One of a guitar player’s most important tools is the pick.  These are usually made of some sort of plastic, although I have seen ones made from (heavy) metal, and even rock.  Check out my post on picking out a guitar pick if you like. 

http://myguitaruniversity.com/2009/01/19/picking-out-a-pick/

Now that you have picked out the perfect pick, how do you hold the silly thing?  There are probably many different ways it is possible to hold a pick and your style may dictate that to some degree, but this is how I do it.  Take a look at this picture:

 

Pick_1

 

You want to lay the pick on top of your index finger and then use your thumb to hold it in place.  Like this:

 

Pick_2

 

You may need to adjust how much of the pick is sticking out from between your thumb and index finger.  If there is too much sticking out, the pick may get knocked out of your hand when you try to strum the strings.  If there is not enough sticking out, you will hit the strings with your thumb instead of the pick.  Give it a little trial and error and you will eventually figure out the perfect amount of pick to leave for your playing style.

 

Pick_3

 

I know it feels a bit awkward at first and you are probably wondering why it matters.  By holding the pick properly you are going to be able to strum chords (which you can pretty much do however you hold the pick), but more importantly you are going to be able to pick individual notes precisely and quickly.  That is the advantage to this particular way to hold a pick.  After a while it will feel very natural.

Here is what it looks like when I am holding a pick and playing.  When I play acoustic guitar, I generally strum over the sound hole because that sounds loudest to me.  When I play electric guitar though, I sometimes change around where I strum.  Usually, it is between the two pickups closest to the neck like this:

 

Pick_4

 

Sometimes though, I strum close to the bridge like this:

 

Pick_6

 

Why?  Well there are a couple of reasons.  First off, playing close to the bridge will slightly change the tonal qualities of the notes or chords.  Playing closer to the bridge produces a thinner, more treble sound.  More importantly though, it allows for easy muting of the strings when playing muted passages or chords.  What the heck are muted passages and chords?  You will have to stay tuned because that is another lesson, dear student.

Now, go practice!

Go back to Beginning Guitar lessons page…

Do you have any questions or comments on this lesson?  If so send me an email and I will respond shortly.  rbrewer@myguitaruniversity.com