How I Hold My Pick ! Options

[Ben Higgins]

Ok, well I hold my pick in the 'normal' way.. between the side of my index finger and my thumb. Some people hold the pick between the back of their finger and thumb but I don't recommend this as that combo is prone to more flexing and moving. So between the side of the finger and thumb and it makes that semi circle shape if you look through the gap.



My pick doesn't point straight into the strings, it points slightly towards the neck.



My hand lays quite lazily on the guitar, as if my knuckles were pointing down towards the floor.. I don't hold my hand parallel to the strings because that encourages more tension for me.. I like a slight inclination in the wrist. (As if you held out your hand and let your wrist slightly drop toward the floor.)

I pick quite hard but the combination of the pick's fat end pointing towards the floor and the point of the pick angled towards the neck mean that there is less resistance to overcome than if my pick was parallel with the strings.

Of course, there is no wrong or right way but, as I've been aksed about this a few times, this is my way. I hope this helps

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[Todd Simpson]

Great post! Oddly enough, I hold my pick almost exactly the same way!

Ok, well I hold my pick in the 'normal' way.. between the side of my index finger and my thumb. Some people hold the pick between the back of their finger and thumb but I don't recommend this as that combo is prone to more flexing and moving. So between the side of the finger and thumb and it makes that semi circle shape if you look through the gap.



My pick doesn't point straight into the strings, it points slightly towards the neck.



My hand lays quite lazily on the guitar, as if my knuckles were pointing down towards the floor.. I don't hold my hand parallel to the strings because that encourages more tension for me.. I like a slight inclination in the wrist. (As if you held out your hand and let your wrist slightly drop toward the floor.)

I pick quite hard but the combination of the pick's fat end pointing towards the floor and the point of the pick angled towards the neck mean that there is less resistance to overcome than if my pick was parallel with the strings.

Of course, there is no wrong or right way but, as I've been aksed about this a few times, this is my way. I hope this helps

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

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[Gabriel Leopardi]

Great thread Ben!! I think that this is the most used way to hold the pick. It's exactly how I do it and also how many technique books suggest to do it. As you said, there is not only one way to hold the pick but this one is very effective.

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