Spartan Guitar Picks
Features:
- Rounded tip helps glide through strings.
- Extreme grip allows for a relaxed grip on the pick.
- Chamfer for the thumb allowing a natural position.
- Thick pick tip gives a bright tone with no sacrifice to power.
- Very strong plastic means the pick will last for a long time.
- White so you won’t misplace your pick as often - in theory!
- This pick is suitable for all playing styles.
Just The Tip
Introduction
One of the major issues when it comes to picking consistently, quickly, and across strings is pick depth. All too often I see circular, dipping movements where the pick must travel across a considerable arc just to pick on a single string.
Just The Tip (JTT) offers a progression via a series of decreased pick depths.
Another important feature of the picks is the extreme level of grip. Grip on guitar picks has always been bad (for the most part) and this has resulted in tension in the picking hand to stop the pick slipping out of the hand or rotating.
The grip on these picks allows a natural thumb placement and so much traction that grip can always remain loose. This decrease in tension will prevent fatigue, and more importantly prevent injury.
Why are the picks so thick?
There are a few stylistic exceptions to this, but I believe every guitarist should aim to play with thick picks.
Advantages:
A rigid motion without any flex in the pick, resulting in greater accuracy.
Far more dynamic potential
Better grip potential due to raised or recessed grooves and holes.
Disadvantages:
Requires a greater learning curve and can be especially punishing for beginners who are yet to develop a relaxed picking motion.
For beginners, the 0.5mm tip will offer a small challenge with pick motions.
For the more advanced player, these smaller tipped picks will allow motions to be refined to the point where considerable speed can be achieved across any string combination.
Just The Tip is coming on the 30th June.
The Workouts
It is important to know that these workouts are initially about developing consistent picking motions. Speed will come, but it should always be secondary to clean, consistent playing.
How to use the workouts:
Start with the 5.0mm pick
Play through all of the Level One exercises until you make zero mistakes with the 5.0mm pick.
Switch to the 3.5mm and repeat the process, only moving to the next pick when zero mistakes are made.
Switch to the 2.5mm and repeat the process, only moving to the next pick when zero mistakes are made.
Switch to the 1.5mm and repeat the process, only moving to the next pick when zero mistakes are made.
Revert back to the 5.0mm pick
Play through all of the Level Two exercises until you make zero mistakes with the 5.0mm pick.
Switch to the 3.5mm and repeat the process, only moving to the next pick when zero mistakes are made.
Switch to the 2.5mm and repeat the process, only moving to the next pick when zero mistakes are made.
Switch to the 1.5mm and repeat the process, only moving to the next pick when zero mistakes are made.
Revert back to the 5.0mm pick
Play through all of the Level Three exercises until you make zero mistakes with the 5.0mm pick.
Switch to the 3.5mm and repeat the process, only moving to the next pick when zero mistakes are made.
Switch to the 2.5mm and repeat the process, only moving to the next pick when zero mistakes are made.
Switch to the 1.5mm and repeat the process, only moving to the next pick when zero mistakes are made.
Practice suggestions:
- Use these picks to work on licks and patterns that you like to use.
- Spend approximately 20 minutes warming up using a JTT pick before switching to your regular pick.
What is considered a mistake?
When the pick dips too deeply into the string and the recess catches, that would be a mistake. You must be honest with yourself when you practice and do not move on to the smaller tip depth until you are ready.