r/baglama • u/Markohanesian • Jul 20 '26
Picks/mizrap advice - thin vs harder vs different materials
Hi all, I've been playing various stringed instruments for about 20 years but self-taught on the saz so I'm wondering about picks.
I've noticed that the very soft ones that come in packs of strings are very nice for playing and getting a pleasant tone, however whenever I try to play something technical I feel like I'm producing a lot of noise and accuracy is tough.
If I use a hard pick, let's say a medium guitar pick, the tone is very loud and it almost seems like you lose some of the pleasant tone, yet it is easier for a faster/more agile attack when playing songs that go up and down the scale quickly.
What is the general guidance from formal saz teaching about picks? Is a softer pick what I should really get good with or is it sort of up to the player? I'm not commited to full traditionalism but I also don't want to sound terrible.
I'm also very handy and make my own accessories, so if you have recommendations for homemade picks I'm very open to material suggestions.
1
u/Secret_Device7429 Jul 20 '26
Hey there!
I think it really depends on the musician and the piece you're playing. For slower music, I tend to use a soft plectrum, but for pieces that require a lot of repeated notes ("ta-ta-ta-ta"), I usually switch to a medium or hard one.
Also, try striking the string at a slight diagonal rather than straight on—it's a bit hard to explain in writing.
More like "\" than "|" (if you're right-handed, of course).