Picking Technique

How to pick

In this guitar lesson we are going to be talking about picking. Picking technique can make or break your playing, however to avoid the problems are easy. The solution is to pick the way you feel most comfortable! Many guitarists get hung up about the correct way to pick, but there really is no correct way to pick the guitar. For every type of personality or person there are ways to pick the guitar.

Many things play into the way one would hold a pick. If someone with large hands were to pick the same way someone with small hands picks, they would have a serious problem trying to copy the technique. You may just have physical traits that are impossible to copy any one way of picking. So do not worry about a golden rule to how to pick the guitar. Just remember that you should pick however you feel is natural.

If you were to look at many famous players, some of which are highly regarded in the guitar playing world, many of them have very different techniques and rightfully so! Not only does physical traits play a factor into your picking style but also the tonality and style of music you are trying to achieve. One who is playing heavy metal with really fast blazing lead solos would certainly not pick the guitar like a folk singer strumming an acoustic guitar.

Choosing a pick

There are so many varieties of picks out there, one can be overwhelmed! Some are so thick that you could use them cut through things and others so soft and flimsy that you would confuse it with piece of paper. Which pick you choose really boils down to a couple of factors.

You picking technique

If you are going to be strumming the guitar, you obviously want to choose a pick that has a little give to it. You do not want to choose a very thick pick for strumming. However, you would want to choose a thicker pick that has less give for more articulate playing. What ever your style is, that is the main factor to what type of pick you want to choose.

The style of music you are going to play with the pick.

Again the style of music really defines the type of picking you will be doing. Some styles of music don’t use a pick at all, but rather finger picking. Other styles use heavy use of staccato picking and palm muting, while others have soft steady strumming. A country player would play much different than a rock player; a jazz player would play much different than a heavy metal player. Keep in mind what style of music you will be playing and choose the appropriate pick for the job

The tone you want to get out of the pick

Sometimes you want to have a middle ground due to tone. Usually softer picks give more of a softer tone and you get less of a harsh pick sound. The more give a pick has, the softer and rounder the tone, however the less volume you are going to have. The harder the pick, the louder more harsh the attack and the tone will be. Again keep in mind what you want to get out of the sound. As a general rule most players will choose something in the middle ground to achieve the most versatile tones.

The key points to remember are that you should be comfortable when picking. Do not try to force yourself into a certain way of picking. As you play and practice, your picking will get better so no need to force anything. When choosing a pick, experiment but remember there is a lot to the different types.

Its best that you choose a pick that is more versatile at first and then later you can choose picks for specific styles, tones and techniques.