Right hand ways to pick

[JailHouseRock]

I'd like to know your opinion about the way I hold and pick my guitar.

-I hold the pick with my thumb and index finger. I spread the other 3 fingers touching the guitar's body. A bit anchoring. I do it while alt-picking.
-While sweep picking, I lift my middle finger floating while my ring and pinky remains 'anchoring' touching the guitar's body.
-While playing rythm and power chords, I will "roll in" the other 3 fingers.

I'm somehow comfortable with this way of holding the pick. But the things that worry me much is that most good guitar players that I've seen on video or live tends to "roll in" their fingers while picking. It almost not touching the guitar's body.

I'm afraid if I'm using a wrong way to pick. :confused: Yes, I read EricV's article "99 ways To Pick" but I can't seem to pick the way he uses. Please, I need your suggestion and advise.

[Caffeinated Cat]

Personally I've always got my fingers rolled in. It depends on what you're playing. If it's not technically demanding, you can get away with just about anything. If it is technically demanding, you've got to concentrate on maximizing efficiency.


I usually have my middle finger held against the side of the pick to hold it in place and keep it from turning. I also do that to keep my thumb and index fingers from moving, I want them to stay still with all the picking motion coming from my wrist.

Anyhow that's how I do it. I've never anchored the fingers of my picking hand to anything, just the ball of my hand lightly resting on the bridge. Seems to me that if you've got your right hand fingers anchored to something then you would have to keep moving them from one anchor point to another while moving across the strings. It's enough of a hassle just making sure that my hand is lightly resting on the bridge and sliding up and down it freely, and not firmly anchored to the bridge and causing all sorts of different pick/string angles while I'm trying to play. That gets really inaccurate.

[JailHouseRock]

Thanks for the reply.


Personally I've always got my fingers rolled in. It depends on what you're playing. If it's not technically demanding, you can get away with just about anything. If it is technically demanding, you've got to concentrate on maximizing efficiency


Well, I guess stuff that I play or at least trying to play is technically demanding. I don't understand your sentence " you've got to concentrate on maximizing efficiency". Do you mean that I've got to roll in my picking hand ?
What do you think about the way I use my picking hand?

[TheJeffinator]

Whatever way is most comfortable for you is the one you should use. I've found best results for myself using the floating hand, so that's what I use. But I would say that it's a good idea reconsidering the 'rolling in' you do with a finger. There shouldn't be that much of a difference in how you play alternate and sweep picked, as that'll slow down your transition time. I'd strongly recommend against it. When it is said that you should concentrate on maximizing efficiency, it means you need to do whatever requires the least expended energy and can be done the quickest. That's going to change from person to person, but if you find yourself getting cramps or excessive fatigue, or feeling like there's a brick wall holding your speed back, you're probably doing something wrong.

Rock On,
The Jeffinator

[JailHouseRock]

I don't have too much problem while doing alternate pick or play chords with the way I pick ( anchoring the pinky and ring fingers). But the problem start when I sweep pick some arpeggios. Like you said, there's a brick wall holding my speed. I guess I must be doing it wrong.

I tried to roll in my picking fingers, like floating and did the sweep pick. But again, it's kinda hard to do it. Or maybe I should practice it more? I need some suggestion from you all, experienced guitarist.

Thank you.

[TheJeffinator]

First, don't anchor so hard. That's probably holding you back. I've seen a lot of guys trying to perform CPR on their guitars or something like that. If that's you, then stop, before you hurt yourself from overstraining muscles. Try practicing with the 'floating hand' technique, but if that doesn't work, anchor lightly and don't push too hard.

Rock On,
The Jeffinator

[TheJeffinator]

The reason I think you're anchoring too hard is that if you feel like something's pushing back on your picking hand, it probably is. And if you over exert it, you *will* hurt yourself. So be careful, and good luck. Feel free to PM me, too, if you need to.

Rock On,
The Jeffinator

[JailHouseRock]

Thanks for the advise. I think, I'll try 'floating hand' for a few days and see what happen. :D