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downpick

noun

Etymology

From down + pick.

  1. derived from *bew-✻
  2. inherited from *pikkōną✻ — “to pick, peck, prick, knock”
  3. inherited from *pikkōn✻
  4. inherited from *piccian✻
  5. inherited from piken
  6. compounded as downpick — “down + pick”

Definitions

  1. A downward stroke with a plectrum on a stringed instrument

    A downward stroke with a plectrum on a stringed instrument; downstroke.

    • Outstanding selections include a knuckle-busting medley ("Chilly Winds-Old Joe Clark-Salt River- Johnny Bring the Jug Around the Hill") played in the bright, aggressive downpick clawhammer style of Wade Ward.
    • Use all downpicks to get a more hard-driving sound.
    • When there is an even number of notes, you must begin with the downpick and then alternate each note.

  2. To play a stringed instrument by using all downpicks.

    • “When I was playing with James Hetfield in Metallica,” Dave says, “we pretty much decided that rhythm guitar should be downpicking when it comes to pedaling, until it's so fast that you can't downpick anymore..."
    • Well, that is only a half-truth, as Mr. Steele also downpicked, that is, trailed.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for downpick. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA