Finger Position For Pick

This is the place to talk about guitar playing not done by Dave! Topics about techniques, styles, theory, and other guitarists go here.

Moderators: onid41, jkanter

User avatar
TwoSteppingMonkey
Posts: 35
Joined: Sun Jan 12, 2003 7:41 pm
Contact:

Finger Position For Pick

Unread post by TwoSteppingMonkey » Tue Jan 28, 2003 10:37 pm

Hey guys, been playing since Dec. and using jkanter's site everyday. what a wonderful website, anyways, is there one certain technique that is best for strumming all the time. the way i hold my pick doesn't seem to allow me to have a free moving wrist, speed, etc.. any help would be greatly appreciated, thx , bo

User avatar
gravedigger
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 2222
Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2002 4:16 pm
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
Contact:

Re: Finger Position For Pick

Unread post by gravedigger » Tue Jan 28, 2003 10:41 pm

TwoSteppingMonkey wrote:Hey guys, been playing since Dec. and using jkanter's site everyday. what a wonderful website, anyways, is there one certain technique that is best for strumming all the time. the way i hold my pick doesn't seem to allow me to have a free moving wrist, speed, etc.. any help would be greatly appreciated, thx , bo
hold pick between thumb and index finger - don't hold the pick too tight but don't drop it either :) and just relax your other fingers. Keep your wrist loose and strum away.
good, and you?

johntherevelator
DMBTabs.com Council
Posts: 891
Joined: Thu Jan 16, 2003 7:36 pm
Location: Fredericton, NB, Canada
Contact:

Re: Finger Position For Pick

Unread post by johntherevelator » Tue Jan 28, 2003 11:33 pm

gravedigger wrote:
TwoSteppingMonkey wrote:Hey guys, been playing since Dec. and using jkanter's site everyday. what a wonderful website, anyways, is there one certain technique that is best for strumming all the time. the way i hold my pick doesn't seem to allow me to have a free moving wrist, speed, etc.. any help would be greatly appreciated, thx , bo
hold pick between thumb and index finger - don't hold the pick too tight but don't drop it either :) and just relax your other fingers. Keep your wrist loose and strum away.
when i hold MY pick like that i can never keep it straight
i hole mine between my thumb and my middle finger
my index is touching it slightly for extra support but its mostly my middle
Everybody always asks me how she's doing. Has she really lost her mind? I said "I couldn't tell you, I've lost mine."
-Pay For What You Get
PS- My name isn't really John.

User avatar
gravedigger
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 2222
Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2002 4:16 pm
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
Contact:

Unread post by gravedigger » Tue Jan 28, 2003 11:40 pm

I used to hold it between my thumb and middle but I forced myself to learn the proper way.
good, and you?

johntherevelator
DMBTabs.com Council
Posts: 891
Joined: Thu Jan 16, 2003 7:36 pm
Location: Fredericton, NB, Canada
Contact:

Unread post by johntherevelator » Tue Jan 28, 2003 11:42 pm

gravedigger wrote:I used to hold it between my thumb and middle but I forced myself to learn the proper way.
ya well you can take all your proper mumbo jumbo and stick it up your :wink:
Everybody always asks me how she's doing. Has she really lost her mind? I said "I couldn't tell you, I've lost mine."
-Pay For What You Get
PS- My name isn't really John.

User avatar
gravedigger
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 2222
Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2002 4:16 pm
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
Contact:

Unread post by gravedigger » Wed Jan 29, 2003 12:00 am

johntherevelator wrote:
gravedigger wrote:I used to hold it between my thumb and middle but I forced myself to learn the proper way.
ya well you can take all your proper mumbo jumbo and stick it up your :wink:
hehe. I switched when I saw Dave use his thumb and index. and plus everyone else I knew used it that way too. so you're weird :wink:
good, and you?

johntherevelator
DMBTabs.com Council
Posts: 891
Joined: Thu Jan 16, 2003 7:36 pm
Location: Fredericton, NB, Canada
Contact:

Unread post by johntherevelator » Wed Jan 29, 2003 12:05 am

gravedigger wrote:
johntherevelator wrote:
gravedigger wrote:I used to hold it between my thumb and middle but I forced myself to learn the proper way.
ya well you can take all your proper mumbo jumbo and stick it up your :wink:
hehe. I switched when I saw Dave use his thumb and index. and plus everyone else I knew used it that way too. so you're weird :wink:
whatever works best for the individual

i dont see the point in switching cuz you saw someone else do it

YOURE A VICTIM TO COMFORMITY!!! :D
Everybody always asks me how she's doing. Has she really lost her mind? I said "I couldn't tell you, I've lost mine."
-Pay For What You Get
PS- My name isn't really John.

