Share your string picking advice with a newbie

[tyt921]

Howdy folks!

Please share how your would go about teach newbie to learn to string pick properly with a pick. I just started playing and developed a very poor habit, and that is mainly picking with my thumb. I have now grown scared of using the pick. I have read some tips online, some stated to use thin picks, some suggested hard thick picks. Where do I rest my hand? I personally have been using my pinky as a stationary on the guitar top which I was told NOT to do on many websites. Some tell you not to rest your palm on the bridge. So what is it? I understand there will be different techniques for different people, but please share your personal advice with me.

 

[László]

Having a teacher - a live, in person one - even if it's just for a lesson or two to get started, is a good idea.

Picks - try a few and see how you like them. There is no right or wrong.

You could even try a thumb pick if you like using your thumb. I rest my palm on the bridge sometimes, sometimes not at all. Lots of players use their pinky as a stabilizer, whether it's right or wrong, I can't say.

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

I've always used my pinky as a stabilizer. The key with that is how much pressure you use. If you have the tip of your pinky pressed down hard it will restrict your movement. Mine touches with just enough pressure to keep my hand anchored but free to move when I need to. If you have your pinky as an anchor try playing a barre chord arpeggiated. Can you play through all the strings using down strokes from low E to high E and then up strokes from high e to low e? Can you do the same but using alternate picking (upstroke / downstroke)? If you have to much pressure on the pinky then you may struggle on some of the strings.

Threr's no absolute right or wrong. If you look at many different players (look at the pros on Youtube) you'll see some variation in the way their hand is placed near the bridge. Some have absolute precision just hovering their hand above the strings whilst others rest it on part of the guitar. the key is to experiment and find what works best for you.

Regarding picking technique itself...

Maybe start with something like a 1mm pick. Not too stiff but not floppy either (ooh err and all that!).

Hold it between thumb and index finger. The pick will be grasped between base of thumb (directly under the base of the nail) and most likely the side of your index finger (with the pick facing directly down following the tip of your index finger), like this pic from Justinguitar dot com:

Now... Here's were I did have a bad habit. I used to grasp the pick quite hard. The problem with this (And it relates to the pinky anchor thing) is that it tenses the muscles which will slow your movements and make them less precise. You need to practice holding it with enough pressure to stop it slipping but not so much you're grasping it for dear life.

In this vid I did with my Bernie a couple of years ago you can see what's happening with my picking hand. You'll see (Open it up full screen in 720p) that my little finger occasionally makes contact with the top of the guitar to stabilize my hand at certain points, whilst at other times my hand floats so as not to restrict movement. At one time I kept my finger pressed hard against the top at all times. So, in that respect using your pinky as an anchor is bad but it does have it's uses. But... That's what works for me.

The funny thing about guitar is that it can be the simple things like pick technique that trip you up or stop you progressing. There's not much else to say other than practice and experiment. try different pick sizes and brands and practice picking techniques such as arpeggios or other picking patterns. Eventually you will find what works for you best.

 

[László]

Pretty danged nice playing, Mike! :top:

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Pretty danged nice playing, Mike! :top:

+1 Tasty!

 

[tyt921]

Wonderful advices here guys. I have a great friend of mine who even offered to teach me, but he lives in a part of town that is not really accessible and if I do go by public transport, it could be dangerous. We live in not so well off city where lots of crazy things tend to happen. I will think about going to someone for a lesson or 2 if its around 25-30 per a session I HOPE! I am pretty frugal, but if lessons will get me closer to my goal, I will seriously consider.

Steve, that is great playing! One day when I can play and not hit any other strings by mistake, then I would love to post some of the stuff I play here as well. Who knows when that will be...lol

I am at work right now, but looking at the sweetwater catalog and reading the threads on this forum has got me just mesmerized. Ready for Friday baby! Happy Friday!

 

[garrettb]

Who says picking with your thumb is a bad habit? Truth is there's really no right or wrong, so if something works for you stick with it. Check out some Toy Caldwell with Marshall Tucker Band, or Richie Kotzen's recent work with Winery Dogs. What Richie does without a pick mesmerizes me.

John Petrucci anchors with his pinky, and it's hard to argue the results he gets. I think there's an exception to every "rule" so just go with what's comfortable for you. My advice is to get some Fender medium picks because they're a nice standard mid-point. Work on alternate picking single notes or open strings in time and find a hand position that's comfortable for you, then move on to playing some scales. Later on, you can experiment with heavier or lighter picks to see what you like best.

