How to hold a pick

[Genesis]

Hi,

Just how do u guitarists out there, hold a pick? I want to be able to play fast and at the same time be able to do pinch harmonics on the fly... Now it takes me too long to shift from my normal holding position...

[Captain P?l]

vell, when i play pinched harmonics i just turn my hand and so the pick is sideways, kinda... i hold very "low" on the pick always. so its just to turn alitltllte on the pick...

it works for me. but im not a fast player nor am i a good player. nor am i a guitar player anymore, im a bissist playing guitar.... :p

[Miz]

Hi,

Just how do u guitarists out there, hold a pick? I want to be able to play fast and at the same time be able to do pinch harmonics on the fly... Now it takes me too long to shift from my normal holding position...

I just slightly angle my pick against the string by bending my thumb when i play those harmonics...how do you hold your pick normally?  I can't really help unless I know...

[gypsy eyes]

Personally I don't play with a pic, kinda funny since I got a personalised pic I think fingers (NAILS!! not the flesh! hurts + bad sound!!) are better to play, the sound is better, especially when you perform and you hear every note very loud it can make a big difference, more than that if you switch cords and "normal" pulling, fingers are much easier than a pick...but that's just my opinion and that's not the topic here... how do you hold a pic? Well as far as I know off just let it lean on the middle part of your finger and hold it softly with your thumb so you can move it well and fast, not hold too tight or gets harder to do it quickly... If you wanna move it use your thumb but make sure it doesn't slide away lol or your finger, that's also why that part is best, you can move best with that and controle it better than the top of your finger... that's the advice a prof guitarist gave me and it worked fine for me but I switched to normal fingers again pretty soon after that so I'm not very experienced in it, that's the best advice I can give you

[Captain P?l]

Personally I don't play with a pic, kinda funny since I got a personalised pic I think fingers (NAILS!! not the flesh! hurts + bad sound!!)

whats the fun in that for the audience wanting a pick?  

[gypsy eyes]

Personally I don't play with a pic, kinda funny since I got a personalised pic I think fingers (NAILS!! not the flesh! hurts + bad sound!!)

whats the fun in that for the audience wanting a pick?  

you can have my pick if you want lol I don't use it anyway
I don't really understand why everyone does, it really does sound better without I think

[Captain P?l]

i remeber when i played my first live show at a x-mas party thing for some school... the band that played before us used nails... well, one of them. and he broke it! he was so pissed and it got broken too far inn too, so it hurt for him and he bled.... was fun too watch...  

[Miz]

Personally I don't play with a pic, kinda funny since I got a personalised pic I think fingers (NAILS!! not the flesh! hurts + bad sound!!)

whats the fun in that for the audience wanting a pick?  

you can have my pick if you want lol I don't use it anyway
I don't really understand why everyone does, it really does sound better without I think

You can play things with a pick that you can't with you're fingers?  And you can play faster with a pick?
Try playing some metal with you're fingers...

[Oddy]

on the topic of picks, i was wondering what sized pics everyone uses.

I myself use light gauge picks usually 0.53 mm.

I dunno its kinda weird, everyone elses uses much larger gauges.

For some reason i just prefer light, how bout evry1 else?

[gypsy eyes]

You can play things with a pick that you can't with you're fingers?  And you can play faster with a pick?
Try playing some metal with you're fingers...

well you have to practise of course!! In the beginning your fingers bleed like shit   but you gzet used to it really, with your left hand you use your fingers too...and it's not the flesh, just the nails, so you don't feel it that hard. And in my experience I can move a hell lot faster with my fingers than with a pick, I guess it's justa matter of experience...try it once, exercise your fingers, your girlfriend will love it  err
No really, you can do everything wiht your fingers if you practise it of course, if you don't it can be really hard yeah...
and about hte breaking nails... that's always a risk of course, file well and use right nailpolish lol

[Miz]

on the topic of picks, i was wondering what sized pics everyone uses.

I myself use light gauge picks usually 0.53 mm.

I dunno its kinda weird, everyone elses uses much larger gauges.

For some reason i just prefer light, how bout evry1 else?

Dunlop Delrin 2mm for acoustic and either 1.5mm Delrin or 1.14mm tortex for the electric.

The 2mm Delrin pick is the best sounding pick i've ever played.

[AdZ]

1.14mm

LOVING that pick.