Most people who buy pick's use them as is but with most pick's excluding jazz picks have a broad round face which in turn causes more friction between the pick and the string hampering speed, grabbing very close the tip with just a point of the pick sticking out is the proper postion, looking at your thumb while holding the pick it should protrude from where your thumb nail begins to curve around the tip of the finger, as for the pick I like to use heavy stiff picks because they produce the best natural and un-natural harmonics and also allow the full tone of the strings while playing clean, Dunlop's are great pick's, and I like to take mine to a grinder or sharpening stone and bring the pick tip to a sharp point with a knife edge, it allows for clean attack and pull off of the pick and extremely bright harmonics when attacked at the proper angle, my advice buy a bunch of pick's and try different setups on each one and see what suit's you best. Hope that helps and good luck and PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.