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Guitar picks Also known as a “flat pick” or a “plectrum”. As with many things guitar-related, it’s really personal preference. It may take some time to discover the picks that really work for you and your guitar. And you may find yourself using different picks for different situations. But it’s worth taking the time to experiment!

Pick materials The material the pick is made from greatly affects the sound. Here are some examples: Metal – eg Brian May uses a sixpence Tortoiseshell - shell of Atlantic Hawksbill Turtle (banned 1973) Celluloid – alternative to tortoiseshell Nylon – often have textured grip Acetal – Dupont Delrin – plastic (Tortex by Dunlop) – feels powdery, better grip More obscure – stone, wood, leather, felt, rubber, glass, animal horn.

Pick shapes/sizes Big triangular – Carlos Santana Jazz III – Eric Johnson, Joe Bonamassa, John Petrucci Round point – good for strumming Sharp tip – good for soloing/clarity Thumb picks – Freddie King, Tommy Emmanuel

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Thicknesses Thin = <0.6mm – good for acoustic strumming Medium = 0.6-0.8mm Heavy = 0.8-1.2mm – good for faster picking Extra heavy = >1.5mm Thin = brighter, acoustic strumming Thick = mellower, faster, more dynamic range, jazz players

Holding the pick The most common grip is to hold the pick between the side of your first finger’s top joint and the underneath of your thumb, with the point sticking out at right angles from the thumb. Some guitarists hold the pick between thumb and the tips of fingers 1 and 2. George Benson holds the pick more like this (as do Carlos Santana and Pat Metheny): Some players use the back corner rather than the point (eg SRV, The Edge, Robben Ford), giving them a warmer, thicker sound.

Other considerations

Depth of pick into strings How deep does the pick stick into the strings? This will vary depending on what you’re playing. But if you find yourself missing strings, there’s a chance it’s not deep enough in the strings.

Grip With experience you learn to relax the grip on the pick (particularly when strumming chords). This means you can use a thicker pick (which helps with speed and tone). The goal is only to grip the pick as hard as you need (otherwise you’re creating unnecessary tension => cramp eventually!)

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Angle Your pick shouldn’t be flat against the string (ie parallel). Aim for a 30-45 degree angle pointing down towards the floor.

Pick vs finger Many people find picks less comfortable to use than their fingers. You should be able to do both – more attack, speed with a pick. Whether you use pick or fingers should be a choice based on which is more appropriate for the music you’re playing, not whether it’s easier/harder.

Picking position “along” the string The nearer the neck you pick, the warmer the sound. As you pick nearer the bridge, things get brighter/harsher. Most players never explore the possibilities here – you should J

Thumb picks Used by Tommy Emmanuel, Chet Atkins, Johnny Winter, Freddie King and many more. These are challenging to use but can be great for certain styles (esp travis picking etc.). Generally speaking, you’ll need to adapt the pick to fit your thumb (eg by heating it in hot water to allow you to mould it to fit, and you often need to shorten/re-shape the pick part). Bear in mind that it’s hard (but not impossible) to do upstrokes with a thumb pick...

Popular pick brands Fender, Dunlop, D’Andrea (started celluloid picks).