Abstract:
A pick for use with stringed musical instruments is disclosed. In some embodiments the pick is characterized by a roughened texture on the front and back substantially planar surfaces of the narrowed bottom portion of a substantially teardrop shaped body for the purpose of altering the tonal properties produced as it moves against strings that are strummed or picked. In further embodiments the roughened textured picking portion is combined with a separate second picking portion that is substantially smooth and useable to produce a conventional sound.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to picks for stringed musical instruments. More particularly, the invention relates to stringed musical instrument picks that alter the tonal properties produced when the strings are strummed or picked. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Musicians use a pick to pluck or strum the strings of a stringed musical instrument thereby causing them to vibrate and produce musical sounds and tones. A typical instrument pick is a small substantially teardrop shaped object having a broadened top finger grip portion and a narrowed bottom picking portion. In use, a musician holds the broadened top portion between the thumb and forefinger to guide the narrowed picking portion across the strings. 
     Picks of the prior art are substantially smooth on the front and back planar surfaces of the narrowed bottom portion so that they are nearly frictionless and soundless as they slide across the strings during strumming or plucking. Some picks of the prior art have a roughened textured on the broadened top finger grip portion to increase the gripping friction between the pick, thumb, and forefinger thereby making it less likely for the pick to be dropped unintentionally during use. 
     Frequently it is desirable for musicians to produce a number of differentiated tonal sounds in a single performance. By way of example, a musician may prefer to have a quiet subdued tone while playing behind a vocalist and a louder or more distorted tone during an instrument solo. The final perceived tonal sound is typically the summation of several tone altering apparatuses or selected features. Some examples include but are not limited to: engaging or disengaging electronic circuitry designed to distort or otherwise modify the electric signal of a stringed instrument&#39;s pickups, the type of amplifier used, the dimensions and material of the instrument body and strings, and the dimensions and material of the instrument pick. 
     In view of the foregoing there is a need for an improved design for a stringed musical instrument pick. For example it may be desirable for an improved pick to impart gritty or distorted tonal properties by nature of its design. It would be further desirable to be able to change the tonal properties imparted by the pick during a performance. Further still it would be desirable to include a means of changing the tonal properties quickly so as to not interrupt or delay the performance. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To achieve the foregoing and other objects in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, a variety of features are described to achieve a pick for stringed musical instruments. 
     A pick for use with stringed musical instruments is disclosed. In some embodiments the pick is characterized by a textured area on the front and back substantially planar surfaces of the narrowed bottom portion of a substantially teardrop shaped body for the purpose of altering the tonal properties produced as it moves against strings that are strummed or plucked. The textured area picking portion is combined with an acute curved terminal edge for the purpose of improved precision in manipulating strings during strumming or plucking. In further embodiments the textured area picking portion is combined with a separate second picking portion that is substantially smooth and useable to produce a conventional sound. 
     These embodiments and other features, objects, and advantages will become more fully apparent and more easily understood from the following detailed descriptions, which should be reviewed in conjunction with the provided drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by Way of in the figures of the accompanying drawings where; 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view Of a first instrument pick having features of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the instrument pick illustrated in HG  1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of a pick having features of the invention striking the strings of a stringed musical instrument. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of a second instrument pick having features of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of the instrument pick illustrated in  FIG. 4 , rotated to illustrate how a musician could orientate the pick to use the second narrowed picking portion. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments of the invention are described in following text with reference to the Figures. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that this description is for illustrative purpose and the invention extends beyond dimensions, patterns, and shapes described in these limited embodiments. 
     The invention is a pick  10  suitable for strumming or plucking the strings of a stringed musical instrument.  FIGS. 1 and 2  show by way of example a teardrop shaped pick  10  with a broadened upper finger hold portion  12  and a narrowed lower picking portion  14 . The narrowed lower picking portion  14  makes up approximately half the length of the entire pick  10 . The upper finger hold portion  12  makes up the remaining approximate half of the length of the entire pick  10 . The lower narrowed picking portion  14  has front and rear opposing faces  16 ,  18  which are characterized by textured areas  20 . The narrowed picking portion  14  has a curved terminal edge  36  with an endmost tip  22 . A portion of the curved terminal edge is defined by linear asymptotes  38 ,  40  with an interior angle β relative to each other. The linear asymptotic interior angle β is any specified angle less than 60 degrees. The textured areas  20  are characterized by a plurality of raised elements  42  arranged in a staggered pattern. The raised elements  42  terminate in a distal point or line  44 . The height H of the distal point or line measured relative to the nearest of said front and rear opposing faces is any specified length sized to be less than half the diameter D of the instrument string  100  as illustrated by  FIG. 3  while still sufficiently large to produce a desired audible raspy timbre. In view of extra light electric guitar string gauge standards the smallest gauge string diameter is 0.20 mm, and half its diameter is 0.10 mm accordingly. Similarly, in view of extra heavy bass guitar string gauge standards the largest string gauge diameter is 3.68 mm, and half its diameter is 1.84 mm accordingly. The height H is therefore any specified length between 0.10 mm and 1.84 mm sized in accordance with stringed musical instrument string gauge standards. The aspect ratio of each raised element is such that it is wider in base area  46  than tall in height H. Proportional to the raised element heights H listed previously the range of raised element base area  46  is any specified area size between 0.01 mm 2  and 3.39 mm 2 . The front and rear opposing faces  16 ,  18  are coupled with at least 10 raised elements  42  within 8 mm of the endmost tip  22 . 
