The Guzheng Forum

[jarrelle]

HELLO ALL!!!! its been such a long time...how is everything going in this tiger year!hahaha..... I am just so curious about different picks and thickness and thin picks and so on i came up with a few things i wanted to ask and say.


I really like to use the thick picks but they are somewhat harder to make a loud yao zhi and plucking is more quiet than the thin ones so i filed the thumb around the inner curve and now the sound is too rough and scratchy, is there some type of brush i can brush it to make the sound smooth?

I have seen some people play with the picks on top of the first and middle finger for traditional songs...ive tried it and it hurt my fingers abit!haha does anyone play this way???

Recently ive been using alot of left hand picks compared to my real nails and ive grown used to them and can play faster but there is still some clicking....i know that there will be a click naturally and i guess each person has a different way of plucking with them so therefor the clicking could be stronger in some peoples playing than others....ive grown used to it now ^^

I want to make my own picks too but i can not find a place online to buy the materials....hmm is it only possible in china? if not does anyone know a website that sells that and ox horn picks too?

and last but not least------- ARRANGING THE PICKS--- Over time I notice that I could play more accurate with my thumb pick pointed lower down and the rest kinda shorter than i usually have them...When the thumb pick is lower it seems i dont miss any strings and my yaozhi is smoother.... Before a performance or before practice I always have to make sure my thumb pick is in the right position(who else does this) haha!


I hope that during the rest of this year we will all grow to know our guzhengs more and play better than the last year and so on.... keep up the practice!!!!!!!!!!!!!! woohooo
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what color is the wind?

[yukina]

you need to smooth and polish the edge after filing, so it doesn't make scratchy noise.

Use the 4-step or 7-step nail filer from Wal-Mart. They work pretty well.

[Vi_An]

One of my thick grooved pick slip in half, the tip from the groove part, split right off from the line of the tape wrapped around it. A clean break. I guess I play really -- really hard. Those were great picks though for sure I'll have to order a new set because I lost them one night after a concert, I had a really long day that whole day too and my head was not on me, I put them down all bundled up in the tape on a table and packed up my zheng and stands, forgetting to put the bundled picks into my lipstick case *hahahahahaa*.


These picks produced a powerful punchy robust sound for me which I need, I was also able to play extremely fast with them to electronic musical works by various electronic artists / dj's. They stay on and don't shift about easily either which was a huge bonus !


Happy strumming everyone !

Vi An

[jarrelle]

@yukina- cool!!! i never knew about that haha! im going to buy one then...wow!

@vi an- hey vi annnn!!! long time no see.how are ya?! i love thick picks too but the yaozhi-tremolo does not sound smooth enough when the tip of the thumb is too thick(well for me)...i do my yaozhi like my teacher so i guess its old style.... the way the hand is made also can make the yaozhi sound different...and the bending too....those picks sound cool! i play really hard too and think picks alwaysssss break on me ah!haha so thick picks with thin tips should do the trick! so far they sound good and the scratchy sound kinda went away.... * picks in the lip stick case...thats cute!!* hahahahaha i put mine in a little velvet deep red pouch a carry on my wrist all the timeee cause a classmate once stole my new set of thick well filed picks in the lunch room!!!!!!!!! ohhh if i ever see him again i would be a zheng assassin! kidddingggggggggggggggggggggggggg
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what color is the wind?

[Vi_An]

Hahahahahaa ! You are kidding but eyeeeeeeeeee I tis the truth *wink*, I keeeed I keeeeeeeed muahahahahaaa ! I'm doing great thank you, working on my 3rd new album for the year. Now up to 13 albums released since 1998. Sorry though previous albums are sold out and I discontinue print, to keep my inspiration flow fresh and new every year. I don't like stagnate water because it breeds mosquitoes ick !


Happy picking.............................................