Pick slide
Encyclopedia
A pick slide or pick scrape is a guitar technique most often performed in the rock, punk
or metal music genres. The technique is executed by holding the edge of the pick
against any of the three or four wound strings
and moving it along the string. As the pick moves across the string, the edge of the pick catches the string's windings in rapid succession causing the string to vibrate and produce a note. This rapid rattling of the pick's edge against the windings also gives the resulting note a grinding or grating quality.
The pitch
of a pick slide rises as the pick moves closer to the bridge, nut
or fret
(if the string is being fretted) and lowers as the pick moves away from these points, towards the center of the vibrating length of the string. Since pick slides usually start near the bridge and end over the higher frets, the notes have a characteristic of gradually lowering the pitch. This technique is most effective for the electric guitar
with high gain. It isn't loud enough to be distinguishable from ordinary fret noise on an acoustic guitar
or an electric guitar without distortion. When this technique is executed on an electric guitar being played through an amplifier, the sound produced does not damage the speaker(s), permitting the amplifier is operating on settings that don't already cause damage the apparatus when playing. Pick scraping may cause wound strings to deteriorate at a slightly quicker rate due to the nature of the technique; the damage done to the strings, if any, is mostly negligible. Thinner picks made of more durable materials tend to have more desirable results.
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
or metal music genres. The technique is executed by holding the edge of the pick
Guitar pick
A guitar pick is a plectrum used for guitars. A pick is generally made of one uniform material; examples include plastic, nylon, rubber, felt, tortoiseshell, wood, metal, glass, and stone...
against any of the three or four wound strings
Strings (music)
A string is the vibrating element that produces sound in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. Strings are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may vibrate freely, but controllably. Strings may be "plain"...
and moving it along the string. As the pick moves across the string, the edge of the pick catches the string's windings in rapid succession causing the string to vibrate and produce a note. This rapid rattling of the pick's edge against the windings also gives the resulting note a grinding or grating quality.
The pitch
Pitch (music)
Pitch is an auditory perceptual property that allows the ordering of sounds on a frequency-related scale.Pitches are compared as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies,...
of a pick slide rises as the pick moves closer to the bridge, nut
Nut (instrumental)
The nut of a string instrument is a small piece of hard material which supports the strings at the end closest to the headstock or scroll. The nut marks one end of the speaking length of each open string, sets the spacing of the strings across the neck, and usually holds the strings at the proper...
or fret
Fret
A fret is a raised portion on the neck of a stringed instrument, that extends generally across the full width of the neck. On most modern western instruments, frets are metal strips inserted into the fingerboard...
(if the string is being fretted) and lowers as the pick moves away from these points, towards the center of the vibrating length of the string. Since pick slides usually start near the bridge and end over the higher frets, the notes have a characteristic of gradually lowering the pitch. This technique is most effective for the electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
with high gain. It isn't loud enough to be distinguishable from ordinary fret noise on an acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
or an electric guitar without distortion. When this technique is executed on an electric guitar being played through an amplifier, the sound produced does not damage the speaker(s), permitting the amplifier is operating on settings that don't already cause damage the apparatus when playing. Pick scraping may cause wound strings to deteriorate at a slightly quicker rate due to the nature of the technique; the damage done to the strings, if any, is mostly negligible. Thinner picks made of more durable materials tend to have more desirable results.