A big "Hello
There"
I received the 3 CD set as well as the custom picks in the
AM mail delivery.
I couldn't wait to try the custom picks as your hype said they would
work. Guess what----
They work far better than the stock Dunlap picks.
Hands
down!......I am no spring chicken, 70 years old this
Feb. Been playing guitar for 60 years. Semi-pro musician
from 1956 till 1976. I am a Mechanical Engineer by profession
and have been retired since 1997 and have lots of time to
play.
Your CD's are GREAT and easy to listen to.
Thanks!
D. S.
Paul,
I Like the way you form the custom picks. I assume I still
have to put them in water to fit my fingers. Bought an amp
today from www.musicianfriends.com.
It's a Fender® Acoustasonic Jr DSP Combo Amp with Effects
Paul G.
Paul,
I just wanted to let you know I have really enjoyed your
website and your material on finger picking. I also like the
finger picks I got off your website much
better than the nickel ones I started out with. Thank you for
taking the time to provide this information for people just learning
the technique. I agree with
you that this style really stands out above others. I’ve got a
Seagull S6 cedar guitar, and I will say it is perfectly suited
for this style. I love the way it blends with vocals as
well. Again, thank you for providing such a valuable resource to
those just learning this technique. You have been instrumental
(no pun intended) in adding another dimension to my guitar playing.
Thanks,
Aaron Miller
Dear Paul,
I have been practicing
with the custom finger picks and I must tell you I am very happy
with them.
I am still getting used to but I feel more and more
confident with them. You
warned me so much that I thought it was going to be nearly
impossible. And it is not. It is hard, it takes time, but it is
possible. I think it is very important to have them quite tight,
so in the end you feel as if they are part of your fingers. The
first times it took me at least half an hour to reach something
vaguely similar to that feeling. And now I still need a time to
really forget about them and concentrate on the music.
Anyway,
the sound you get with finger picks is so good that it
encourages you to carry on practicing. I do not want to play
anymore with bare fingers!!........Thanks
a lot for your time and patience.
Santiago
Paul
I've been finger picking for quite a while now. Played
bluegrass banjo about 30 years ago and guitar for 40+ years
(yeah, I'm an old geezer!). I've recently gotten into
playing slide on a couple of resonator guitars. I'm
thinking the plastic finger picks would be better suited than
the metal.
Thanks! Mike
Paul:
......I really prefer the sound of picks over fingers, there's just more volume and clarity.
I would hate to give up playing with picks because I thought its
was just too hard to learn as compared with my fingers.
Thanks for everything,
John
Paul,
First, I found your web site by looking for information
on finger picking the guitar. I have played the guitar for
over 20 years, but have just in the last year gone to finger picking
– and I love it. It has opened a whole new demission of
playing. I have a strong influence from John Denver, James
Taylor and Gordon Lightfoot.
Good finger picks are hard to find – they are just
not available in local music stores so I thought I would give
you’re a try and see how it goes. I’ll let you know.
Thanks for fill my order, looking forward to listening
to your CD’s.
Ron
You
gotta read this next one! This guy is a real hoot!
I got a kick out of it anyway.
Hi Paul,
I received my custom finger picks in the mail today!!
I quickly unwrapped them and marveled at the small compact size. At first I
thought that perhaps a page of instructions was missing. There was no
explanation of how to turn them on, select which picking pattern that I wanted to play or how to replace the
batteries. Being a bit of an electronics nut It dawned on me that maybe they automatically turn on when they get close to metal. I quickly put them on my fingers following your easy to read instructions
and put my hand next to the stings.. Nothing. They didn't move my fingers at all. Then it occurred to me that they must be voice activated. Talking directly into my fingers I tried several different voice commands.. On...Turn on......
Begin.....Then I thought maybe louder... TURN ON....TURN ON... This was about the time my wife walked into the room. She took one look at me, muttered something that sounded very much like "idiot", turned around, left the room, packed a suitcase and left. Don't feel bad. It wasn't your finger
picks. I think it all started when I purchased my fourth, and very expensive guitar.
After exhausting every possibility I concluded that there is no missing page
of instructions, no batteries, no on and off switch or picking pattern dial.. These are manual fingerpicks.
That's ok... I have a manual flat pick that works the same way.
I started manually moving my fingers and... very cool... This is going to be
great. Awkward at first but having finger picked with bare fingers for a while
things started falling into place.. Then I remembered I was violating
rule number one... follow the lesson plan.. So, I am boiling water at the moment and warming up the computer. Going to start from the beginning on your web site.
Yup, I'm going to show my appreciation... and purchasing your three CD's.
I'll let you know how it's going..
Robert
Paul
Glad to hear from you again! This is my second order of picks.
I pretty much wore the first ones out. It is impossible to get
them up here in Eastern Canada, at lest plastic ones. I have
been making some progress in using them but need to continue
practicing. I have one of your CD's and will likely
get more. I don't know of many finger pickers up here but
I like it but it does take a lot of determination. Talk
to you later.