User avatar
gravedigger
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 2222
Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2002 4:16 pm
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
Contact:

Unread post by gravedigger » Wed Jan 29, 2003 12:10 am

I guess I am 8)
good, and you?

User avatar
jsgksu
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 43454
Joined: Wed Oct 02, 2002 11:18 am
Random movie quote to make you seem hip and "with it": The food court is downstairs. The cookie stand is upstairs. It's not like we're talking quantum physics here.
Location: South Side Pittsburgh
Contact:

Unread post by jsgksu » Wed Jan 29, 2003 12:33 am

I hold it between my thumb, pointer and middle finger, Ive been told its wrong and weird but everything else feels really weird and the pick always slips away from me when I just use my thumb pointer. Anyone else hold it this way?

johntherevelator
DMBTabs.com Council
Posts: 891
Joined: Thu Jan 16, 2003 7:36 pm
Location: Fredericton, NB, Canada
Contact:

Unread post by johntherevelator » Wed Jan 29, 2003 12:34 am

jsgksu wrote:I hold it between my thumb, pointer and middle finger, Ive been told its wrong and weird but everything else feels really weird and the pick always slips away from me when I just use my thumb pointer. Anyone else hold it this way?
close
not so much index, but a lil
Everybody always asks me how she's doing. Has she really lost her mind? I said "I couldn't tell you, I've lost mine."
-Pay For What You Get
PS- My name isn't really John.

hd28v
DMBTabs.com Regular
Posts: 231
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 11:54 am
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Contact:

Unread post by hd28v » Wed Jan 29, 2003 5:24 pm

I had the same pick problems and also found a pick to hamper my playing ability so I got rid of it. Try that also. It's tough at first but you will eventually get it sounding good. Allthough, there are songs where pick is truly needed. My biggest pet peave (how do you spell that) is hearing the pick hit the strings. I cringe.
2002 HD-28V
2003 D-15
Old Sigma
DM3MD hopefully someday!

pele0069
Posts: 78
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2002 6:52 pm
Contact:

Unread post by pele0069 » Wed Jan 29, 2003 5:46 pm

as my first lesson told me i was holding the pick wrong soo u form what i was told hold it between ur thumb and index while holdin ur idex finger sidways on the top joint

johntherevelator
DMBTabs.com Council
Posts: 891
Joined: Thu Jan 16, 2003 7:36 pm
Location: Fredericton, NB, Canada
Contact:

Unread post by johntherevelator » Wed Jan 29, 2003 9:43 pm

hd28v wrote:I had the same pick problems and also found a pick to hamper my playing ability so I got rid of it. Try that also. It's tough at first but you will eventually get it sounding good. Allthough, there are songs where pick is truly needed. My biggest pet peave (how do you spell that) is hearing the pick hit the strings. I cringe.
try a smaller pick with a pointier edge (???)
it will reduce contact with the strings, reducing 'clicking' without losing volume
Everybody always asks me how she's doing. Has she really lost her mind? I said "I couldn't tell you, I've lost mine."
-Pay For What You Get
PS- My name isn't really John.

User avatar
DMBFreak84
DMBTabs.com Council
Posts: 623
Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2003 11:33 am
Location: Albany, NY (home), Rochester, NY (school)
Contact:

Unread post by DMBFreak84 » Wed Jan 29, 2003 10:01 pm

yeah, i do it the way pele says, between the tumb and index finger, with the pick resting on the first joint of the index, its a really good position to have the fingers in, ive dropped my pick like 3 times in my 3 years of playing with that strumming, but everyone has their own style, i guess



peace...
-Mike-

"A dream it's true
but I'd see it through
if I could be
wasting my time
with you..."

lowtech411
Posts: 26
Joined: Fri Dec 20, 2002 10:26 pm

Unread post by lowtech411 » Thu Jan 30, 2003 3:06 pm

I play the correct way but a friend of mine who plays lead in a band plays with the thumb and middle finger and doesn't seem to have a problem doing anything. It looks alittle weird like he's playing with a fist but you can't argue with results.
"Face down in the gutter, won't admit defeat, thought his clothes are soiled and black, he's a big strong man with a child's mind, don't you take his booze away" -DKM

Post Reply

Return to “General Guitar Discussion”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 144 guests