How to Hold a Pick
Grasp the pick in your strumming hand., Hold your pick between your thumb and index finger., Find a grip that works for you., Pivot your wrist toward your guitar., Brush the strings, don't scoop them.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Grasp the pick in your strumming hand.
Most people are most comfortable strumming and plucking a guitar with their dominant hand, while fingering specific notes and chords with their non-dominant hand.
Hold the guitar, interact with it, and work out a grip that feels comfortable.
Place your non-dominant "fingering hand" along the neck of the guitar, with your thumb holding the back of the neck and your fingers resting on the strings.
The strings should face away from you, roughly perpendicular to the ground.
Rest the body of the guitar on your knee, or use a shoulder strap to play standing up.
Rest your arm on the top of the guitar--the curved ridge along the narrowest edge of the body--and swing your hand down to rest on the strings.
If you're using an acoustic guitar, rest your fingers on the strings over the hold; if you're using an electric guitar, rest your fingers on the strings between the last fret and the pickup bar. -
Step 2: Hold your pick between your thumb and index finger.
Cover roughly half of the pick with your your fingers--some picks are molded with a groove to indicate where your thumb and forefinger should fit.
Use a firm grip, but loose enough that you can allow the tip of the pick to bend .Don't hold the pick too loosely, or it might fly out of your hand. , There is no "right" or "wrong" way to hold a guitar pick, but you there are certain grips that emphasize control, tone, and comfort.
Consider the "O" method, the "pinch" method, and the "fist" method.
Use the "O" method.
Hold the pick between the pad of your thumb and the side of your index finger, and form your fingers into an elongated "O" shape.
This grip balances control and tone.
Use the "pinch" method.
Hold the pick between the pad of your thumb and the pad of your index finger.
This method may be best for those who use thinner-gauge picks and spend most of their time strumming.
Use the "fist" method.
Hold the pick between the first joint of your thumb (below the pad) and the side of your curled index finger, near the first joint.
This method is often favored by bluegrass players, and it may be best for heavy picks., The flat tip of your pick should rest gently on a string, and the long side of the pick should be as perpendicular to the string as possible.
The angle of your wrist is essential to the picking process: when playing guitar, you are not really picking with your fingers, but your wrist.
Flick your wrist up and down to strum and pick riffs, solos, and strings. , Use the pick to brush the surface of the strings: not so gently that the sound is weak, but not so roughly that you're catching the string on the pick.
Be firm, but gentle.
Try to work with the instrument rather than imposing your will upon it.
Be fluid, and don't grip your pick too hard.
You need to be loose and flexible with all of your motions.
If you are too rigid, your picking will sound rigid and off rhythm, too.When you strum, you may keep your wrist fairly rigid as you brush the pick across the strings.
Ultimately, finger-and-wrist technique is only a tool to enable you to play fluidly.
When you find a method that feels comfortable, build upon it. -
Step 3: Find a grip that works for you.
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Step 4: Pivot your wrist toward your guitar.
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Step 5: Brush the strings
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Step 6: don't scoop them.
Detailed Guide
Most people are most comfortable strumming and plucking a guitar with their dominant hand, while fingering specific notes and chords with their non-dominant hand.
Hold the guitar, interact with it, and work out a grip that feels comfortable.
Place your non-dominant "fingering hand" along the neck of the guitar, with your thumb holding the back of the neck and your fingers resting on the strings.
The strings should face away from you, roughly perpendicular to the ground.
Rest the body of the guitar on your knee, or use a shoulder strap to play standing up.
Rest your arm on the top of the guitar--the curved ridge along the narrowest edge of the body--and swing your hand down to rest on the strings.
If you're using an acoustic guitar, rest your fingers on the strings over the hold; if you're using an electric guitar, rest your fingers on the strings between the last fret and the pickup bar.
Cover roughly half of the pick with your your fingers--some picks are molded with a groove to indicate where your thumb and forefinger should fit.
Use a firm grip, but loose enough that you can allow the tip of the pick to bend .Don't hold the pick too loosely, or it might fly out of your hand. , There is no "right" or "wrong" way to hold a guitar pick, but you there are certain grips that emphasize control, tone, and comfort.
Consider the "O" method, the "pinch" method, and the "fist" method.
Use the "O" method.
Hold the pick between the pad of your thumb and the side of your index finger, and form your fingers into an elongated "O" shape.
This grip balances control and tone.
Use the "pinch" method.
Hold the pick between the pad of your thumb and the pad of your index finger.
This method may be best for those who use thinner-gauge picks and spend most of their time strumming.
Use the "fist" method.
Hold the pick between the first joint of your thumb (below the pad) and the side of your curled index finger, near the first joint.
This method is often favored by bluegrass players, and it may be best for heavy picks., The flat tip of your pick should rest gently on a string, and the long side of the pick should be as perpendicular to the string as possible.
The angle of your wrist is essential to the picking process: when playing guitar, you are not really picking with your fingers, but your wrist.
Flick your wrist up and down to strum and pick riffs, solos, and strings. , Use the pick to brush the surface of the strings: not so gently that the sound is weak, but not so roughly that you're catching the string on the pick.
Be firm, but gentle.
Try to work with the instrument rather than imposing your will upon it.
Be fluid, and don't grip your pick too hard.
You need to be loose and flexible with all of your motions.
If you are too rigid, your picking will sound rigid and off rhythm, too.When you strum, you may keep your wrist fairly rigid as you brush the pick across the strings.
Ultimately, finger-and-wrist technique is only a tool to enable you to play fluidly.
When you find a method that feels comfortable, build upon it.
About the Author
Mary Webb
Committed to making cooking accessible and understandable for everyone.
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