Hi, I'm learning to play 8th note chords with a pick, and it involves downstrokes as well as upstrokes. What seems to be happening is that I need to loosen my "grip" on the pick a bit when stroking up&down, in order to control the volume and also to make the volume of all strings more equal on the upstroke: For example not to have a louder high E string on upstrokes.

Now together with the lower volume from the guitar, I can also hear the pick plastic rubbing the strings and was wondering am I doing something wrong? Is there anything I can do about it, or is it just the nature of playing guitar more silently?

I cannot hear the pick dragging on the strings when I'm just downstroking with a firmer grip on the pick.