I agree. The Shelors were a real game changer for me. Everything about them just seems right to me.
Discuss the Banjo lesson: All About Fingerpicks
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When you say “twist”, is the pick angled to the string better so to prevent having to put them on sideways like @BanjoBen recommends? Or can you explain if different?
Thanks
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Hi @Peg_E some folks twist or angle the blade or rotate their picks on their fingers to obtain better (attack) contact with the strings. I use ProPik Angled Stainless Steel picks. I found that when I used regular picks I would strike the string with the edge of the blade. I saw Alan Munde twisted his blades so I switched to angle blades and never looked back.
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Thanks! I wear mine fairly tight…about as tight as I can without being uncomfortable much.
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I honestly can’t tell much difference, myself, between nickel silver, stainless steel, or cobalt in the NP2s and Bob Perry picks when I play, but maybe a bit with the brass. That is the reason I tried to phrase many things in the video as “some people may find…” Each person is different, and some people may get some sounds out of certain materials that I might not with a different attack, as you mentioned. I prefer stainless steel because it seems to sound at least as good as the others for my playing, but lasts longer.
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Yes the twist is built into the pick, and if you loose a “pick-or-two”, the new picks will be exactly the same.
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I am a stickler for quality tool’s of the trade in anything I do so when I decided to Put a little bit more ca$h down and try the SS Shelor s I was very impressed all around. I am a newbie to the world of Banjo and I can say that they make a very noticeable difference in many way’s. I would say to those trying to find what works for them is to give them a shot they are very nice and indeed more comfortable by far.
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@AdamAsh, thanks for the picks lesson. I learned a lot from the earlier pick lesson by @BanjoBen, and it was a game changer for me in regards to twisting the finger picks slightly. In this one, I was glad to learn more about the materials and thickness info, and why the holes in the bands are (or aren’t!) there in some cases. Most of the finger picks are not that expensive, so I’ve experimented with several different brands…it’s cheap thrills for me! You’ve given me more to think about and pay attention to when making comparisons.
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Thanks!! I’m glad it was helpful!
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I would like to see a video of the contact point of the finger pick on the string. In other words, should all of the pick blade “tip” strike the string
at a 90 degree angle.
Or, since the pick is slightly twisted on the finger, is it an angled surface to string? I hope this makes sense.
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Hi Ann and welcome to the forum!
Ideally the pick should strike straight (flat) with the string
Dave
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Thank you Dave and Ben. I will review the lesson again.
I think my index finger tracks a little wonky, so the tone is not as good. Will continue to work on it!
Ann
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Do the tips of the Pierce High Riders need to be curved (shaped around finger tip) or remain flat ??
I believe curved just as with the other finger picks.
I’m just learning banjo, and have found the fingerpicks to be very painful. I’ve been a guitar fingerpicker for years, just using a thumb pick and bare fingers. Why not do that with the banjo, if I’m comfortable with it. So far, that’s what I’m doing. Can’t seem to make the picks comfortable.
Hi @Elizabeth 
to @BanjoBen 's Forum.
Great question. The reason that banjo players wear banjo picks I guess is down to the fact that Earl Scruggs who made the 5 string banjo so popular, wore picks. Plus you get more clarity and volume wearing picks.
That said I know what your going through. When I was a beginner I was addicted to study & practiced so much so that my fingers would be aching after 12 hours. Also the picks I bought from my music store were poorly made and had sharp metal fragments that tore my skin and left me with bleeding finger tips.
Fingerpicks are like shoes some you buy fit snugly and are comfortable others can be a real pain to wear. Shop around find some that fit snugly on your fingers. Once you get used to wearing picks you’ll miss not wearing them. Difficult as it might seem right now Persevere. In time you’ll be glad you did.
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Dunlop 13. I have skinny little fingers and sort of permanent hangnails, and they dig into the sensitive flesh at the sides of my nails.
PS sorry I didn’t see this sooner. Is there a notification somewhere at the top of the page, that will let me know I have an answer to a question? Otherwise, I am likely to forget I asked a question in a forum topic. (Edit, I just now “enabled” notifications.)
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I’ve heard Ben say before ‘God made us all a little different’ but here’s my experience. I’ve purchased a few of the popular brands from the General Store, and I have found the Propik to be the most comfortable fit for me. The little curve on the edge really helps (see pic). Sammy Shelor comes in a close second, the metal feels very smooth on those. I wore my picks even when I wasn’t playing just to get used to them. You will 100% get there, just may take a little trial and error.
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