Do you constantly drop your pick while you’re playing?
Sometimes you might be strumming along to a song and you feel the pick ever so slowly slipping from you hands, until eventually it’s gone.
It can be infuriating especially when you can do all the hard stuff like playing chords and strumming.
So what’s the solution to this irritating problem?
Here are 3 steps to holding the pick correctly.
Choose The Right Pick Type.
If you’re just starting out it’s important to get a pick of medium thickness.
Very thin picks tend to be flimsy and of little use when you’re strumming. Hard picks tend to strike the strings a little too hard for a beginner.
One of my favourite picks when I started learning guitars was the Dunlop 0.6mm nylon. It’s nicely textured, easy to hold and it’s not too hard but gives a good sound.
Only Use 2 Fingers To Hold the Guitar Pick
Many new guitarists make the mistake of using 3 fingers to hold the pick.
Although some great guitarists do this (e.g. Van Halen) you are only making things harder for yourself. For more advanced techniques like tapping and pinch harmonics it’s useful to have an extra finger available
Don’t Hold The Guitar Pick With Your Finger Tips.
This is another common mistake among new guitarists.
When you hold the pick make sure you are holding it between the edge of your thumb and the edge of your index finger.
When you hold the pick with the tip of your thumb you have less control and you are far more likely to drop it.