The Best Way To Hold Your Guitar Pick

In this lesson, we will learn the best way to hold your guitar pick & what is best for you.  I know that sounds weird but it’s true.  People often ask “Is it better to play with the thumb & first finger, or the thumb & second finger,  or is it best to use the fingers & pick together?”

 

A journey of self-discovery

Well, in reality, all these options are good.  How to hold your guitar pick is up to the individual and how they play.  But here is an example of a reference that can help you to move in the right direction.  Then you can take it from there.

There are many different ways you can do it & it’s really up to you & how you approach the guitar & what style of music you choose to play.  One thing to take into consideration is the type of pick you use.

 

Pick size and thickness

What is great about playing guitar is that it is such a personal instrument.  And being that’s the case, you can find guitars and accessories to fit your personality and style of playing.  Especially with guitar picks.

 

Guitar picks come in all different sizes, shapes, and thicknesses.  There are multiple types of materials to choose from to make sure you find the right one for you and your playing style.

 

 

Find the right one and it can improve your rhythm playing as well as improve your ability to play guitar solos.  The way you hold the pick and the thickness of it can make a huge difference in how the strings sound.

 

Once you have that figured out, you can look into different ways you can use the guitar pick.  You can use it to strum chords, arpeggiate chords, and also use it to do hybrid picking.

 

Hybrid Picking

Playing with your fingers and guitar pick, at the same time is called “hybrid picking”  and is a very common technique among guitarists who like to do both. 

 

It’s hard to say what fingers it’s best to hold it between.  Everybody plays differently and that is what makes learning guitar so cool.  You can play it the way you choose.

 

 

Playing with a pick does produce a harder sound but it can be useful for creating dynamics in your music.  Knowing which fingers to hold it with is another story altogether.  My recommendation would be to experiment.

 

A life-long study

Learning how to play guitar can be a lifelong study and practicing trying out different ideas your mind presents to you, is always a good choice.  It will allow you to develop your own, style of playing.  It’s good to look for guidance by watching other people.  It’ll give you ideas as well.

 

The more you study and practice the more aware you will become of your own, playing.  You will figure out little changes that you can personally do to make using the guitar pick easier.

 

Fingerstyle

Fingerstyle is a neat way to play the guitar and although it doesn’t use the pick, I thought I’d present it here anyway.  It can add some nice variation to your playing outside of regular and hybrid picking.

 

 

When it comes to fingerstyle, there are many ways you can do it.  You can use all four fingers, or you can use just your index, middle, and ring finger.  I recommend you use the thumb to play three bottom strings.

 

The thing you want to remember though is that what works for one person doesn’t always work for another.  So it’s best to try out different things in your approach.  Only then will you be able to figure out for yourself, what works best for you.

 

I, myself don’t do a lot of fingerstyle picking and I congratulate you on getting that style down if that is your thing.  If you’re still struggling with it, just keep at it and you’ll get better.

 

Additional Lessons

If you feel that you have got something valuable out of this lesson I’d like to say thank you for reading.  The guitar pick is a huge part of playing guitar.  Playing with your fingers is fine too if that’s your style.  But do not overlook the power of the infamous guitar pick.

 

If you can add both together as in hybrid picking, you’ll be able to do some amazing things with the guitar.  If you feel you’d like to learn more lessons on the topic, I recommend you check out the book I authored and self-published on Amazon.  Learn To Play Acoustic Guitar.

 

My Guitar Method Books are a simple step-by-step system that will teach you everything you need to know to get started playing the guitar.  A comprehensive course for beginners to get started enjoying the fun of playing the guitar.

 

 

My Guitar Method books will lead you on a path to guitar mastery. They will show you a very simple method of how to get started playing acoustic guitar. Learn parts of the guitar, how to properly hold it, what chords need to be learned first, and how to play those guitar chords to create music.

 

Learn guitar techniques such as strumming, fingerstyle, arpeggiating, timing, and practice habits. Learn basic chords, and scales as well as chord theory and training exercises.  Packed full of pictures and diagrams for easier learning.

 

In addition to that, if you purchase any of my other books you will get assistance from me if need be.  If you have any questions about a lesson or get stuck somewhere, just contact me, and I will be happy to help.  At absolutely no extra charge.  With that kind of support, you’ll be a sho-in for success.

 

Conclusion

The main thing you want to do above all is to keep progressing forward with your studies and follow the guidelines in this lesson.  Do this and you’ll soon discover what works best for you.

 

So if you are serious about learning to play guitar, check out my books and find the one that’s right for you.  They will get you to have fun playing guitar in no time.  As well as to your desired destination quicker than you ever thought possible. 

 

Good luck with your learning and if you have any questions, feel free to reach out.  

Until our next guitar lesson, take care.

Sincerely, Dwayne Jenkins