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How to get rid of the "picking sound"

Matt Wildman

Free Bird Player
Nov 11, 2019
565
24
Liberty IN
5
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

Free Bird Player
Nov 11, 2019
275
1
58
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

Supreme Galactic Overlord
Staff member
Legend+
  • Nov 11, 2019
    3,882
    15
    6,603
    54
    Marana, AZ USA
    soundcloud.com
    35
    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

    Free Bird Player
    Nov 11, 2019
    676
    280
    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?
     

    Stefan Kobald

    New Student
    Nov 11, 2019
    2
    0
    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.