Picking closer to middle of neck makes me play better

Jacek Jakubek · From: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

During my practice today I re-discovered that when I pick with my right hand closer to the middle of the neck (further away from the changer,) I play better. Better intonation, blocking, control...everything. The tone is a bit more mellow and with less "bite," but still OK.

When the bar is near frets 1-5, I'll pick on fret 15. Bar on frets 5-12, pick on fret 17. Bar on frets 12-15, pick on fret 17. When bar is very high up the neck, I'll pick just 2 frets to the right of the bar. This all while having the tip of my pinky finger curled around the first 2 strings as an anchor and for blocking.

I wrote that I "re-discovered" this technique because I clearly remember the day about 11 years ago when I was only 3 years into my steel playing: I was home-recording a song and unable to play it all the way through properly. After about 20 takes and a lot of frustration, I instinctively started picking closer to the middle of the neck (at about the 12th fret, bar was on fret 2) and all of a sudden I got it! Tried again...even better. Played the whole song through like I wanted. I thought "This is where I'm going to pick ALL the time from now on." After some time passed, I went back to picking in the more standard place near the pickup and forgot about this...Until today.

I don't know why my intonation is better when picking like this as nothing is different with the bar hand. I notice the strings feel a bit "looser" and therefore easier to pick the further you move away from the changer. Also, the string span gets closer together allowing all the strings to fit better under the palm (I play an 11-string guitar). A more natural/comfortable arm position? I don't know. It works for me and I'm going to make a point to pick here all the time from now on. It's going to be my style.

Anyone else notice any difference in your playing besides the tone when picking closer to middle of the neck? Any players that pick like this all the time? I notice most Pros pick in the standard position near the pickup, except when doing harmonics.

Geoff Noble · From: Scotland

I pick generally around fret 17 moving up the neck if using the bar higher up.

I prefer the more mellow tone you get from picking around this area, tbh I started picking in this area after trying different areas to find the tone that I liked best, but now you point it out, it does seem easier and more comfortable to pick there.

That's one of the joys of this instrument for me, there is no set way to play it, it is very much an individual exploration.
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Fred Treece · From: California, USA

It just seems that with so many great players, the home position for their right hand is the heel of their palm hovering over or resting on the lower strings right around the guitarâ€™s pickup area. Iâ€™m not strict about it, because I Ike the tonal variety of shifting up and down the string a little too. But I am trying to be a little more disciplined with this because the advantages are becoming clearer.

Jacek Jakubek · From: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Thanks for sharing, guys.

Today I think I figured out for sure why picking further away from the changer makes it easier: It is definitely because the strings seem "looser" the further you pick away from the pickup area. This way I can dig into the the strings a bit more. Also blocking is easier for the same reason, you can really dig into the strings with the palm edge. Pressing on the strings very hard with the palm near the pickup area causes some discomfort because the strings are so tight there.

As for making the bar control and intonation easier, I think I figured it out too: When you pick further away from the changer, the "looser" feeling strings are picked harder and this causes each string to move much more right at the bar (about twice as much I noticed). Because of this increased movement of the string at the bar, you can really feel each string moving with the left hand fingers behind the bar. Feeling each string move, you can instinctively block that particular string more effectively with the left hand fingers behind the bar right when it's picked. You can't feel the strings move as much with the left hand when they are picked near the changer, and you end up just blocking all of them evenly with the left hand fingers, as opposed to focusing on the string that is picked.

I sat at my guitar again today and started picking at the 12-15 fret right away and it felt so much better. I felt like I didn't even need to warm up my picking hand, I could pick great right away!

Obviously, most pros pick near the pickup area, as Fred mentioned, so I'm not advocating anyone play like this (Unless it works for you.) Just sharing my own experience.

But wait, it gets better...I mentioned in another discussion on the forum about "overuse injuries" that I get a stabbing pain in my left upper back from playing steel (and doing other stuff too); yesterday I didn't touch my guitar all day because of this pain and felt my back needed a rest. Well, guess what? I noticed that by picking near the middle of the neck instead of near the pickup causes my whole torso to rotate a little towards the left, and my left shoulder moves back about 2 inches...this greatly reduces my pain when playing! By a lot!...I'll have to play more to see if this is just a fluke and I'm just having a "good back day" or if I really discovered a way to greatly reduce my pain when playing.

Man, I am STOKED. I feel like there is a Higher Power (God) that definitely wants me to play this thing and will blow away any obstacles that stand in my way of getting better.

I am so stoked I need to go for a run or something 'cause I got too much energy to practice playing at the moment. It's like that time I stumbled upon using medical tape to hold the finger-picks in place; I couldn't sleep for like 3 days! Very Happy

Hope you guys found this long post interesting. Thanks for reading and keep on pickin'!

Gene Tani · From: Pac NW

It's great you had a breakthru or at least light at end of tunnel on your back pain!

I used to watch this Santo and Johnny live to see how Santo varied his picking position to vary tone, right over the bridge for bass strings, in middle of string, sometimes right behind the bar. You can get lots of different tones that way but I kind of stick with Jeff Newman's advice to keep Right hand "knife edge" right next to pickup

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rwfqsjimRM
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Joel Jackson · From: Detroit

I'll admit that i have also always experienced an ease of playing further away from the changer and been mystified by this. I think you're on to something with your observation about string tensions. The tonal change is noticeable and it reminds me that sometimes if i'm feeling uncomfortable playing on the bridge pickup of my tele, i just switch over to the neck pickup and feel it out there. It also seems like staying close to the changer might be more pertinent for palm blockers. I feel like i've seen a good number of players move their right hand around when they're really feeling it, especially on the C6.

Jacek Jakubek · From: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Andy Henriksen · From: Michigan, USA

Interestingly, it's the opposite for me, for the exact same (or opposite?) reason - I find I have better control/cleaner picking when I'm closer to the changer, because the strings aren't moving around as much. In the middle of the neck, the strings can vibrate so much, that I can actually mis-pick them, or at least lose some "cleanness." It's probably a bigger concern with pick blocking than with actual picking.

Yet, my right hand tends to wander up the neck, so I have to yell at it occasionally to go back home.

Jacek Jakubek · From: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Interesting you brought up pick blocking, Andy. I think you're right, the strings are too loose near the middle of the neck for pick blocking. I'm a strict palm blocker (can't pick block). Should've mentioned that earlier.

Jim Pitman · From: Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA

I like the notion that one can change the tone by choosing where to pick. I wonder if I do this subconsciously. I'm going to have to experiment.
Thanks for this post Jacek.

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

Kristen Bruno · From: Orlando, Florida, USA

Maybe when moving further away from the pickup, the wrist changes its angle ever so slightly and it feels more comfortable?
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Larry Allen · From: Kapaa, Kauai,Hawaii

I keep the wrist angle the same and move up or down from the 17th-27th fret (Excel 25.5”) depending on the song..Tonal qualities.. Shocked

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