I just fling mine in frustration every time I make a mistake. That’s why I buy picks by the gross.
I have used your utility knife idea a couple times, it seems to work well. Doesn’t improve my playing at all, so it still gets flung.
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Make yourself a little goal out of a pot or toy basketball net or something and at least aim in frustration and save your vacuum the trouble.
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Okay, so it’s down to these two as contenders for the position of “Pam’s Favorite Pick”. I’ve been playing the Tortex Flow 1.14 mm for awhile and really like them. Yesterday, I received my six pack of the Ultex 1.14, which I like also.
The Ultex “feels” thinner, despite the fact that they are the same gauge. It’s also a wee bit bigger and more rounded at the tip. The Tortex is more rounded at the top. I’m not sure how much difference those shapes make, but maybe the resident pick experts @terb and @howard can chime in on that.
I like that color of the Tortex better, but that’s not a deal breaker.
Now, I have to play both of them for awhile and see which becomes my favorite. I’ll also be conducting a fling test to see which one I can fling the farthest. If either of them comes back like a boomerang, it will be the instant winner.
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the flow Tortex and the standard Ultex are not so different, shape-wise. not sure it makes a huge difference. what’s really different is that the Ultex material is much much much more durable than the Tortex one.
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Yeah what @terb said plus the texture are the big differences.
My Tortex picks get visible wear pretty quickly. Not the Ultex ones.
I do like the Tortex texture a lot though.
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I haven’t reached the pick lesson in B2B yet, and otherwise have not tried using a pick. But I was wondering if anyone used any D’Andria picks. If so, any feedback or recommendations from their offerings?
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I’ve been practicing with both all day, it’s still neck and neck between the Tortex and Utex, but I think I’m liking the shape of the flow a bit better.
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Never tried them. Their celluloid ones look totally standard. Their Radex, Delrex, and Snarling Dog Brain ones look interesting though.
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Thanks! I was looking over his free videos today, but hadn’t noticed that one.
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You’re welcome!
Josh’s pick lesson in B2B is quite brief. I actually learned pick playing from Mark. I use the same down, up, down, up, etc. method that Mark teaches in this video, (I normally start with the up stroke however), but was told by someone here that my style is “unusual”.
You should play with whichever style feels most comfortable for you. The most important things are the same as for finger plucking: (a) staying in the groove, and (b) playing the right notes.
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Playing with a pick is not rocket science. It’s actually much easier than plucking, on its own. You can probably just figure it out without help or lessons.
All the challenge with a pick comes from muting, which shifts in part to the left hand and picking up palm muting technique with the right.
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I find picking to actually be a bit more challenging than finger plucking, particularly when string jumping. When plucking, I can feel the strings so I always know where I am. Also, with fingers, I’m always “upstroking” so to speak. With alternate picking, I always have to be aware when I upstroke or downstroke which strings my pick is between; which can be cause for the wrong string being struck. This is where a lot of practice comes in (as with everything else about playing).
But like you said, it’s not rocket science.
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Did you know you can get custom printed picks from D’Addario and they’re really not any more expensive than regular picks?
100 picks for $29.49 usd. 
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Cool, would like to try their Duralin and Cortex.
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The pick journey has begun. I have acquired several sample packs of picks that will be summarily dismissed quickly. I am leaning towards the bigger triangles, and the Tortex, have not tried the Ultex yet. I agree with @PamPurrs that picking is not as straightforward, most likely because of starting the other way with fingers. I almost think bass lessons should start with a pick so you are forced to learn better muting with the left hand vs. relying on the right.
There are def tones you can’t get unless using a pick so will keep at it.
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I started with a pick, so maybe. I definitely find it easier at speed.
I recommend starting out using only downstrokes. Once you have that down pat, moving to alternating is not too hard but it is simpler to start with just one direction. Especially in terms of string crossing, if that gives you trouble, which it probably will 
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@Howard, for people like you and @terb, who have experience playing guitar, the downstroke is quite natural. However, having never learned to play guitar, and after 1 1/2 years of finger plucking on bass, the up stroke feels the most natural to me. That may explain why @terb made the comment that my picking is very unusual.
In my Psycho Killer cover video, which was my first with a pick, it’s obvious that I’m alternating throughout the song, but favoring the upstroke because it seemed natural to me.
@John_E I’ll be interested to hear your experience with this.
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I agree (even if other techniques are not necessarily “bad”)
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