So I have been using the Fender mojo pick grip on my picks for a long time now and this week I discovered that when I take the pick grip off the pick, I can’t strum any songs anymore because I just can’t control my pick anymore at all. I started using the mojo pick grips because I got tired of losing my pick during a song or it falling in the soundhole or whatever. But now I’m a bit worried, because I feel like I might have taken a shortcut that I will regret in the future.
I watched the grade 2 video about pick manipulation that Justin made and I will definitely try to use his tips and tricks he gave.
What is your view on this issue and how did you manage to control your pick while strumming?
What thickness of pick are you using? Thinner is generally better for strumming. I started with 0.46mm which is really thin and bendy and now use 0.60mm
I had trouble with my pick spinning around, not with dropping it (not very often). It took some time paying mental attention to my pick position and what made it spin to get things to work well.
I think your mojo grip has been a crutch that did not serve your learning well. I did the same using the app to play songs without learning them. I finally made the decision to just learn and drop the crutch. It was a good decision.
Take a look at my general answer to strumming angles. My guess is that you are approaching the string with an angle on the pick that lets it dig in. If you wanted to make a video that will help the guessing it would improve the accuracy of the answers here. A photo is ok, but you need to make sure it shows what your true approach is, not what you think it is.
You could try and carry a pick around with you for a few weeks.
Just hold it and spin it around in your fingers and fidget with it a bit when you get the chance.
You can try thin picks if you like but the secret sauce for me was lightning the grip. The thicker the pick, the lighter the grip. You allow the pick to move and just get comfortable being able to get it back into position as you play, see tip1
I like to use a sharp shaped pick for heavy strumming, they don’t seem to get ‘hung up’ in the strings as much…
I am using .60. I did not have a lot of trouble with the .46 and .50 picks when I first started playing and eventually got to the .60 where I started encountering problems with the pick spinning and then started using the mojo flex grip and here we are
Yeah, it’s mostly spinning around that is a problem for me, the pick drops sometimes when I play fast songs. I am a little freaked out because I feel like I should be able to control the pick after 4 years of playing, but like you said, the mojo flex grip probably set me back without knowing.
I normally don’t look at my strumming arm when I play, I only look at my fretting hand, but now that you mention it, I will pay some close attention to what makes the pick spin.
Yes, I try to lighten the grip as much as possible but allowing the pick to move and get comfortable to moving it back is something that I have to work on a lot I’m afraid
the spinning problem comes from the pick angle being a little out of ideal position. once you get the feel for that being right, then you can strum all you like and it will stay in place pretty well. You will also become familiar with how to fix the rotation when you notice it moving on you (the lesson you highlighted).
Try working at strumming WITHOUT looking. Close your eyes and FEEL the pick in your fingers. just mute strings and don’t try to manage chords so your full attention is on the pick feel. when you feel it rotate, make note of why - it was probably not pointing in the right direction, or maybe your strum came through at a different angle for some reason. Correct that and keep going.
Now for some unusual advice… I prefer to do something like this at the end of my practice session so it is fresh in memory. My head seems to work on it away from the guitar. I’ll also try to make this a last practice just before bed for the same reason. For this type of thing, it does seem to help me. If I can, I will make 3-4 short sessions a day of a particular thing and it usually works out well.
For me, strumming just worked over night. for several months it was rough, then boom, one day it was ok, and I don’t think much about it now other than strumming the strings I want.
Regarding pick stiffness - I never liked the super floppy nylon picks. I have tended to use the orange tortex Justin showed in his lesson, but have recently moved to prefer a .73 ultex. the material is a bit stiffer than the tortex as well as being a little thicker, and I don’t seem to wear these down so fast when chugging on the wound strings. I can strum with a very hard 2mm Gloss Glide, but it still feels uncomfortable. That pick is really more for individual strings I think and it really does glide across strings.
I totally got off track with pick stiffness. A more flexible pick DOES make it easier, however you need to balance the flexibility with ability to feel the pick for the practice I recommended. For play, then you want to go with what sounds the way you want. I grabbed three different variety packs from Dunlop back when I started. I progressed through using several of them, some only for a week or two, until I arrived at the orange one. If you are unsure of the pick stiffness you like (and it will probably change over time) then you would benefit from a reasonable variety. I linked the products here:
I do think that nylon vs steel strings will make your pick choice a bit different. I am playing steel strings on an electric, and have 4 electrics all with different physical profiles. My pick choice comes more from what I am playing (all strumming, power chord chugging, arpeggiated notes…) than from the guitar, but I do not have a nylon string to compare to.
I really hope so to! Luckily I bought a lot of different picks when I started and I think I have most of the ones in the variety packs. I already use stiffer picks when I am doing picking exercises or certain licks/riffs, but I had a bit of panic today when I just wanted to play some songs, and all of a sudden I had no control without the mojo flex grip. It feels like I went 3 steps backward and I’m just really anxious to fix it. I’m really grateful for your help!
I was having issues holding picks (partly due to carpel tunnel). I started using Dunlop Gator Grip Picks because they don’t have a smooth, glossy finish. I’ve stuck with them post-carpel surgery. I like them. I’ve found the .96 and .71 to be my fav thicknesses.
First time poster here. I’m a 71 year old beginner. I have used Justin’s videos for several years and have had a local guitar teacher for about a year.
I also have a really hard time with my pick rotating in my hand and sometimes losing the grip altogether. I have been using 50 or 60 mm picks, but based on some suggestions here, I think I’ll try an even thinner one. Going to try carrying a pick around in my hand. Lots of good suggestions here. Wish me luck.
I use these, I’m not a beginner but have using these for 6 months now and found them very nice to use. I have all three thicknesses but mostly use the 2mm, the nice thing about them is the gentle radius around the edges, it stops them snagging. The grip on them is very comfortable and has really improved my grip technique.
I use these more or less exclusively, now. These are 1.5mm thick … and use them for electrical… but use the Ultra Lite version at .8mm for acoustic if I’m strumming away (if not just using my fingers).
While I never have problems with my grip shifting, their symmetry means I can fidget with them and still have a tip ready to play with.
