Hello all. I need some advice with my pick holding and strumming. I been at this for about 9 months now and just started Justin Guitar grade 2 module 14. I have been struggling with 2 things for a while now, even as I progress.
How I hold my pick. I have a habit of using three fingers to hold it, specifically with faster more intense stumming. I hold with my thumb and index finger as taught but add my driving finger also. I understand this may inhibit my ability later to use other fingers to do some other picking.
My up strums on anything other than old faithful grab the bottom E string too harshly making a louder plinking. Especially true if I am trying to stum a shuffle.
Any advice on these two items would be very much appreciated.
Hello Brent,
I do believe using three fingers to hold pick will absolutely hinder you going forward. You likely need to make as part of your practice routine to strum slowly, focusing on properly holding the pick. At first, don’t even worry about the fretting hand, then add any chords and then full songs, making sure you hold the pick properly the whole time. Reprogram your brain to hold the pick properly. You may also need a thinner pick, though you did not indicate the pick gauge.
As for being too harsh on the high e, I believe that will likely fade in time. Also, may need a thinner string, though again, no indication what gauge you are using.
Thank you. What I find is I can strum ok with 2 fingers for a time. But what happens is the pick seems to wonder. Feel like it has a mind of its own and I need to adjust mid strum which feels awkward.
Hi Brent,
your pick moving around while strumming is absolutely normal and happens to all of us. It’s due to the friction of the strings and the pick. It can be reduced by strumming at a slight angle. This even helps for your observation of yours where you hit the high e-string harder than expected. Justin has a video abut this in Grade 1. It’s probably worth a re-visit. https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/how-to-hold-a-guitar-pick-b1-106
But even with the angling, the pick will move. You will learn to adjust it during playing (Justin has also a lesson on this, but I can’t find this right now) over time. It definitely feels awkward first.
+1 definitely for just holding the pick between thumb and first finger.
Also the grip should be light. Your pick should be able to move. It will feel like you’re going to drop the pick at first but I don’t ever recall dropping mine. If you held your hand out to someone, they should easily be able to take the pick off you. A death grip on your pick will sound terrible and is likely to introduce tension into your whole hand, arm and shoulder. Depending on what pick you are using try a thinner one while you get used to the feeling 0.60mm or thinner initially. Once you’re comfortable then maybe revert to a thicker pick
The two things that link with both these things is also the position of the guitar. If the body leans back at the top, i find that you contact the high e string in a way that makes it sound more prominent and it also move the pic more. Really improved for me when i put the guitar so the strings are upright and lined up vertically.
