FRETS.COM Illustrated Glossary


Nothing else, but flat
Flatpick
© Frank Ford, 9/26/98 Photos by FF


It's flat and it's a pick, what else can I say?

They come in a huge variety of shapes, colors, materials, thickness and flexibility:

Flatpicks are also called "plectra" ("plectrum" is singular.)



And they are used like this:



No other picking device can match the speed, power and efficiency of a flatpick! You can get the entire mass of your forearm into the act and really wind up to strike the strings. You can create speedy tremelo effects by rapidly and delicately striking the string.

Flatpicking style guitar would be nowhere without the flatpick!

Mandolin players don't use anything else but a flatpick.

And so on. . .

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