I generally rest my palm on the saddles right where the strings cross. It makes for a nice fulcrum point and mutes the lower strings. When I play the lower strings, I move my hand back slightly so they're not muted. I also often use hybrid picking, where I use the pick and middle finger (sometimes the others). I can also get by just fine without a pick. All three methods alter my style a bit to suit the technique. As with everything: practice practice practice, and have fun.

 

[garrettb]

Good tip from Mike on not having a death grip on the pick. I used to tense up both my hands a lot and it did hold me back and gave me pains in my hands (and wore out my frets!). Try to stay loose and make fluid, efficient movements. This applies for both hands and whether or not you use a pick.

 

[LJD]

In regards to a light grip on the pick, I find the thicker the pick is the easier it is to use a light touch/grip. The farther your thumb tip and index finger tip are from each other, the closer they are to their natural resting position. That's why I love picks like V-Picks 2.75mm+ sizes.

 

[rugerpc]

Pretty danged nice playing, Mike! :top:

+1 Tasty!

Another +1!!

 

[alantig]

There is only one right picking technique - the one that allows you to get the sound you want.

Anchoring/no anchoring, heavy/thin picks, picks/fingers - it's all personal preference.

I'm sure there's plenty "technically" wrong with this, but I'd kill to be that imperfect...

 

[alphasports]

Mark Knopfler and many others don't use picks...last time I checked he knew his way around a guitar pretty well. I spent 30-odd years with flatpicks & fingerpicks...only just now discovering the mega convenience & versatility of nothing at all

 

[prsrocker1988]

Everyone is different. I anchor hard at the bridge with my palm. Hence why all of my tremolo guitars are blocked off with a chunk of wood. But I'm predominately a palm muted riff/chord rhythm guy. But I find it works for the lead playing I like, which is slow and bluesy and very loose, bordering on sloppy. It's just what I grew up hearing my heroes do and I'm not a shredder by any stretch nor do I want to be. My right hand fingers are curled up, not stretched out. I think it's a neurological thing for me because at rest my hands naturally go to a loose fist, not stretched out. It's like a spring and they go right back to being curled up. I hold my pick (a Herco Flex 50) with my thumb sideways and my index finger cocked to the side. It's just comfortable. And that's important. Comfort. And being able to play in the style you like. I can't hybrid pick or finger pick as I have huge hands with long piano fingers that extend way past the strings and even though they are curled, it just doesn't work.

My most challenging right hand picking thing is usually Stevie Nicks' "Edge Of Seventeen". I play it when we have a female rock singer sit in and it's a blast but it keeps me on my toes.... It's palm muted 16th notes alternate picking with slapback echo following the tuck-a-tuck-a rhythm of the drums. I have to warm up a LOT before a gig if I know I have to do that song. I don't know how Waddy Wachtel does it. He has to play the damn riff for 7-8 minutes while Stevie changes outfits and then do the song for another 6 or so minutes. He must be superhuman. He said after the first tour of playing that song, he could crack walnuts with his right hand. I can believe it. I am severely fatigued after it, so it's late in our set.

 

[Rookie]

Nobody mentioned Jeff Beck, he stopped using a pick in 1980, and he can still rock!
But I watch him and go, "How in the hell…?"

 

[mezzio]

Bah, if you're comfortable without a pick, then play on. If you want to learn, then start playing around

There's plenty of excellent players out there that strum with their fingers.

 

[tyt921]

Hey guys, back from trying out all the different types of ways to play. And After playing for a week with a pick and anchoring on the guitar top next to the humbucker I did great, going back to the thumb was difficult. Made mistakes I would never make. Then when I tried to play anchoring my palm on the bridge, I had success too, but it took some practice. Again, going back to either thumb or anchoring the pickup with picky was hard. I think its all about getting used to a style you prefer. I am still not sure which way I need to play, but a new problem arised. My lumbar hurt so bad right now. I dont know if its because I am sitting the edge of my bed for hours, or incorrect position or other factors. I now have huge lumbar back pain even sitting down on my comfy desk at work.

 

[CHARISMAFIRE]

Learn "economy" picking from the beginning. This is used in "sweep" picking. In other words, when striking a string, always do it in the same direction that the pick has to travel to reach it from the adjacent string. Do this, and you will develope lightning fast speed with ease, and if you learn it as a strict technique in practice as a beginner, you wont have to re-learn it later as I did.