How To Use The Guitar Pick

If you are intending to strum the guitar using a pick or plectrum (another term for the pick), you must slightly alter the angle at which the hand crosses the strings as compared to when using the finger style approach.

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Here is how you should position your right hand for optimum performance when using a pick:

Hold the guitar in your lap and allow your arm to simply drape loosely, like wet rag, over the top of the guitar body. Then your right hand should cross the open strings at a angle of about sixty degrees.

The pick is mainly used in almost all cases when playing the electric guitar. This still remains the case when playing different musical styles such as jazz, blues, pop, country and rock.

The pick should be held between the thumb and index finger, with the tip of the pick just sticking out at a 90 degree angle to the thumb.

When you begin strumming (stroking the strings just in front of the bridge of the guitar, either with an upstroke or down stroke) you will naturally use your wrist and elbow to help assist you in this motion. The more force you apply to the strumming motion, the more your elbow moves and comes into play.

When you are playing lead, your elbow and wrist movements will be smaller and vigorous. To achieve a better performance using the pick, avoid holding the pick too tightly.

As far as picks go there are many to choose from. Each different pick comes in different thicknesses which indicate how stiff they are. Surprising as it may seem, the thickness of a plectrum (pick) makes a considerable difference to sound of the note on the guitar, as well as how easy it is to play.

Picks that are thinner tend to be more comfortable for beginner guitar players. The medium thick picks are the most commonly used. Professional guitar players opt for the thick plectrum.

Thick picks suit very well to when you are playing fast guitar and are playing notes loudly. At the same time thick picks don’t feel so good when strumming. Thin picks wobble too much when you are playing fast guitar. However, they produce great sound when you are strumming.

Thin picks also makes strumming easier when performing up strokes. This is because they offer less resistance. Thin picks are definitely the top pick for soft strumming.