I have two General question,
if you where looking for a jam buddy, how many cords should you know before you go down that track I know A,E,D,Em,Am, still working on Dm and some strumming patterns.
Second question
I feel my pick is making to much noise I’m using a 45 it’s really thin like Justin says to use, or is it too soft and when do you try a thicker one. I do use both Electric and acoustic guitars, I’m only a beginner.
Hi Ann, I wouldnt worry about how many chords you know , just find a jam buddy and get stuck in, it’ll be the quickest way of progressing, if they know more than you they’ll help you along.
You know the 1/4/5 chords of A ( A, D, E), once you throw in a G chord you can do 1/4/5 in D also , then add C etc.
But you can get started just with 1 or 2 chords
I feel my pick is making to much noise
Hard to know for sure but at a guess you are probably holding it too tight and at to square an angle.
Try holding it looser and making sure the tip is pointing up a little on the down stroke (and down a little on the up stroke). Also you want to be hitting the strings with the leading edge of the pick not the absolute tip (this will be the nut facing edge on the down stroke, the bridge facing edge ont he up stroke) .
.46 is really thin. I used to use .60 Fender nylon, and eventually the “slapping” sound drove me crazy, I now use .73 Fender nylon and am much happier with it. The material matters, too, not just the thickness.
Thank you I will try that
Cool!
Take it easy and be prepaired to drop a few picks! Holding one whilst strumming is a skill in itself, they move about some and you are always fiddling with them whilst playing…
Dont worry about holding a chord, just play open and go slowly at first and practice strumming
I did try a 60 but found it too stiff.for my first pick. I will have another try thank you.
Again, material matters. A .60 nylon is pretty flexible.
For example, a tortex pick is considerably stiffer than a nylon of the same thickness.
I have just had a close look and I do have a nylon 60 and it is softer then the Dunlop USA 60 so I will give the nylon 60 a try thank you for your help.
I have found a nylon 60 in my bunch of picks so I will try it thank you for your help.
Justin recommends a thin pick when starting simply because it makes strumming a lot easier. A thicker pick will get caught in the strings for beginners. Once you’re comfortable with strumming then you can increase thickness. I predominantly play with 0.6 or 0.73 now.
In terms of Jam buddys there is no real rule…just advertise what standard you are at and what you can play. As long as someone else is happy to play with you that’s all that matters.
I started with a .46mm pick and it really helped me learn to strum fluently which outweighed the downsides of such a flexible pick. I’ve moved onto a 0.60 now which is better for playing picked notes but I’d say stay thin until you’re comfortable strumming and doing chord changes without losing the rhythm
Thank you
I can do cord changes and old faithful strum pattern and one or two others I will try and change the the way I hold it as suggested thank you.
Hey Ann - don’t worry too much about how much you know. Just let your jam buddies know what you can do right now and you guys can pick a song or chord progression you’re comfortable with.
I will I just have to find someone.thank you.
The best way for you to answer this is to buy some thicker picks, try them out, and decide if you like the thicker pick better. Thickness, size, shape, material, they all effect feel and tone. Only you can decide what feels & sounds best for you.
Luckily, picks are inexpensive 
So true I do have a few thank you