GB2544037A

GB2544037A - Complete playing pick

Info

Publication number: GB2544037A
Application number: GB1517406.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Glyde Peter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-10-02
Filing date: 2015-10-02
Publication date: 2017-05-10
Also published as: GB201517406D0

Abstract

A plectrum or pick 1 is attached to a grip 2 and a sleeve3, the sleeve capable of passing around a users thumb. A spacer 5 is attached to the grip. The sleeve is made of a rubber material. Preferably the plectrum is made of a hard nylon material. The spacer may be hemispherical and made of a high impact polystyrene.

Description

Complete Playing Pick

This invention relates to a Complete Playing Pick suitable for playing any steel strung guitar. A steel strung acoustic guitar can be played in three main ways. These are described in turn. The first method uses a plectrum. Typically a plectrum is an egg shaped piece of thin plastic approx. 25mm long by 20mm wide. It is usually held between the thumb and first finger of the playing hand in a pen-holding grip. There are a number of ways in which the plectrum can be used to play the guitar. The strings can be sounded in rapid succession, i.e. strummed, or picked individually, i.e. single note playing. A combination of the two styles of playing is called 'flat picking'. Conventional plectra are supplied in various thicknesses depending on the style and loudness of playing, e.g. soft strumming, loud strumming, single note playing and flat picking. The disadvantages of using conventional plectra are as follows; firstly, the player cannot easily change the style of playing, for example from soft to loud strumming as this requires putting down one plectrum and picking up the next. Secondly, the sound quality obtained with thin plectra is poor due to high plectrum 'clatter' or 'white noise' compared to the actual musical notes the instrument is producing. Thirdly, the dynamic control, i.e. the ability to play very loudly and very softly with the same plectrum is poor. Fourthly, conventional plectra are difficult to grip and tend to move and leave the fingers when in use. The Complete Playing Pick eliminates all these disadvantages.

The second method described here is called the Hybrid Style. This consists of holding the plectrum between the thumb and first finger of the playing hand and in addition plucking the strings with the remaining second, third and fourth fingers. The Complete Playing Pick is ideally suited for this style of playing.

The third method is called the Finger-Picking Style. This consists of plucking the lower or bass strings of the guitar with thumb and the remaining treble or higher strings with the first, second and third fingers of the playing hand.

The Complete Playing Pick allows the player to play in all these styles moving instantly from one to the other at will. The design of the Complete Playing Pick gives a more positive engagement of the second, third and fourth fingers with the strings when playing in the Hybrid Style because of where it is located on the thumb of the player.

According to the present invention there is provided a ‘blade’ made of a relatively thick plastic material connected to a ‘sleeve’ made of a rubber material and to a ‘grip’ made of relatively thick plastic material by a ‘fastener’ which passes around the ‘sleeve’ and through the ‘blade’ and ‘grip’ in that order and connected to the ‘grip’ there is a ‘spacer’ made of a hard plastic material. The Complete Playing Pick is held in position by passing the ‘sleeve’ over the thumb of the playing hand and positioning the ‘sleeve’ in between the first and second joint of the thumb. The ‘sleeve’ is a close fit on the thumb so that it holds the ‘blade’ and ‘grip’ in position when the Complete Playing Pick is in use. The ‘blade’ is positioned so the tip is pointing upwards; it is held in this position by the ‘sleeve’ acting like a spring with the spring action of the ‘sleeve’ returning the ‘blade’ to this position whenever the ‘blade’ is displaced. When the Complete Playing Pick is in this position it leaves the thumb and first three fingers free to play in the conventional finger-picking style. When the Complete Playing Pick is required to play like a plectrum then the first finger is placed on the ‘grip’ causing the ‘grip’ to act like a lever and to make the tip of the ‘blade’ pronounced relative to the side of the thumb, when the first finger is released the ‘blade’ returns to its original position due to the ‘sleeve’ acting like a spring. The first finger can also be used to alter the angle at which the tip of the ‘blade’ strikes the strings. Altering the pressure and position of the first finger allows a complete range of sounds to be produced by the Complete Playing Pick in this position. When the Complete Playing Pick is used as a plectrum in the Hybrid Style then this facilitates playing in the Hybrid Style as it gives a more positive engagement of the second, third and fourth fingers with the strings due to the positioning of the Complete Playing Pick on the lower part of the thumb. A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which

Fig. 1 shows the components of the Complete Playing Pick prior to assembly.

Fig. 2 shows the assembled Complete Playing Pick.

Fig. 3 shows the Complete Playing Pick fitted to the thumb in the finger-picking position.

Fig. 4 shows the Complete Playing Pick fitted to the thumb in the plectrum playing position or hybrid playing position.

Referring to the drawings the Complete Playing Pick comprises a ‘blade’ 1 of nylon material fixed to a ‘grip’ 2 of semi-rigid polyvinyl chloride material by means of a pressure adhesive for example using a rubber solution based adhesive, the ‘sleeve’ 3 made from a flat extruded rubber tube, using for example a butyl bicycle inner tube, is fixed to the ‘blade’ 1 and ‘grip’2 by a ‘fastener’4 of mild steel wire which passes around the ‘sleeve’3 and through the ‘blade’ 1 and ‘grip’2 and is fixed in position by-bending over the ends of the ‘fastener’ 4 on to the underside of the ‘grip’ 2 and there is fixed to the ‘grip’ 2 a ‘spacer’ 5 made of high impact polystyrene in the form of a hemisphere by means of a pressure adhesive using for example a rubber solution based adhesive. It is the use of a flat extruded rubber tube rather than a circular extruded rubber tube which causes the ‘sleeve’3 to act as a spring.

Claims

1. A Complete Playing Pick comprising a ‘blade’ made of a relatively thick plastic material connected to a ‘sleeve’ made of a rubber material and to a ‘grip’ made of relatively thick plastic material by a ‘fastener’ which passes around the ‘sleeve’ and through the ‘blade’ and ‘grip’ in that order and connected to the ‘grip’ there is a ‘spacer’ made of a hard plastic material.

2. A Complete Playing Pick as claimed in claim lin which the ‘blade’ is made of hard nylon material.

3. A Complete Playing Pick as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the ‘blade’ is connected to the ‘grip’ by a rubber solution based pressure adhesive.

4. A Complete Playing Pick as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 or claim 3 in which the ‘sleeve’ is made from rubber tubing extruded in the form of a flattened tube.

5. A Complete Playing Pick as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 or claim 3 or claim 4 in which the ‘sleeve’ and ‘blade’ and ‘grip’ are held together by a mild steel ‘fastener’ passing around the ‘sleeve’ and through the ‘blade’ and ‘grip’ in that order.

6. A Complete Playing Pick as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 or claim 3 or claim 4 or claim 5 in which the ‘spacer’ is in the form of a hemisphere and is made of high impact polystyrene and fixed to the ‘grip’ by a rubber solution based pressure adhesive.