playing loud in jam sessions

Buco · June 18

Yes you end up picking not with the tip of the pick but off to the side. Not everyone does but it's very common. You can see how the rest of this Killy pick is all surface checked and oxidized but where I pick is smooth and polished.

The pick pushes the string somewhat towards the top. A bit like pulling a string bow but the opposite. Instead of pulling on the string, you're pushing down and into the top and then releasing. When you release, it bounces back with the snap. That's where a lot of projection comes from. That's what Joscho does so well.

crookedpinky · June 19

Hi Jamie, I was in Inverness the week before the jam - bad timing on my part. I absolutely get your point, the Glasgow session can be the same but with added issue of really crap acoustics. This isn't helped by the lack of space which means that participants act like a sound blanket and suck all the sound up. I end up trying to squeeze as much volume as I can which is detrimental to what I end up playing. My usual guitar is a JWC d hole which has quite a loud outputs and I added a soundport which helps me hear it better. Even then I think the sound dissappears into a black hole. Having said that I'd add that practically all the gypsy guitars I've played and heard seem to project more in front of the guitar leading us to believe that the sound quiet to the player. This is borne out by the number of players who, when someone else plays their guitar, say wow that sounds so much better. I try to just trust that the guitar is loud enough, despite what I can actually hear. I must try and get to the Inverness session soon, when is the next one scheduled?