How to Bend Banjo Picks

Advice for how to bend banjo picks:

Student Question:

Is there a preferred bending of the finger tips? Should they be bent to where they are 45 degrees to your finger nails or left as they are when you take them out of the pack?

There seems to be as many answers as there are stars in the sky. I just want to know if there is a mechanically best method so I don't have to change later.

My Response:

Hi Jeff, the reason there are so many answers out there is it seems that this is a very personal thing. It something that differs greatly with the individual. In my case I don't bend the picks at all and stick them out just a bit from my fingertips, but I've seen lots of players bend and shape them.

My best suggestion is to get a set of your used picks and bend them and experiment with what works for you, you might examine the angle your fingers hit the strings when considering how to bend them or not bend them. Also its important to consider the tone you are getting and what produces the least string noise with your picks.

There is no hard fast rule on this, just see what works and feels comfortable for you, thanks, Ross