A pick scratch, also known as a pick scrape or pick slide, is a simple but cool and effective sound you can make on your guitar. It’s a great way to start a song or to jump into a new section after a big buildup. Even though it’s quite a simple technique, there are a few tips and tricks you should keep in mind if you want to pull it off effectively and use it to the full potential.
To make a pick scratch sound on a guitar, you need to use a lot of gain, and pay attention to how you hold your pick. Apply pressure behind the bridge pickup on the A and E strings and push your hand toward the neck. It’s easiest to have your thumb pointing forward.
Keep reading if you want to learn how to do a great pick scratch on a guitar, as it can liven up your songs and make your build ups more effective. We’ll dive deep into the details, so you’ll be doing amazing pick scrapes in no time.
Related: how to solo with an acoustic guitar, how to shred on an acoustic guitar, and should beginner guitar players use a pick? 7 facts. New to this topic? Start with our self-taught guitar roadmap.
If you want to find out what my recommended guitar gear is, then here is what I recommend on Amazon:
- Fender Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar Bundle (MY FAVORITE GUITAR)
- Snark SN-8 Super Tight All Instrument Tuner (Easiest Tuner I’ve Used)
- 6 String Acoustic Guitar Capo (Best CAPO for quick changes)
- Dunlop Max Grip 1.0mm Nylon Picks (Thick Guitar Pick So You Don’t Lose Grip!)
- Universal Guitar Stand (Cheap & Minimalist Guitar Stand I Recommend)
- Levy’s 2″ Wide Quick Adjust Guitar Strap (Best Guitar Strap For Any Level)
1. Use a Lot of Gain
If you want to avoid a thin-sounding pick scratch, you should first work on getting a thick tone to begin with. You’ll need a lot of gain to achieve this, and it’s best if the gain knob on your amp is turned all the way up or close to that point.
It’s also important to keep your mids relatively high and your bass slightly above the treble. The amp’s master volume should also be relatively high. This isn’t a technique you can use while practicing in a crowded dorm or a house where everyone is asleep. If your guitar is not loud enough, the pick scratch will sound more like a whistle than anything, which is not a sound that will impress many people.
You should also add a distortion or overdrive pedal to the mix, which allows pick scrapes to make their telltale sweet and crunchy sound. There’s no need to ramp them up to the maximum, but a certain amount of overdrive and distortion will help.
Apart from distortion and overdrive, delay and reverb can also be used effectively to make your pick scrapes sound better. They will add texture to your sound and allow you to create a more unique pick scrape.
Bear in mind that just because it’s a simple technique, it doesn’t mean that it always has to sound the same.
Pick scrapes are essentially background noise that you use to your advantage. If your guitar sounds too thin, your pick scrapes might sound like regular noise that simply annoys people instead of pumping them up for your song.
The key to the difference between bad noise and cool noise is in the tone. You don’t want a pick scrape that sounds like somebody’s pained screeching. You want a rich and thick sound that will immediately draw attention and keep your audience on their toes, and expecting a heavy riff or a catchy chorus.
2. Pay Attention to How You Hold Your Pick
If you like to hold your pick so that only a small part of it pokes out and you have better control over it, you’ll have to change this to get better pick slides. When doing a pick slide, you have to hold your pick so that as much of it pokes out of your hand as possible. Pick slides sound best when a large part of your pick makes contact with the strings.
You also have to hold your pick by the tip so that two of its angles make contact with the strings instead of only one. Otherwise, you’ll scratch only one string instead of two (or more), and the sound you get won’t be much except noise and literal scratching. That’s not something anybody will enjoy, especially with a lot of gain, distortion, and volume turned all the way up.
Your hand position is also an important factor. Some guitarists like to lead with their pinky fingers. However, this isn’t the easiest way to do a pick slide. Firstly, it forces you into a weird hand position, and there’s no reason why you should be uncomfortable while playing. Secondly, this position doesn’t allow you to go back to strumming as quickly as possible.
Instead of leading with your pinky, lead with your thumb. This hand position is much more comfortable, and you can immediately return to strumming. Plus, it lowers the chances of dropping your pick since it’s much more convenient. Imagine the embarrassment of building up an ear-melting solo, only to drop your pick and stand there awkwardly. Nobody would like to go through that.
So, hold your pick tightly and get into a comfortable hand position. This will help your pick scratches immensely.
3. Start From the Bridge Pickup
To get a really thick and tight pick scratch, you have to find the best starting position. Starting from the wrong position will make your pick scratch too short and thin-sounding. That’s why you should start between your bridge and bridge pickup and slide toward the neck.
You’ll notice that the pitch descends as you go toward your neck. It will ascend as you proceed toward your bridge, but the most common way to utilize this technique is going from bridge to neck. However, nothing prevents you from going in the opposite direction if you want to get creative with your pick slides.