Acoustic pick/strum advice

At the tail end of the fundamentals course, good grasp on the cords, still a little slow on the changes. I find I'm having issues with the pick and strum aspects.

Been using the Ernie Ball Everlast .48

I am very new, started this journey at the beginning of October 2020, so it could just be inexperience and practice will solve. I find when I'm strumming I loose pick orientation ( tip will move towards front or rear ). Feeling like I'm loosing grip, I tried a few of the picks with the grip texture and same issues. I may be focusing to heavily on it as well, just looking for some advice if there a tips or exercises to ensure I'm not forming bad habits or if I'm just over thinking it and need to put in more work and I'll figure it out.

Thanks.

-Z

I've never tried these but I read your post and happened on this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWfgs64c44s

@ 2:56

Picker's Grip

Originally Posted by: paulcavaliere

I've never tried these but I read your post and happened on this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWfgs64c44s

@ 2:56

Picker's Grip

Thank you, I'll check it out.

Originally Posted by: belli.zack

At the tail end of the fundamentals course, good grasp on the cords, still a little slow on the changes. I find I'm having issues with the pick and strum aspects.

Been using the Ernie Ball Everlast .48

I am very new, started this journey at the beginning of October 2020, so it could just be inexperience and practice will solve. I find when I'm strumming I loose pick orientation ( tip will move towards front or rear ). Feeling like I'm loosing grip, I tried a few of the picks with the grip texture and same issues. I may be focusing to heavily on it as well, just looking for some advice if there a tips or exercises to ensure I'm not forming bad habits or if I'm just over thinking it and need to put in more work and I'll figure it out.

Thanks.

-Z

How close is your pick holding to these photos below?

I took a few pics of me holding a pick. Though I've been playing a long time, I either like very small picks (Dunlop Jazz III's) for electric, or for acoustic strumming, no pick. Thing is, playing with no pick acoustically, I may not be as articulate as I'd like. I'd played mostly electric for so long with the tiny Jazz III's, I'd lost my 'skill' with holding a standard sized pick and to be honest, strumming an acoustic song wIth Jazz III's is a bit like using a sledgehammer with set a finishing nail. It's not subtle enough as would be a regular pick. So I've been reteaching myself proper standard sized pick playing.

If you're new, it can be that much harder. A few things you should keep in mind:

--Don't 'over-grip'. That is to say that if you squeeze so tightly in hopes of not dropping the pick, you're gonna drop it. When you strike a string, if there is no give in your grip, the string is going to win that struggle.

--With the photos below, you'll notice that I don't expose an enourmous amount of the pick. That's just natural for me. I also hold the pick under the flesh of my thumb and under the last bone (called the distal phalange...for what it's worth...) of my bent index finger.

--Watch the angle of the pick too. When you strum, if the pick is completely perpendicular to the string, you're going to string the string too hard. It's in Lisa's beginner's tutorial, but the pick should trail a little bit. It's part of the 'grip' issue above. However, instead of stabbing the strings, your wrist should allow for a little give that allows that pick to trail a little bit behind where your thumb/index are gripping the pick.

Just some thoughts.

Even though my relearning using a regular pick makes me feel like I'm using a dinner plate, I still never drop a pick.

Originally Posted by: JeffS65

Originally Posted by: belli.zack

At the tail end of the fundamentals course, good grasp on the cords, still a little slow on the changes. I find I'm having issues with the pick and strum aspects.

Been using the Ernie Ball Everlast .48

I am very new, started this journey at the beginning of October 2020, so it could just be inexperience and practice will solve. I find when I'm strumming I loose pick orientation ( tip will move towards front or rear ). Feeling like I'm loosing grip, I tried a few of the picks with the grip texture and same issues. I may be focusing to heavily on it as well, just looking for some advice if there a tips or exercises to ensure I'm not forming bad habits or if I'm just over thinking it and need to put in more work and I'll figure it out.

Thanks.

-Z

How close is your pick holding to these photos below?

I took a few pics of me holding a pick. Though I've been playing a long time, I either like very small picks (Dunlop Jazz III's) for electric, or for acoustic strumming, no pick. Thing is, playing with no pick acoustically, I may not be as articulate as I'd like. I'd played mostly electric for so long with the tiny Jazz III's, I'd lost my 'skill' with holding a standard sized pick and to be honest, strumming an acoustic song wIth Jazz III's is a bit like using a sledgehammer with set a finishing nail. It's not subtle enough as would be a regular pick. So I've been reteaching myself proper standard sized pick playing.

If you're new, it can be that much harder. A few things you should keep in mind:

--Don't 'over-grip'. That is to say that if you squeeze so tightly in hopes of not dropping the pick, you're gonna drop it. When you strike a string, if there is no give in your grip, the string is going to win that struggle.

--With the photos below, you'll notice that I don't expose an enourmous amount of the pick. That's just natural for me. I also hold the pick under the flesh of my thumb and under the last bone (called the distal phalange...for what it's worth...) of my bent index finger.

--Watch the angle of the pick too. When you strum, if the pick is completely perpendicular to the string, you're going to string the string too hard. It's in Lisa's beginner's tutorial, but the pick should trail a little bit. It's part of the 'grip' issue above. However, instead of stabbing the strings, your wrist should allow for a little give that allows that pick to trail a little bit behind where your thumb/index are gripping the pick.

Just some thoughts.

Even though my relearning using a regular pick makes me feel like I'm using a dinner plate, I still never drop a pick.

Awesome thanks for the advice, the pics hep!

Hi Z-

Just to add to Jeff's helpful advice and comments.

How my picking has developed over the past almost three years and my thoughts. I play both acoustic and electric.

