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I've been playing guitar on and off for 30 years. I'm holding the pick completely wrong and it probably negatively impacts my playing - but I've struggled to co

I've been playing guitar on and off for 30 years. I'm holding the pick completely wrong and it probably negatively impacts my playing - but I've struggled to correct it (I hold it with thumb, index and middle finger; if I try to hold it with just two fingers, it inevitably slides out after a few strums; I don't know how people do it). I've also been trying to snap my fingers wrong for 20 years until somebody finally explained to me that it wasn't my fingers rubbing / clicking / pouncing against each other that made the sound, it was the finger snapping/clapping on the meaty part of your wrist. Doh!

spit2wind 4y ago
Many fine players use the three finger approach. Steve Morse comes to mind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= EDIT: link to Dixie Dregs in case you have no clue who Steve Morse is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrAa6K_28NU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrAa6K_28NU
- scns 4y ago
  Hillybillymetal, Hell yeah! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD9j0VfX7QU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD9j0VfX7QU
  - 72deluxe 4y ago
    Steve Morse's Cruise Missile track is also a great track
- NikolaNovak 4y ago
  Thanks, note that your first link came up empty (it's missing the video tag in the URL)
Zanfa 4y ago
> I've been playing guitar on and off for 30 years. I'm holding the pick completely wrong and it hugely negatively impacts my playing - but I've struggled to correct it (I hold it with thumb, index and middle finger; if I try to hold it with just two fingers, it inevitably slides out after a few strums; I don't know how people do it). Try orienting the pick slightly so that when you strum the strings, it plucks the string with the leading edge, rather than with the flat side of the pick, so you don't need to press as hard. > I've also been trying to snap my fingers wrong for 20 years until somebody finally explained to me that it wasn't my fingers rubbing / clicking / pouncing against each other that made the sound, it was the finger snapping/clapping on the meaty part of your wrist. Doh! I've found snapping to be louder and fuller sounding if I don't use my thumb to "tension" the middle finger at all, but instead just smack the the middle finger against the "meaty part". Plus you can get a lot more snaps done in much less time if snaps-per-minute is an important metric.
auspex 4y ago
You’re in good company James Hetfield plays this way too!
SnooSux 4y ago
I got a guitar pick with a bit of texture on the part you grip with. I have really oily hands so glossy picks just slip through my fingers. I've also tried angling the pick so I have more surface area to grip with.
72deluxe 4y ago
What thickness pick do you use? I found thin picks very difficult to hold and moved to a .96mm Dunlop Delrin (the pink ones) standard and I found them easier to hold. There is more resistance from the strings but at least you can alternate pick. Here's me playing: https://youtu.be/gVIt8CVq7KQ?t=181 https://youtu.be/gVIt8CVq7KQ?t=181 But now you've made me question how I actually hold the pick - is it the first or second finger? I think it's first and thumb because my middle finger is stronger and calloused so more useful for tapping notes whilst the first finger grasps the pick during the tapping phase.

spit2wind 4y ago

Many fine players use the three finger approach. Steve Morse comes to mind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= EDIT: link to Dixie Dregs in case you have no clue who Steve Morse is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrAa6K_28NU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrAa6K_28NU

scns 4y ago
Hillybillymetal, Hell yeah! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD9j0VfX7QU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD9j0VfX7QU
- 72deluxe 4y ago
  Steve Morse's Cruise Missile track is also a great track
NikolaNovak 4y ago
Thanks, note that your first link came up empty (it's missing the video tag in the URL)

Zanfa 4y ago

> I've been playing guitar on and off for 30 years. I'm holding the pick completely wrong and it hugely negatively impacts my playing - but I've struggled to correct it (I hold it with thumb, index and middle finger; if I try to hold it with just two fingers, it inevitably slides out after a few strums; I don't know how people do it). Try orienting the pick slightly so that when you strum the strings, it plucks the string with the leading edge, rather than with the flat side of the pick, so you don't need to press as hard. > I've also been trying to snap my fingers wrong for 20 years until somebody finally explained to me that it wasn't my fingers rubbing / clicking / pouncing against each other that made the sound, it was the finger snapping/clapping on the meaty part of your wrist. Doh! I've found snapping to be louder and fuller sounding if I don't use my thumb to "tension" the middle finger at all, but instead just smack the the middle finger against the "meaty part". Plus you can get a lot more snaps done in much less time if snaps-per-minute is an important metric.

auspex 4y ago

You’re in good company James Hetfield plays this way too!

SnooSux 4y ago

I got a guitar pick with a bit of texture on the part you grip with. I have really oily hands so glossy picks just slip through my fingers. I've also tried angling the pick so I have more surface area to grip with.

72deluxe 4y ago

What thickness pick do you use? I found thin picks very difficult to hold and moved to a .96mm Dunlop Delrin (the pink ones) standard and I found them easier to hold. There is more resistance from the strings but at least you can alternate pick. Here's me playing: https://youtu.be/gVIt8CVq7KQ?t=181 https://youtu.be/gVIt8CVq7KQ?t=181 But now you've made me question how I actually hold the pick - is it the first or second finger? I think it's first and thumb because my middle finger is stronger and calloused so more useful for tapping notes whilst the first finger grasps the pick during the tapping phase.