How Do You Hold Your Pick?

Guitarists, and artists in general, can be a very all-or-nothing type of group. The idea of subtlety or "halfway" is often lost on us, and once one of our heroes declares a knob should be turned all the way up, or that a technique is only accomplished via their way, many of us tend to think that for the rest of our lives.

But the good stuff, in music and in life, often comes in the grey zones, the halfway points, the "just ones." This approach has helped me in so many areas - it's how I finally understood how legendary engineers and producers were using compression and EQ - just a touch here, there. You get synergy. It all adds up.

All this to say, there isn't one way to hold your pick! There's a myriad of ways, all with their strengths and weaknesses. But here are the two main extremes I've found.

Basically the spectrum can be broken down with articulation/dynamics on the left and speed on the right, corresponding with the pick being held between the tips of the thumb and first finger, and moving inward towards both first knuckles on the thumb and first finger.

Think of the difference between drawing very fine details versus coloring in large areas. Drawing very fine details requires you to grip closer to the tip of the pencil, and utilize your thumb and wrist, with a bit of movement from your elbow. Coloring in large areas requires you to hold the pencil tighter and closer to its middle, essentially locking up your thumb while your wrist, elbow and shoulder do most of the work.

It's exactly the same with picking! Slower, expressive passages will be best served holding the pick with your fingertips and faster, louder passages by tucking it further in.

For another metaphor, think of it like trying to wave a flag as quickly as you can - the shorter and stiffer the pole, the easier it will be to do so. This is the idea of tucking the pick further in. You'll lose some of the dynamic range and articulation but at the benefit of more speed and agility.

Thanks to the insane guitarist Grace Bowers for inspiring this post. She mentioned tucking the pick as a huge change in her playing in this interview with legendary teacher Marty Schwartz and that's what got me to thinking. She prefers tucking, but I say do both!