The mediator is a special device that is used to play the guitar. It helps to get a brighter sound and a clearer rhythm.
Similar tools appeared in 1922. They were produced by the company D`Andrea. Since that time, there have been many experiments with picks: they changed their thickness, design, material.
A finger mediator is used with a special guitar playing technique - this is the so-called finger style. This technique is often used for an acoustic guitar, while the sound is extracted with the fingers of the right hand. Classical technique was the basis for creating this trend. Finger style primarily means playing music with nails.
It is worth noting that the nails of far from all guitarists possess the necessary qualities. After all, they should be strong, straight and not bend like claws. In such a situation, many professionals resort to using this device, which is also called finger peak.
Game ways
They allow you to expand the possibilities of sound. A musician with a pick can play both accompaniment (accompaniment) and a melody at the same time. There are various sound extraction methods that you can use when playing with a pick:
- pizzicato;
- slap;
- flagolet;
- percussion technique - the use of sounds that do not have a height (strikes on strings and body, whistling, etc.).
The thumb mediator is most often used for spectacular playing on bass strings. They are the thickest and have a low sound. These strings are very important when playing in such styles as ragtime, blues, fingerstyle, single string, bluegrass.
Using a pick on the fingers for a guitar in this case will make the rhythm more clear, and this is very important in complex rhythmic music. It will help to perform songs with a variable touch. There are devices of various shapes, sizes and models.
Finger pick models
The vast majority of such tools are made of plastic. They are preferred by many professional musicians. However, there are metal models.
The mediator on a finger made of plastic is easiest to adapt for playing music of different directions. They are convenient to store, do not require special care, and you can use them for a very long time.
Metal devices are often worn not on the big, but on the game fingers - index, middle.
The choice is worth making yourself. It is very important that the pick on the finger is convenient to use for a particular person.
How to use?
When playing, the instrument should fit snugly, not to spin or jump. And at the same time, the musician should not experience inconvenience, crowding.
At the same time, at first, a certain discomfort will be present, fingers are not so easy to sort the strings, as before. But this feeling will pass after a couple of weeks, and the sound will become more vivid and rich.
Mediators on the finger have specific dimensions, so each device must be selected individually. It is best to buy a tool that is made of polyurethane. If the false nail from such a material is small, it can be heated with a hairdryer without fear that it will melt. Thus, the pick will become a little wider.