How to Hold a Guitar Pick - TheGuitarLesson.

com

http://www.theguitarlesson.com/guitar-lesson-blog/guita...

Welcome to TheGuitarLesson.com - Learn to play guitar the fun and easy way, through playing songs! Sign up for free >> x

Guitar Lessons

Guitar Techniques

Guitar Theory

Guitar Tools

Blog Member login Facebook Youtube Rss

search site

How to Hold a Guitar Pick

You are here: Home Guitar Lesson Blog Guitar Lessons How to Hold a Guitar Pick

August 1, 2013 01 Aug 2013

Tweet

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, youll never need to worry about it again, and itll 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.

1 of 6

12/06/2013 08:52 AM

How to Hold a Guitar Pick - TheGuitarLesson.com

http://www.theguitarlesson.com/guitar-lesson-blog/guita...

So, lets get to it.

Correct hand position

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

Pick placement Place the pick onto your index finger, and put your thumb over it. As you can see on the picture, youre 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 dont worry if it feels a bit weird at first. Practice, get used to it, and itll feel natural soon.

Strumming vs Plucking
There is a slight difference in the way you hold the plectrum when youre strumming, than when youre picking at single strings. Strumming: Youre holding the pick a little looser, so it can glide across the strings. Also, more of the pick is showing beneath your fingers, this allows for the pick to bend more as it hits the strings during a strum. Picking: Youre holding the pick a bit tighter, and less of the pick is showing, so that you can make more precise movements with the pick.

Common beginner picking problems

As a beginner, youre not used to holding the plectrum yet, so youll encounter a few typical problems. Its OK, we all went through this. 1. Pick isnt stable in your hand, it flies away or turns around between your fingers. There is a delicate balance between holding the pick too loosely, and holding it too tight. If you hold it too tight, it wont be comfortable. If too loose, the pick will move around. Youll need to practice a lot, and with time, youll develop just the right amount of pressure.

2 of 6

12/06/2013 08:52 AM

How to Hold a Guitar Pick - TheGuitarLesson.com

2. Pick gets caught in strings

http://www.theguitarlesson.com/guitar-lesson-blog/guita...

When youre strumming, youll want to glide over the strings with your pick with a loose wrist, and let the angle of the pick move with each up-down strum. With the downward strum, you pick is facing down, and with the up strum, you pick is facing upwards. The exact angle of the pick versus the face of the guitar is around 15-20. Again, the amount of pressure you hold the pick with is also a factor. If you hold it too tightly, it wont be able to glide, and youll get caught in the strings. 3. The pick feels too small/big There are many shapes and styles of picks. Generally, larger picks are better for strumming, and smaller picks are better for playing lead. Also, the thickness and material of the pick affect things, so its best to buy a pick variety pack, and try out all the different kinds of picks there are.
Like 2 people like this. Sign Up to see what your friends like.

Tags: Guitar Lesson, guitar pick, plectrum

3 Comments 3 replies 1. v-picks says: December 2, 2011 at 7:59 am 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. Reply 2. Guitar Pick Chrystal says: June 12, 2010 at 2:50 am Great tutorial! It is very important for people to know how to hold a guitar pick properly! The photos are great too! Reply 3. Stephen Mulberry says: July 24, 2009 at 9:04 pm Many people dont 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. Reply

Questions, comments?
Please leave any comments/questions you have below, I'll get back to you ASAP. No SPAM comments please!

Leave a Reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Name * Email * Website

3 of 6

12/06/2013 08:52 AM

How to Hold a Guitar Pick - TheGuitarLesson.com

http://www.theguitarlesson.com/guitar-lesson-blog/guita...

Comment You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

Post Comment
Popular Recent Comments Tags 20 Most Influential and Best Blues GuitaristsOctober 21, 2013 - 5:01 pm Guitar Pro 6 Discount Coupon 20% OFFApril 17, 2013 - 12:52 pm How Long Does it Take to Learn Guitar?December 10, 2012 - 4:32 pm Guitar String Name Mnemonic AcronymsSeptember 9, 2013 - 8:48 am Geoff Stocktons The BIG Serious Guitar BookDecember 5, 2013 - 1:32 pm How to Switch Chords QuicklyDecember 3, 2013 - 1:24 am Most popular guitar lessons of November, 2013December 2, 2013 - 11:41 am Metallica Guitar LessonsNovember 30, 2013 - 1:10 am

Hi there, no, this is meant for beginners, so the hard parts...October 13, 2012 - 1:32 am by TomFontana this video doesnt show the whole song?October 13, 2012 - 1:32 am by sidk Thank you for the swift reply :)October 12, 2012 - 11:09 pm by Springroll Hi there, you can continue fairly quickly from this lesson,...October 12, 2012 - 11:09 pm by TomFontana
beatles guitar lessons Easy Guitar Songs Guitar Learning Course Guitar Learning DVD Courses Guitar Learning Problems and Setbacks Guitar Learning Steps Guitar Lesson Guitar Lesson Comparison Guitar Lesson Course Guitar Lesson Courses Guitar Lesson Prices Guitar Lesson Review Guitar Lessons Price and Cost guitar pick Guitar Plectrum Tips guitar pro 5 Guitar Pro 5 Discount Guitar Pro 6 coupon code Guitar Pro 6 Discount Code Guitar Pro 6 Preview guitar pro tabs GuitarTricks discount GuitarTricks sale How to Read Tabs Learn Guitar Tablature most popular guitar lessons Online Acoustic Guitar Lessons Online Guitar Courses Reviewed Online Guitar Lesson Review Online Guitar Lessons Opening GP5 File Extension Piano Lessons Online Piano Music Piano Sheet Music Play Guitar and Sing Play Guitar Chord Progressions Play Popular Guitar Songs plectrum Plush guitar tutorial STP Polly Nirvana Chords Polly Tutorial popular guitar course comparison popular guitar songs teach yourself guitar video lesson streaming

4 of 6

12/06/2013 08:52 AM

How to Hold a Guitar Pick - TheGuitarLesson.com

http://www.theguitarlesson.com/guitar-lesson-blog/guita...

Member login
Username: Password: signup now | forgot password? Remember Me

Log Me In
How to Bar Chords (previous entry) (next entry) Ear Training Software

Abous us
TheGuitarLesson.com, created by Tom Fontana, is dedicated to bringing the highest quality guitar tutorials to beginner guitarists. Through creating fun and engaging guitar lessons, we aim to spread our love of the guitar to as many new players as possible.

Popular pages
Teach yourself guitar Jamplay review GuitarTricks review Guitar lesson cost

Safe browsing

Company
Beginner guitar lessons Contact TOS, privacy FAQ Resources Member login
2
Like

0
Tweet

5 of 6

12/06/2013 08:52 AM

How to Hold a Guitar Pick - TheGuitarLesson.com

http://www.theguitarlesson.com/guitar-lesson-blog/guita...

[close]

6 of 6

12/06/2013 08:52 AM