Picking hand
The right hand for a right-handed player, responsible for striking the strings and for much of the guitar's dynamic and tonal variety.
How and where it attacks the string sets far more of the sound than most beginners expect: near the bridge is bright and tight, over the neck is round and soft, and the angle of the pick changes the balance between the fundamental and the upper overtones. It also controls articulation, with palm muting, harmonics and dynamics all originating there. Because the fretting hand is the visible one, the picking hand's technique is often neglected.
Example: moving a picked phrase from over the neck to over the bridge transforms the same notes from warm to cutting without touching any control.
See also
Related
- PagePick
- PageFingerstyle
- PageAccent
- PageAction height
- PageAlternate picking
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley
- PageAd-Rock