At 03:06 PM 8/24/2006, Rob MacKillop wrote: >Had my first rehearsal for The Meistersinger with the BBC Scottish Symphony >Orchestra. What a day! Thought I'd share the experience. It's not an >academic acount, but real life... > >Met the American conductor just before the rehearsal in Glasgow started. He >said, 'I want you to use fingerpicks'. Excuse me? 'Fingerpicks. We don't >need the guitar for an hour and a half, so try to find some'. Er...OK... > >I went to a nearby guitar store. They didn't have any. Went across Glasgow >looking for some. Found a store which did have some. Tried them out, but I >really, REALLY hated them. Bought a normal plectrum, which really does >amplify the strings, but makes some arpeggios much harder...
Thanks for sharing this bit of intrigue...and my condolences, of course. I hope you can work through and find yourself on the other side having had an overall pleasurable experience with the orchestra. On plectra and fingerpicks, have you tried or considered so-called "Alaska" picks? They are made of some breed of plastic and are designed to appeal to classical-guitar wannabees. They fit under whatever bit of nail you keep and can be trimmed and buffed to a desired length and shape. It's possible they'd give the desired effect and might prove somewhat less offensive than banjo-style fingerpicks. Personally, I prefer the stuff that grows out of the ends of my arms, but if I was contracted to play a classical guitar with picks, it's almost certainly the route I'd take. Here's a reputable US vendor: <http://www.elderly.com/accessories/items/PK40.htm> I don't know who carries them in Scotland or the UK, but imagine Hobgoblin would be a possibility. Best, Eugene To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
