How to hold a guitar Pick.

also see How to hold a guitar.

The Plectrum, an extension of the finger used to play the guitar. A necessity in the guitar-playing world.

Have you ever observed the different ways people hold their pencils or pens?

They can be as varied as the people themselves. How does it matter if the end goal, i.e. writing legibly at a reasonable pace, is achieved?

However, there are a couple of standard ways of holding the pencil or pen which are followed by the majority of us.

It is the same concept as with the plectrum. It does not matter how one holds it as long as it does not affect the playing style or speed. It is also true that there are a couple of standard ways of holding the plectrum.

One of the most iconic guitar players, James Hetfield of Metallica fame, holds his pick with 3 fingers, which is highly unusual. It works for him, it may or may not work for you.

My suggestion is to learn how to hold the plectrum in one of the two standard ways and when you progress in your skill, you could try variations of the same as per your comfort level.

This is not exactly a topic where there are any hard and fast rules, only suggestions. The end result should be satisfactory and that’s what matters.

The first thing to do is curl your fingers, as shown in the figure, making an elongated O shape with your thumb and index finger.

Place the plectrum on the index finger, keeping the protrusion of the tip to a minimum, and cover it with your thumb.

This is standard, the difference is the way the index finger is positioned. In this picture, the index finger is perpendicular to the thumb.

The other option is to position the middle finger anywhere between the perpendicular position and a parallel position relative to the thumb.

As you can see in the transparent image, the index finger is poking out from the side of the pick behind the thumb.

That is all there is to it.

Now you only have to find which position is comfortable for you. This is something you will realize only as time goes by and you keep playing.

A Few Additional Tips:

Do not hold the pick so tightly that your fingers get cramped.

Also,

So not hold it so loosely that it falls out of your hand when playing.

You will find the balance point as you progress. There will be times it will fall and there will be times your fingers turn to stone.

It’s all good. Keep playing and it will become second nature to you quickly.

A common mistake is pulling the strings with the pick. It happens, but the technique is to glide the pick over the strings and not pluck them.

This is especially true when strumming.

Experiment, enjoy, and keep playing. The training wheels will come off and holding a pick would not need a second thought in due time.

Now try those finger exercises again and feel the difference…