How to Hold a Guitar Pick
September 14th, 2011
Learning how to hold the guitar pick correctly is one of the first things you should learn when you decide to learn the guitar. If you learn it well in the beginning, you’ll never need to worry about it again, and it’ll make your learning experience much easier. Many beginners instinctively hold the pick between the tips of their thumb and index finger, which is incorrect, and will result in lessened stability.
So, lets get to it.
Correct hand position
Step 1: Initial hand position
Curl your hand as in the picture, almost as if you were showing a loose thumbs up. Your index finger is curled, and is parallel with your thumb.
Grasp the pick
Step 2: Pick placement
Place the pick onto your index finger, and put your thumb over it. As you can see on the picture, you’re holding the pick between your thumb and index finger. The tip of your index finger and thumb are parallel, while the pick is perpendicular to them.
Correct pick position
Visible pick
The size of the pick to be left visible will largely depend on the style of music you are playing. If you plucking individual strings very fast, leave only a little part of the pick out. If you are strumming, you can leave more of the pick visible.
Holding the pick correctly, as described above, takes some getting used to, so don’t worry if it feels a bit weird at first. Practice, get used to it, and it’ll feel natural soon.
Have a look at these posts as well:
- Guitar Pick Tips and Guide The guitar pick (aka plectrum) you use is one of the...
- Barre Chord Tips and Tricks One of the biggest challenges a beginner guitarist will face...
- Strings Going Out of Tune After a String Change? After changing guitar strings, you will find that your strings...
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Many people don’t realize the subtle tonal and timbral differences that the thickness of the pick can make. For example, a thin pick can give a ‘lighter’, more airy sound, whereas a thicker pick will produce a deeper, fuller sound.
Great tutorial! It is very important for people to know how to hold a guitar pick properly! The photos are great too!
Coming across posts like this, it is truly a nice contribution especially to those new learners or amateur musicians who really want to improve their skills. The use of guitar picks can actually enhance the guitar playing skill and the sound of music produced especially that there are various genre to be played.