Using picks on a classical guitar?

[KATMAN]

Anybody use picks with a classical? I don't personally,I don't know anybody besides Willie Nelson that does. Not that there's anything wrong with it,I would but at the same time I don't want my guitar to look like Willie's either.

[riffmeister]

I occasionally use a pick on my classical guitar.......sounds pretty neato (think Eric Clapton with Blind Faith on "Can't Find My Way Home").

 

Probably would be best to have a tap plate installed (like on a flamenco guitar) if use of a pick is going to be the norm. I guess Willie didn't know this.

[KATMAN]

That would make two of us! Just out of curoristy,what's a tap plate? Sort of a pick guard type?

[riffmeister]

I think the Spanish word for it is 'golpeador'......it is a plate like a pickguard (but on both sides of the soundhole) that protects the top from the fingernails of the flamenco player.....they intentionally tap the top of the guitar as they are playing/strumming.......adds an extra dimension of percussive attack.

[Stackabones]

I have this strange thing in my head--when I play a "classical" guitar with picks, I think "nylon-string" guitar. I know it's the same instrument, but it sounds odd to me to call it a "classical" when playing through the changes of All of Me or picking a blues. Oh, well.

 

By the way, I read once that Willie plays that old Martin nylon-string ("Trigger") because of his admiration of Django Rheinhardt and his Maccaferri guitar.

[Whalebot]

I play quite a lot on my Classical (nylon string:) and I sometimes use a pick to get that certain sound. I don't have a pickguard and my git is over 35 years old, she's got a few scratches, but unless you really whale on the strings it wont turn it into ol' trigger.

[Preacher Will]

One guy who does is Roni Benise. Plays a nylon string with cut away and flat picks some of the most awesome flamenco stuff. Watched one of his concerts on TV the other day and would have sworn he was finger picking until they gave a close up of his picking hand. The guy has to be the Yngwie Malmsteen of acoustic nylon string guitar.

[figfuggo]

Actually Yngwie uses picks when he plays nylon classical guitar too.

[lalatingstrings]

every once in a while i will softly strum my classical with a very light nylon pick to get a certain sound.but usually i play it with my fingers,i find the tone on mine to be best that way.though i do love willie,i dont want a trigger hole in my cedar topped lovley.

[EvilTwin]

 

Originally posted by Stackabones By the way, I read once that Willie plays that old Martin nylon-string ("Trigger") because of his admiration of Django Rheinhardt and his Maccaferri guitar.

 

 

Y'know, when I do use a pick on a nylon-string guitar, it definitely sounds "Django-y" to my ears.

 

Carlos Santana and Eric Clapton do, but they're not exactly the cream of the acoustic crop.

 

I think it's a neat sound that works for certain things.

[Fatbaby]

Do a search For ' Rodrigo y gabriela' . They're a mexican acoustic guitar duo based in Ireland. they use Cutaway nylon string guitars and have a curious sound like metallica crossed with flamenco, al di meola, latin etc.. they have a few albums and use plectrums aswell as fingerstyle. They're at their best when experienced live though imo ...

[wfranklin]

 

Originally posted by figfuggo Actually Yngwie uses picks when he plays nylon classical guitar too.

 

 

he picks his nose as well. he's the picking-est mfer of all time. lol