How to get rid of the "picking sound"

[Matt Wildman]

This is probably a really stupid question but I filmed myself playing the other day and I noticed how loud my picking was if that makes sense. Like I can actually hear the sound of the pick through all the things that I’m playing with my left hand and it’s pretty loud and annoying. So I was wondering if there is a way to minimize that picking sound you get when you are picking a string when you are playing through an amp. My guess is no.

 

[Christopher Lonski]

Depends on how youre recording. If you’re direct recording or micing an amp, it shouldnt be a problem. The reason youre probably hearing that is because you and your pick are closer and more directly in front of the microphone than the amp.

 

[Ed Seith]

There are a LOT of things that can affect that, including the shape of the pick, the material the pick is made of, how much of it contacts the string when you pick, the picking angle you use, and others.
I switched away from picks that felt great because they created too much pick noise for my taste.

 

[Sayonil Mitra]

I have a lot of pick noise but I plug in my guitar directly to my amp/recording device so that noise does not effect it. But I have one thing to ask though. While tremolo picking, I get the loud picking noise(like clicks every time I hit a string) in the actual recording only when I am recording my electric guitar with high distortion. That is not pleasant. How to minimize that noise?

 

[Christopher Lonski]

That may be because of the pick material. Harder plastics or acrylics might be the reason for that. Softer materials that sound darker or thicker may fix that. What picks are you using?

 

[Sayonil Mitra]

Plastic 0.71, Sometimes Dunlop, sometimes Alice.

 

[Ed Seith]

Try a Tortex or Ultex, Sayonil. Ultex are more expensive, but if you don’t LOSE them, they last a VERY long time.

 

[Filip Tomiša]

If you recorded yourself with a phone of course you will hear it, but you can hear the pick in a lot of songs, especially on acoustic so that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. At least you can tell that a human is playing that guitar.

 

[Matt Wildman]

That’s true Filip

 

[Sayonil Mitra]

Oh Ok. Thanks.
I will try a Tortex one ED. I think have it. I need to find it.

 

[Dylan Burley]

I just use less pick in my playing

 

[Stefan Kobald]

I don‘t know if anyone will agree, but.. i think every single player should have his own (picking) style. there is no „this one is right“. it might sound different than the original version of the riff but thats good, not bad.