Context (skippable):

I reached a major work milestone today, and I was thinking I would commemorate it by finally purchasing a Blue Chip pick (the milestone came with a small "get something for yourself" bonus).

However, here's where the problem lies: as much as I try, I just cannot prefer anything other than a semi-round pick for fiddle tunes. I most love the Primetone 1.3mm semi-round pick. I much prefer it over the Primetone 1.4mm triangle pick.

Question:

I'm trying to determine whether my ceiling would ultimately be lower if I continue to use semi-round picks. I play with the triangle pick every day as my daily driver, but when I reach for the semi-round, it just feels better. But I'm afraid I'll just never get the full attack with a semi-round.

So the question really truly is about ceiling. Just like I stay slow and build a strong foundation with my technique, should I try to keep toward a pick with a sharper attack than a semi-round? This is of course important because if I'm going to spend 35 USD on a pick, I want it to really serve me well as I grow.

I guess the best place to start? I tried learning a few more hard complex ones and ended up just making my untrained tendons saw

Ok, maybe this is an odd request but here it goes...

I've been an amateur musician my whole life and used to play guitar quite a bit in my 20's, but it was all fingerstyle. Now I've picked the guitar back up, 15+ years rusty, and I'm really deep diving into bluegrass and flatpicking. My left hand can keep up, but since I never played with a pick back in the day, my right hand technique and muscle memory is all basically starting from square one - totally stiff and awkward. I'm just trying to put the hours and reps in to try to build up my speed and accuracy at this point.

Anyways, I'm writing an intro/break for this song that's on my practice set list (Blink of an Eye, Danny Paisley, great song!)... I feel like I'm on to something here, and I'm exciting because it's like the first thing I've written like this, but the problem is I can't play it up to tempo and make it sound good (yet). I'm practicing it at like 100bpm (50bpm cut time??) and still missing strings and just kind of butchering it in general, and Danny's recording is at more like 172 or 176.

Any of you guitarists who can actually play well feel like giving this a try and posting or sending a quick video or audio clip so I can hear what it sounds like up to tempo and without mistakes? I tried running it through a MIDI sequencer, which gets it up to tempo but I can't handle the little tin can video-game-soundtrack guitar sound effect it uses. Danny's recording is in the key of A - I've been singing it in G because it's a better fit for my vocal range, but of course play it wherever you feel like.

I'm also of course open to general feedback on the tab - I started out trying to basically copy the mandolin intro (which starts out really similar to the intro on Man of Constant Sorrow from Oh Brother Where Art Thou...) on the guitar but it kind of took on a life of it's own the more I worked with it. I keep trying different things in measures 9-10, and at first I didn't have a rest at the beginning of measure 8, but I couldn't get back down from the 8th fret quick enough. None of it is set in stone, there's still plenty of room to noodle around and tweak it.

Thanks, and happy picking!

Blink of an Eye Intro Tab

Edit: Link to song https://open.spotify.com/track/6xfxgNWHhSoTXs2cAyaKvd?si=968b7975db664129

TLDR; does your right hand technique change with changing tempos? I float up until 110ish bom then find myself grazing the strings for more reference and control.

This is about the right hand. Can I have your thoughts on technique changing with different tempos?

I’ll try to keep this short. Longtime lover of bluegrass, multiple failed attempts to learn the style. Dove in in earnest at the beginning of the year and took Bryan Suttons guitsr course for a couple months. Completely relearned right hand technique. I use the floating closed fist style and can get good clean tone this way. This tech works for me up until the tempo passes about 105-110, after which I notice my right hand naturally wants to sit closer to the strings and just now playing big sandy river at 120 I noticed I’m lightly…. Very lightly…. Like just grazing on the strings as I pick and it feels natural and non-“planty” and non restrictive.

I know at the end of the day whatever works works but I’ve just made a real conscious effort to not restrict the right hand with planting so trying to keep in that spirit.

Any thoughts on this? Is this relatable? Any thoughts/concerns?

Happy picking

Are people playing with a light touch? Or are you digging in for volume?

I have barely any right hand discipline, I tend to play pretty hard on the electric. But a bit over 2 months ago I picked up an acoustic after over a decade and started to learn some bluegrass.

When I dig in too hard the guitar sounds stressed.

When I play above my comfortable speed I tend to tense up and pick closer to the bridge which starts sound harsh

I seem to get the best tone when I play relaxed, with a moderately light touch; the notes are full and round, the attack is present but has some bass to it, it’s not metallic sounding.