How to Hold a Pick

There are a few ways to hold a guitar pick. The top guitar players in the world hold the guitar pick in many different ways but these are the most common. How you hold your pick may depend on the style of music or if it is lead or rhythm that you are playing.

The first example - Lead/Speed shows the pick nestled at the second index finger joint and the thumb placed over the pick with the tip pointing out the side of the thumb. This is a good way to hold a pick for lead guitar. If you hold the pick at a 45-degree angle when plucking the guitar string you will have less resistance and you will be able to play faster.

First Example - Lead/Speed

First example - Lead/Speed

The second example has the pick nestled into the first index finger joint closer to the fingertip and the thumb placed over the top with the tip of the pick pointing out of the side of the thumb. Holding a pick this way makes it easier to hold the pick looser for strumming and also changes the tone giving a slightly more percussive sound in the strum.

2nd Example - Strum/Fun

2nd Example - Stum/Fun

What kind of pick should I use?

A medium gauge pick is the right choice for beginners. It will work fine for strumming or single note. I don't recommend a thin pick because as you advance as a guitar player you will likely switch to a medium or heavier pick, so why get used to a pick that you're not going to use later.

A heavy gauge pick is preferred for lead and speed. With proper technique a heavy pick will glide through the strings with less resistance than a flexible pick.