Plectrum or Pick?

[ZenG]

When you go into guitar/bass stores do you walk up to the counterperson and say " Where would I find your plectrums?"

Or do you say "Where would I find picks here?"

When people say " Oh...you use a pick to play bass?

Do you say " Certainly not. I use a plectrum" ?

 

[MalcolmAmos]

Giving this some thought -- I'd say picks, however in writing posts here I have and do use both.

 

[moody]

I use a pick.

My mother uses a plectrum.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Plectrum=Old world
Pick=New world
Plectrum is what you use when you want to be pretentious.
Put on a "Charles Emerson Winchester III" affectation:"I say,my good man,would you per chance have a plectrum?'

 

[jasonrp]

Pick. It just feels snobby to me saying plectrum. Tophat..monacle sort of stuff

"Pardon me son but do you have any plectrums? "

 

[5StringBlues]

I don't usually play bass with a pick , but when I do, I ask the guy at Guitar Center for a plectrum.

 

[Lobster11]

Pick. It just feels snobby to me saying plectrum. Tophat..monacle sort of stuff

"Pardon me son but do you have any plectrums? "

If you want to sound even snobbier, ask if he has any plectra.

 

[jasonrp]

 

[Pyrat]

I can't use "pick" because of Seinfeld..."NO...NO! NO PICK!?!?" so yeah, plectrum it is...

 

[shawshank72]

Pick.
But I always buy mine online.

 

[Doner Designs]

I don't always play with a pick, but when I do I use a rubber.

Seriously, rubber picks are a great way to rest your fingers and the attack sounds almost finger-like.

 

[StyleOverShow]

Pick.....plectrum sounds like a medical device.

 

[TheCrimsonKing]

My Dad always says plectrum so I picked it up off him, I don't get people saying it sounds snobby, maybe it's an American thing.

 

[Matt O]

I always thought it was one of those Brit/Yank things.

Boot/trunk, etc.

The only time I've heard plectrum used was in or near the UK.

I always thought it sounded classy...

 

[jasonrp]

I'm saying it would sound snobby coming from me. With an Irish accent I'm sure it sounds natural...even pleasant but my accent and voice sound like I drink cigarettes and smoke whiskey so it sounds strange

 

[Liam Wald]

If you have to ask where the picks are you have never been to a music store before.

 

[cnltb]

I say Plectrum and usually find mine laying around.

 

[two fingers]

Pick.


Automobile used the be the proper term for a car.
Firearm used to be the proper term for a gun.
I could go on all day.
Law, business, and higher education are full of "proper" terms (pretentious dribble that has common jargon equivalent terminology) that hold no value whatsoever for common folk. And, to me, that means they have little value at all.

We harbor these silly notions that the way things were said anywhere from a couple hundred to 500 or more years ago is "proper".

I rather enjoy pretentious language during extremely important events (some of the letters written by the founding fathers while we were hashing out what would eventually become our Constitution, for example).

But I work in the medical industry. One thing I think would greatly enhance the customer service experience for patients (and make no mistake we are all in customer service) is using plain English when talking to patients. I frankly didn't care that my surgeon knew a four-word 18 syllable way of saying "knee surgery". I wanted to know what he did and how that will affect my life from this point forward.... in simple terms.

Yeah, pick.

 

[jasonrp]

I'm a little embarassed that I'd never even heard the word until I joined TB. Thank god nobody ever asked to see my plectrum before I found out what it was.

 

[bassandkeys42]

"Pick...or plectrum...if you're not into the whole brevity thing..."