I'd never choose to use a Delrin pick (Ernie Ball Everlast) in any gauge [u]for strumming[/u]. Yes, I've tried and used Delrin (Dunlop Tortex). Appreciating OMMV, I detest them. Very hard attack (little elasticity compared with either celluloid or nylon) regardless of gauge, and arguably IMV, the smooth surfaced ones are one of the most difficult (low friction) materials to maintain a consistent grip on not rendered easier in thinner gauges. e.g. .38 or .48.

For [u]acoustic[/u] [u]strumming only[/u] my choice is invariably a lighter gauge Dunlop nylon, .38, .46 or even .60, gauge dependent upon the tone I'm seeking or if there are any single note melody lines to be picked where I might move up to as heavy as a .71 or.88. I tend to use a pick on acoustic 90% of the time even when arpeggiating. I'm not accomplished at nor focussed upon fingerstyle. In Dunlop nylons there are a range of alternatives using the same compound nylon including an extra-serrated pattern Maxi-Grip.

[br]For electric, with Rock as my genre focus, coincident with Jeff, my preference and technique has developed so my current hands down favourite and go-to is the Dunlop Jazz III and has been some time. I like everything about it. Size, shape, point, edge taper, grip, gauge. I use the trad red ver. I find it versatile enough in attack for rhythm and perfect for lead licks. I can comfortably alternate and adapt to a regular size pick, although it does feel large in comparison. When I'm playing just rhythm, I'll sometimes choose either a regular Dunlop nylon or a Celluloid in a lighter gauge.

Here are a couple of things to think about ref your own pick control issues. My hands and fingers perspire, so if any one was going to lose a pick or should lose control of the pick it'd be me. I use two fingers and don't hold my picks in a death grip, which I think is important in controlling attack. I've noted I use more tip protruding with nylon e.g. 38, 46, .60, etc for acoustic strumming, less tip protruding for electric or single note picking. I don't use any special version serrated grip picks. Maxi-Grip etc. I avoid using Tortex Delrin even though I have them here. To reiterate, they're not for me.

Other than that if you've only been playing guitar since around your indicated join date, perhaps consider that it's just down to time, exposure and technique as I perceive from my experience so far. Possibly focussing too much on it right now? Maybe try to relax that? I don't have any internal tension with operation of my right arm/hand, situational awareness and rythmic application coming naturally for me for the most part, except of course when learning a complex alternating strumming pattern for a particular song which requires initial focus. I won't say never, but very seldom do I drop my pick from my grasp when playing.

All the best with it.

Originally Posted by: manXcat

Hi Z-

Just to add to Jeff's helpful advice and comments.

How my picking has developed over the past almost three years and my thoughts. I play both acoustic and electric.

I'd never choose to use a Delrin pick (Ernie Ball Everlast) in any gauge [u]for strumming[/u]. Yes, I've tried and used Delrin (Dunlop Tortex). Appreciating OMMV, I detest them. Very hard attack (little elasticity compared with either celluloid or nylon) regardless of gauge, and arguably IMV, the smooth surfaced ones are one of the most difficult (low friction) materials to maintain a consistent grip on not rendered easier in thinner gauges. e.g. .38 or .48.

For [u]acoustic[/u] [u]strumming only[/u] my choice is invariably a lighter gauge Dunlop nylon, .38, .46 or even .60, gauge dependent upon the tone I'm seeking or if there are any single note melody lines to be picked where I might move up to as heavy as a .71 or.88. I tend to use a pick on acoustic 90% of the time even when arpeggiating. I'm not accomplished at nor focussed upon fingerstyle. In Dunlop nylons there are a range of alternatives using the same compound nylon including an extra-serrated pattern Maxi-Grip.

[br]For electric, with Rock as my genre focus, coincident with Jeff, my preference and technique has developed so my current hands down favourite and go-to is the Dunlop Jazz III and has been some time. I like everything about it. Size, shape, point, edge taper, grip, gauge. I use the trad red ver. I find it versatile enough in attack for rhythm and perfect for lead licks. I can comfortably alternate and adapt to a regular size pick, although it does feel large in comparison. When I'm playing just rhythm, I'll sometimes choose either a regular Dunlop nylon or a Celluloid in a lighter gauge.

Here are a couple of things to think about ref your own pick control issues. My hands and fingers perspire, so if any one was going to lose a pick or should lose control of the pick it'd be me. I use two fingers and don't hold my picks in a death grip, which I think is important in controlling attack. I've noted I use more tip protruding with nylon e.g. 38, 46, .60, etc for acoustic strumming, less tip protruding for electric or single note picking. I don't use any special version serrated grip picks. Maxi-Grip etc. I avoid using Tortex Delrin even though I have them here. To reiterate, they're not for me.

Other than that if you've only been playing guitar since around your indicated join date, perhaps consider that it's just down to time, exposure and technique as I perceive from my experience so far. Possibly focussing too much on it right now? Maybe try to relax that? I don't have any internal tension with operation of my right arm/hand, situational awareness and rythmic application coming naturally for me for the most part, except of course when learning a complex alternating strumming pattern for a particular song which requires initial focus. I won't say never, but very seldom do I drop my pick from my grasp when playing.

All the best with it.

Completely agree with everything you've outlined, I did pickup a sample pack of Dunlops and notice I do like the tone from the nylons, has a maxi-grip that I like sometimes and other times do not...

I tend to overthink things as I'm engineer by trade, however wanted to make sure I wasn't forming bad habbits, and yes only been playing since Oct 2020, so just at the start of my journy and I do notice after ever practice session everything makes more sense and comes to together a little easier.

Thanks for taking the time to spread some knowledge.