S.R. (Hank0
Dear Paul Smith,
Your site is excellent! Thank you so much. I have your
custom finger picks. My fingerpicking skills
have increased a great amount. I can play several fingerpicking
songs now, such as Bron-Yr-Aur (Led Zeppelin), Can't You See
(Marshall Tucker Band), Hotel California (Eagles), etc. I am also
learning Early Morning Rain.
Your cd's are excellent.
Thanks again!
Eri
Paul,
You will be pleased to
hear that I have today received your CD + my two sets of
customised picks. I have listened and enjoyed your cds and
tried the fingerpicks on. I was surprised to find I think
that they fitted so well and I only had to open up the
second finger pick a little. I have bent the fingers of each
pick at the base where it joins the band to bring the ends a
little further away from the centre of the finger more in
line with the nail as you suggest and am now going to have a
play with them.I will keep you informed of my progress.
PS
your package was postmarked the 21st and it is stamped as
passing customs on the 26th . it then took 2 days to reach
me.
Regards
Eric
Paul Smith:
I have religiously started your learning program from your
web site and have the following
comments:
1) You should have been a teacher as your understanding of the
brain's learning
operations is excellent.
2) you methodology is fantastic as it shows that you have been
through this type of
thing yourself, probably for many years.
(been there, done that)
3) I have progressed very rapidly using the 15 minute rule, 4
times a day. Mastered
patterns one through four in 10 days,
all the way to 186 BPM. I have already used
the method in a group practice
(ballad). Worked great. Nice sounds. Good comments.
4) I think that being a two pick player (1
F 1 T) helped some; however 3 or 4 seems the way.
D.
S.
Hi Paul,
I made a big mistake today and bought metal finger picks (dunlop) for learning to use on my Acoustic Guitar.....bad move. I should
have done more research first and I would have found your website. I just
ordered 2 custom sets from you! I look forward to using them because
I want to be more versatile in playing my Instrument. I like playing
with bare fingers and also using a flat pick but these picks from you
will really help me. Thanks for the information you offer on your
website!!
Harvey Crow
Hi Paul:
Just wanted to let you know I got the finger picks this
afternoon. You're right about the large picks. I'm 5'6" and
about 140 lbs with small hands and fingers and the picks fit
perfect. They aren't tight at all and they stay on without getting
loose. I think I might "size" one of the finger picks for
my third finger, its just a little bit loose but doesn't move around
or fall off, it just isn't a perfect fit like the thumb pick and the
2 other finger picks. As far as getting use to finger picks I
thought the first 5 minutes I would never be able to get use to them
but I kept picking pattern #1 very slowly and could play it after 5
or 10 minutes. I did turn the picks to the left side of my fingers
slightly as you suggest on your site and now the tongues are
striking the strings "flat." The best part is the volume.
When I was picking with the meat of my fingers there was no volume
at all. My guitar is a big Washburn jumbo, (bigger than a
dreadnought) and there was very little volume. Since my guitar is an
acoustic/electric I was practicing through a 30 watt acoustic amp,
not any more. Now I just practice unplugged since I would estimate
the picks have doubled the volume of my picking. Buying your picks
will actually save me money as I was burning through a 9 volt
battery in my guitar about once a week.
I'll leave you
alone now, I'm sure you're busy. There's not much more for me to do
except learn all the patterns and practice everyday. Thanks for
teaching me about finger picking with picks, I definitely prefer the
sound of picks over bare fingers.
John
Hi Paul
I've referred several of my friends to your site in hopes
they can pick up some (if not all) of your finger picking
techniques.
It's
taken me a little over 3 months but I've pretty much mastered all
20 of your patterns, though I don't necessarily use them all
equally as much. It's allot of work as you said but many
people have commented how good my guitar sounds and wonder what
I'm doing different (better). It's weird, but every day is a
bit different and I find myself using different thumb picks on
different days and times. One thing for sure though, it sure
is loud and clear. My friends who flat pick are
amazed. I've also learned to control myself a bit more and
have developed a real good feel for the strings i.e., I have
not popped out any more bridge pins. If you develop any more
patterns, or know of something I should do to "take it to the
next level" I sure would be interested in knowing and
learning.
Your web site and e-mails provided me with the
motivation to learn this and I am most appreciative of your
lessons. Thanks Paul. Hope we get to keep in
touch.
Dennis
Hi Paul,
Great job on your web site. You have motivated me to
learn to fingerpick. I pretty much have the first 4 lessons down and
am now ready to move on. The finger picks I have however...are
killing my fingers. Too tight! I want to order two sets from
you but am not sure whether to go with the customized sets or not or maybe
even one set of each. (one customized and one not) But I could use
your advice before I order. If it matters, I'm a dreadnaught sort of
guy and finger picking is brand new to me but I now love it. Sure
appreciate your advice and again, terrific job on your web site. I'm
going to learn all 20 patterns for sure.
Thanks. Dennis
HI Paul,
Finally got the picks adjusted for my fingers.. I think.. and am
starting from the beginning with your lessons. Very well done and easy to follow.
Thank you again Paul for taking the time to put the web site together. I know from experience that there is a lot of work
involve
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