Steps on How to Hold a Guitar Pick Properly

In order to play guitar well, it is vital to learn how to hold a guitar pick. Picks are officially called a "plectrum". They used to be made from tortoise shell or animal bone, but are now mass-produced plastics. There are a variety of different pick styles available. Most picks are shaped in a rounded triangle. Every player has personal preferences. You should try out a number of picks to find the one that suits your playing style and comfort.

The biggest problem with picks is that they are easily misplaced. Make sure you keep enough picks around so you can keep playing through the losses.

This lesson is primarily for right-handed players, but to use your left hand it is easy to take this lesson and just switch hands. It is a bit strange to hold a pick at first, but you will quickly get used to it. Curl your right hand into a slight fist but keep it loose. Put your thumb over the first knuckle of your index finger. You will put the pick between your thumb and index finger. Make sure the pick is firmly in your hand, but out enough to strum the strings.

When you first start strumming, the pick may fall from your hand or slip around a bit. Don?t get discouraged. Just keep on strumming and you will get the hang of it. This is just another part of practicing the guitar.

It is up to the player as to what you do with the other fingers in your fist. You can keep them in a fist or extend them out. Advanced guitar players are able to do things with their ?free? fingers, like play with the tremolo arm of the guitar. So you may want to practice keeping them extended. However, this is really a matter of personal feel.

Some guitarists choose to hold the pick in different fashions. I will go over them here and it is up to you to see if you are comfortable with them. Some people hold the pick with the middle finger rather than the index finger. Other people hold the pick higher up on the index finger. Another way to hold the pick is with 3 fingers. All of these other methods have some restrictions to them. I would recommend holding it the standard way.

Holding the guitar pick is a major part of playing guitar. The faster you get used to holding and strumming, the easier learning guitar will be.

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