On the Other Hand/Finger
On the subject of switching your picking from thumb/forefinger to thumb/first two fingers — well, you can go the other way too. Paul Gilbert used to play with two fingers and a thumb, but switched to thumb/forefinger, apparently just to get a cooler, cello-like pick attack — and because of a little thumb pain.
Here’s what he says about it on YouTube. (I feel a little bad about posting this since it seems to have been appropriated from an instructional vid, but….) He also goes into how pick attack produces different sounds.
As an aside, I saw Paul on what I believe was the most recent G3 tour, in NYC. His tone was awesome, his playing was awesome, his band was awesome. Was his tone woody? I can’t say a wholehearted yes, but it was clear and raw. No processing, unlike John Petrucci of Dream Theater, who was the second guitarists in that show (Paul opened, Satch closed).
Regardless of your opinion of Paul’s tone, he’s awesome.
Category: John Petrucci, Paul Gilbert, Picking Technique
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