesses now.
@johnrodgelatenemusic7262
Жыл бұрын
Absolutely brilliant video. I’ve been showing my students how to do this for years using Fred Kelly slick picks. Very interested in Dave Dave’s Ord pick too.
@pa4tim
8 ай бұрын
I use a piece of bicycle innertube, a tierap and a Dunlop pick. I cut two little indents to keep the tierap in place. No time to get used to it. Very comfortable and they do not get lost so easy. But I use 2 fingers. If you want to use it for fingerpicking it is to flexible. I was looking for a way to better while playing normal rytm or solo (rock/blues) hold my pick between tumb and pointer finger, when playing. I always let it drop or it was turning in my hand.
@erichefley847
8 ай бұрын
How do you use tire tube on it?
@pa4tim
8 ай бұрын
@@erichefley847 You need a inner tube that has the diameter so it will fit your finger like a glove. Then hold the [pick with the tube "ring" on your tumb and mark the pick so you know where to tie-rap the 2 together. Hope this helps.
@jeffbradley876
4 ай бұрын
I have tried thumb picks a bunch of times when I've been playing the guitar! Ive made the thumb pick very tight tell my thumb turnes purple . Every time the thumb pick turns around on my thumb! Maybe the answer is cut it down exactly like you do and suggest to do, for a smaller end that picks the strings with less pressure on the thumb pick. With less chance of moving the thumb pick?
@tamiboelter5491
4 ай бұрын
I'd love to get TAB for the licks you played.
@cjbuk74
Жыл бұрын
To upstroke or not to upstroke… that is the question…? Some advised never to upstroke with a thumb pick.. but after watching this it seems that you do sometimes… is this just a technique where you’re just “flat picking” with the thumb pick..? Technique video would be ace 👍🏻
@bensmithguitar
Жыл бұрын
I do use an upstroke - having the shorter blade and the rosin really helps to be able to do it. And I do it all the time when I'm using it as a flatpick too.
@rabbisandra
10 ай бұрын
Thank you
@bensmithguitar
10 ай бұрын
You're 😁
@glarrymoreme
Жыл бұрын
One question I have is that when I play fingerpicking guitar when I start flowing and it all sounds great I then think about it and knackers my rhythm and it all falls apart. Does anyone have any tips how I can stop this mental block when playing?
@bensmithguitar
Жыл бұрын
Practice your bread and butter stuff - picking patterns etc - while you're doing something else distracting, like watching TV or something. Pick one, and play it over and over while you're concentrating on another thing, then you won't have to think so hard about it when you come to actually play, and can think about the notes you want to hit on the fretboard instead. Does that make sense?
@glarrymoreme
Жыл бұрын
@@bensmithguitar thank you it does make sense indeed, your help is appreciated
@MichaelWSemmler
Жыл бұрын
Thanks Ben, it would be great to know if it is possible to play single lines with a thumbpick in the same way as a flat pick or are they just two different from each other that you would never get the same feel?
@bensmithguitar
Жыл бұрын
Absolutely, I play that way all the time. I'll do a video on it!
@mrartistbill
Жыл бұрын
@@bensmithguitar Please post a video on this. I love your playing style and am always looking for tips to improve my own playing.
@ogreunderbridge5204
Жыл бұрын
Maybe you are the guy to ask... My nails are naturally small and thin, my play goes up to rather hard and I wear them down fast. Tried the glues, tried the glue on acrylics, they all just weaken the substrate. How can I strengthen my natural nails ?
@bensmithguitar
Жыл бұрын
I have the same problem, and what I do is go to the nail bar once a month or so and get powder dip acrylic put straight on to my own nail. It's infilled every time I go. Basically, I'm just thickening up my nails so I don't wear them down!
@sebakrol3433
Жыл бұрын
Hi Ben, if we are on more technical topic i have a question. I bought om guitar half a year ago and today i noticed it get belly bulge. How much is it normal for relatively new guitar and when i should be concerned?
@bensmithguitar
Жыл бұрын
All acoustics have a bit of a bulge, so if it's sounding good and playing well I wouldn't worry, but if you're concerned, consult your local reputable luthier!
@sebakrol3433
Жыл бұрын
Thanks, i paniced a bit, it's my first all solid wood acoustic and didnt notice something like this before.
@eduardkornejev7910
8 ай бұрын
Is it possible to strum with thumb pick, just gentle sound
@bensmithguitar
8 ай бұрын
Yes! I do it all the time. You just have to hold it like you would a flatpick, and then it's down to touch, just like with a flatpick. 🙂
@eduardkornejev7910
8 ай бұрын
@@bensmithguitar is it different sound of different colour of thumbpick,s plastic
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