​I thought today I should show you a little bit about how to hold a pick properly.

The Secret Of The Smooth Strum

Now, one of the biggest problems when using a pick is getting a smooth strum because they tighten too much on the pick. It’s a balance. You want to tighten on the pick to hold it, you don’t want it falling out but you want it loose enough so that it can wobble so it makes a very smooth strum. Tight sounds like this, and you want this. Smooth…

Loose Pick For Rhythm

I’m angling up and down as I rake over the strings. The key here, take a look at my right hand, is when I put the pick on my finger, I’m putting it on above the first knuckle of my first finger in the right hand. Thumb goes over it and I’m putting pressure on the back of the pick, not all the way. The back of the pick so it can still wobble but it won’t slip out.

Put Pressure On The Back Of The Guitar Pick 

​We’ll look at that again. I put it on my first knuckle, not right in the middle, a little more towards the tip. Press the thumb down over it and I’m rolling back towards this part of my thumb so that it can wobble a little bit but it won’t slip out. Too loose, too tight and it can’t wobble. See, rolling back, so it looks like this.

Stiff Pick For Melody/Lead

When I’m doing melody I actually tighten up on the pick because I don’t want it to wobble but for strumming, to get a smooth strum, you want the pick to wobble a little bit. Try that with some of the chord changes and go ahead and… if the pick falls off just pick it up, go for just enough to hold it in there but not so tight that it’s stiff.

Great. See you on my next video.