Do people really use the word "plectrum"?


RonaldR
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Maybe it's my Canadian / American linguistic bias, but is "plectrum" something musicians actually say? It sounds oddly anatomical to me, like what a doctor might say discussing nose-and-throat surgery


# 1
ddiddler
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some people will just pick which word to use.

Dave


# 2
Tinpan
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Ha! Nice diddler.?


# 3
Tinpan
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?


# 4
JeffS65
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Originally Posted by: RonaldR

Maybe it's my Canadian / American linguistic bias, but is "plectrum" something musicians actually say? It sounds oddly anatomical to me, like what a doctor might say discussing nose-and-throat surgery

It is more common in Europe to use the word plectrum.


# 5
ddiddler
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Guitar World did an article on top musicians who teach or have taught.

One was an old school brit Bert Weedon .

He was a first influence on the Beatles and other early UK bands and probably one of the first UK audiences experienced playing electric.

He constantly used the term plectrum and it sounded very odd

Dave


# 6
Tinpan
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Pick a peck of pickled plectrums.


# 7
john of MT
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There's an old story, certainly true... maybe not.

During WW II, an U.S. Army Air Force Captain and his RAF counterpart were motoring down the English countryside in a jeep. The American was getting a bit cool from the rushing wind and asked the Brit to put up the windshield. The Brit said it was called a windscreen.

"No... it's a windshield," responded the American. "No, it's a windscreen, mate!" said the Brit. On and on the discussion went until with frustration, the American declared, "Look... it's a windshield. We invented the automobile!!"

"Ah, yes," answered the Brit, "but we invented the language."

Some folks can be overly picky.


"It takes a lot of devotion and work, or maybe I should say play, because if you love it, that's what it amounts to. I haven't found any shortcuts, and I've been looking for a long time."
-- Chet Atkins
# 8
JeffS65
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Originally Posted by: john of MT

Some folks can be overly picky.

Picky? Or particular?


# 9
Tinpan
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Plecky!


# 10
RonaldR
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Originally Posted by: Tinpan

Pick a peck of pickled plectrums.

Ha! Now can you put that to music?


# 11
rwr01
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Joined: 06/08/21
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When I was growing up in the UK, the word we all used was "plectrum". Don't know about nowadays as I've not lived there for many years.


# 12
pathlewr
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Joined: 06/19/21
Posts: 5

"Plectrum." To be used with catarrh.

"Pick." To be used with guitar.

"Shovel." Not to be confused with "Pick".

Got it.

Thanks.


# 13