Guitar Picks (Plectrum)

I guess every guitar player knows what a pick is right? Well maybe not all.

Maybe those that have just started out playing the guitar may want to know what a pick is. Well, it is a kind of tool or thing? that you hold between you fingers that are used to “pick” the strings of the guitar.

Ahhh….just look at the pictures below and you will understand.

Here is a picture of me holding a pick between my fingers.

Got it? That is what we call a ‘Pick’

Ok….there are many types of picks out there. Different guitar players will use different guitar picks to suit their needs or should I say their playing. Normally it varies in thickness and usually categorized as ‘Thin’, ‘Medium’ and ‘Hard’.

The thickness of the pick will produce different sound character when used to play on the guitar. Some people like to use the ‘Thin' pick to strum when playing chords. Others like to use ‘Hard’ picks to play solos on the guitar especially guitar shredders.

For me I have tried a lot of different picks over the years and have collected a lot of them. But since nearly a decade ago I began to use only my favourite signature “Paul Gilbert Picks”. It’s not really hard. I guess it’s about 1mm in thickness and it’s really good for playing both chords and solos.

It is small/medium size and very light. It has also got humorous picture drawn on it on one side and a Paul Gilbert signature on the other. I guess the graphics are the work of Mr. Gilbert himself.

Many people ask me how to hold a pick. Which is the correct way to hold a pick?

Well, this is very subjective and depends on the person themselves. How do you hold a pencil? Is there any correct way of holding it? In my opinion, it doest matter how you hold a pencil as long as you feel comfortable and can use it to write or draw or whatever purpose it may give you. That is the same for picks as well. It doesn’t matter how you hold it as long as you feel comfortable and can use it to play the guitar for playing chords, solos or whatever you want. Just make sure that you try different ways or positions of holding the pick until you get the best one that you feel easy and comfortable with.

Now go and grab that pick!!

Guitar Rules!!