Everything about Plectrum totally explained
Often called a
pick or
plec, a
plectrum is a small flat tool used to pluck or strum a
stringed instrument. For
guitars and similar instruments, the plectrum is a separate tool held in the player's hand. In
harpsichords, the plectra are attached to the harpsichord's jack mechanism.
Plectrum for Guitars and Similar Instruments
A plectrum for guitars is typically a narrow,
isosceles triangle with rounded corners; the most acute angle is the one used to pluck the string. A plectrum can also be called a
pick (or a
flatpick to distinguish it from
fingerpicks). The size, shape and width may vary considerably. Thin items such as small
coins or a bread clippers can be used as substitute plectra.
Banjo and guitar players may wear a metal or plastic
thumb pick mounted on a ring, and bluegrass banjo players often wear metal or plastic
fingerpicks on their fingertips. Guitarists also occasionally use fingerpicks.
Guitarists in the
rock,
blues,
jazz and
bluegrass world tend to use a plectrum, partly because the use of steel strings tends to wear out the fingernails quickly, and also because using a plectrum allows for a more 'focused' and 'aggressive' sound. Many guitarists also develop the use of the plectrum and remaining right-hand fingers simultaneously, affording most of the advantages of both techniques. This technique is called "
hybrid picking".
Non-Western instruments
The plectra for the
Japanese
biwa and
shamisen can be quite large, and those used for the Arabic
oud are longer and narrower, replacing the formerly used eagle feather. Plectra used for Chinese instruments such as the
sanxian were formerly made of animal horn, though many players today use plastic plectra.
Materials
Plectra for guitars are made of a variety of materials, including
celluloid, metal, and rarely other exotic materials such as stone, but today
plastic is the most common. For other instruments in the modern day most players use plastic plectra but a variety of other materials, including wood and
felt (for use with the
ukulele) are common.
Plectrum for Harpsichords
In a
harpsichord, there's a separate plectrum for each string. These plectra are very small, often only about a centimeter long, about 1.5 millimeters wide, and half a millimeter thick. The plectrum is gently tapered, being narrowest at the plucking end. The top surface of the plectrum is flat and horizontal, and is held in the tongue of the jack, which permits it to pluck moving upward and pass almost silently past the string moving downward.
In the past, plectra were made of sturdy feather quills, usually from
crows or
ravens. In Italy, some makers (including
Bartolomeo Cristofori) used
vulture quills.. Other Italian harpsichords employed plectra of
leather. In late French harpsichords by the great builder
Pascal Taskin,
peau de buffle, a
chamois-like material from the hide of the
European bison, was used for plectra to produce a delicate
pianissimo.
Modern harpsichords often substitute a more durable plastic, such as
delrin or
celcon, for quill. This cuts down substantially on the time that must be spent in requilling.
Usage note
"Plectrum" has both a
Latin-based plural,
plectra, and a native English plural,
plectrums.
Plectra is used in formal writing, particularly in discussing the harpsichord as an instrument of
classical music. However,
plectrums is more common in ordinary speech. In vernacular speech the abbreviation
pleck or "plec" (plural:
plecks) is sometimes used.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Plectrum'.
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