Total noob here. Are there any factors to consider in selecting a pick other than the feeling? I've found I strongly prefer heavier picks to lighter - am I going to cause problems down the road by using them? Is it something I would change based on the song I'm playing?

Well this is a "what feels good to you" situation. There's no right or wrong. Everyone is different and everyones hands are different. Whats' good for one, sucks for another. So experiement with a bunch of them and pick what you like best.

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- Seb
www.sebastienberger.com

If different sized picks were "wrong", then they wouldn't be making them. Professionals use all different kinds. Like SebastBerg said, it's what feels good to you. Just experiment with all of them until you find one you like.

Oh and the "heavy, medium, etc." terminology doesn't refer to it's weight. It refers to it's thickness. The thicker they are, the "heavier" they get labeled.

Right, I'm using weight in the same sense Thanks for the reassurance. I'd seen some random chatter about lighter picks making it easier to play faster, but I really don't like how they feel.

Actually its the oppossit. Well, to my feel

Heavier picks dont bend that much. So when you do fast picking, the pick responds better timing wise. A lighter pick will bend a little and will affect the timing of your picking hand and the fretting hand.
Where talking about quarter of seconds probably but that can be a lot if you are really fast .
But thats something you can get used too by timing your left hand with the right hand accordingly. So it always comes down to what you feel is better for you

__________________
- Seb
www.sebastienberger.com

There is a notion out there that for ultimate speed, you use a light pick with light gauge strings... but we're talking about people in search of pure speed... no musicality, just going super super fast with non-melodic "solos".. But there's plenty of "fast" players that don't subscribe to that setup. Eric Johnson uses a thick gauge pick, and he's plenty fast. I find that when you go too floppy, the pick just doesn't feel precise anymore. I think I use a 70mm or something... that works for me.

I've actually heard the opposite to what Slipin said. For me it's heavier picks and thicker strings for faster picking. Heavier picks just seem "tighter" and more responsive to me. You don't get that "floppy" feeling when playing.

I use Jazz III's primarily (1.14mm). Lots of metal players use them.

The green dunlop tortex picks (.88mm) are my second go to picks. I think these are pretty much the "standard" of this size pick that people use.

Then the yellow ones (.73). If I remember, Buckethead uses these. I use lighter strings for strumming stuff.

There are always general rules of thumb, but at the end of the day, whatever feels best to you is the right pick.