     In use, the textured areas  20  of the front and rear faces  16 ,  18  make contact with the string  100  of a stringed musical instrument during strumming or plucking as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . As the textured area  20  moves across the string  100  the distal points and lines  44  of the plurality of raised elements  42  engage and disengage the string in quick succession producing a “raspy” or “gritty” timbre which is both pleasant and novel. When the textured area  20  portion of the pick has moved sufficiently far along the string  100  so as to reach the endmost tip  22  of the curved terminal edge  36  the string is released to vibrate freely thereby producing a final resulting musical sound or tone. In use, moving 10 or more staggered raised elements  42  against the string  100  in a span of 8 mm before reaching the endmost tip  22  audibly sustains the “raspy” or “gritty” timbre for a sufficiently long and pleasing length of time relative to the final resulting musical sound or tone produced when the string  100  is released from the endmost tip  22 . Fewer than 10 raised elements within 8 mm the endmost tip  22  produces an undesirable “chirping” sound rather than a sustained gritty or raspy timbre. The linear asymptotic interior angle β of less than 60 degrees improves the precision of the pick in releasing the string in musical timing from the textured area  20 . Furthermore, the linear asymptotic interior angle β of less than 60 degrees allows the textured areas  20  to further penetrate the gap between adjacent strings  100  before moving across said strings, thereby improving the precision of the pick in contacting any desired strings to produce sounds and tones in musical sequence without unintentionally contacting any undesired adjacent strings. The plurality of raised elements  42  arranged in a staggered pattern and their termination in a point or line  44  provide a continuous friction of a plurality of raised elements engaging and disengaging the string  100  concurrently thereby providing a predictable and even tonal effect. The raised element height H of less than half the string diameter D allows the textured area  20  to move across the string  100  in quick succession without the ill-advantageous forcible jolt of individual raised elements hooking on the string during strumming or plucking. The aspect ratio of the raised elements  42  wider at their base area  46  than tall in height H improves the resilience of the raised elements against bending deformation or premature wear in moving against the instrument string  100 . 
     In the prior art, any narrowed picking portions with textured areas have a curved terminal edge defined by linear asymptotes with an interior angle equal to or greater than 60 degrees and thereby provide a blunted picking portion that is less precise in manipulating the strings of a stringed musical instrument in musical sequence and timing. Furthermore, picks of the prior art have fewer than 10 raised elements within 8 mm of the endmost point of their curved terminal edge with linear asymptotes with an interior angle of less than 60 degrees and thereby are incapable of producing the sustained and novel raspy or gritty timbre achieved by the present invention. Further still, any picks of the prior art with textured areas in the narrowed picking portions defined by linear asymptotes with an interior angle less than 60 degrees in the are not characterized by a plurality of raised elements terminating in a distal point or line and are not arranged in a staggered pattern and thereby do not provide a continuous friction of a plurality of raised elements engaging and disengaging the strings concurrently but instead provide a forcible jolt that is ill-advantageous in strumming or plucking. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a pick constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. The body of the pick includes the profile of a second narrowed picking portion  24  that is angularly disposed relative to the adjacent lower textured narrowed picking portion  14 . The second narrowed picking portion  24  can be disposed at a variety of angles α with respect to the lower narrowed picking portion  14 . Typically the second narrowed picking portion  24  is disposed between 40 and 180 degrees with respect to the lower narrowed picking portion  14 . 
     The second narrowed picking portion  24  is substantially smooth on its front and rear surfaces  26 ,  28 . In use, the musician can use the roughened texture narrowed portion  14  of the pick to produce a unique “gritty” timbre as described above, or rotate the pick to strum or pluck the strings with the second smooth narrowed portion  24  to produce a conventional sound.  FIG. 5  shows by way of illustration the pick of  FIG. 4  rotated so that the second narrowed picking portion  24  is in position for use by the musician. 
     The invention has been described above by way of illustration, and the specific embodiments disclosed are not intended to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described. It is to be noted that other equivalents or substitutions will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as described in the claims. For example, the areas of roughened texture  20  could be achieved by a formation of any conceivable shape, or pattern, both random or geometric, both integrated or adhered or formed in a post process, and still fall within the scope of the present invention.