How To Use A Guitar Pick To Play
How To Hold A Guitar Pick For “Smooth As Silk” Rhythm Guitar. Would you like to know how to get that smoothest silk rhythm guitar sound? Well, the pick has a lot to do that when you’re using a pick and how you hold it.
When you’re using a pick to get a smooth rhythm sound it’s best that in the beginning stages you use a pick that’s slightly thin. It’s easier to get a nice, smooth sound. I like to use a medium pick though a lot of beginners use a thin pick.
However, when you’re playing melody it’s kind a better to have a stiffer pick. As you get more experienced, it’s easier to get a smooth sound with a stiffer pick. So right now. I have a medium, red pick I chose red because it’s easy to see. Let’s focus it on a little bit.
So here’s my pick I have a medium pick and I’m going to put the pick on my first knuckle of my finger, can you see that? And then place my thumb over it. Now the real key is to put a little pressure on the back of the pick as opposed to the front. So the back of the pick, it allows the pick to wobble a little bit but still keeps from falling out. Now there’s a balance there between making a wobble and slipping out into your hand.
Of course, if you don’t put enough pressure, it’s gonna fall right out but if you put too much and choked up on the pick, you can hold it better but it’ll be a tight, rough strum. Here is a smooth strum and my pick is wobbling back and forth. So you have to play around with it. First knuckle, thumb over the pick, roll the pick back a little bit so it tightens up on the back of the pick and can wobble a little bit.
Now when I’m playing a melody, I actually choked up more on the pick because I want the pick to be stiffer. When I’m playing a fast melody especially I need the pick to bounce back really fast If it wobbles too much, I can’t get back in time to play the next melody note. So for strumming, wobble. Now let me show you one more, I have a small pick which is stiff.
This is a really heavy pick and it’s great for melodies. However, it’s a little harder to play a smooth rhythm. I really have to back up on the back of the pick and let it wobble. See, I can do it but it’s harder. So you can experiment.
I’d recommend again starting with a thinner pick but if you wanna try a thicker pick just experiment a little bit. As you get experienced of course, you’ll get better.
