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44 Part I: You Got a Right to Play the Blues Holding the Pick, Attacking the Problem
Some blues players don’t use a pick, but the majority of electric guitarists
who play lead do. A pick provides force, precision, and speed that fingers
can’t muster as easily and efficiently. If you’ve never played with a pick, try
following the suggestions in this section.
Hold the pick in your right hand between the index finger and thumb, as
shown in Figure 3-4. The point of the pick sticks out perpendicularly from
your thumbnail, and only the top third of the pick shows.
TEAM LinG
Figure 3-4:
The correct
way to hold
a pick.
Don’t grip the pick too hard when playing lead, but don’t let the string push it
loose from your fingers either. Play the notes lightly at first to get the hang of
playing notes with a pick.
Picks come in different gauges or thicknesses, so if playing with a pick is awkward
for you at first, play around with different gauges until you get a feel
that doesn’t fight back as much (thinner or medium gauge picks are more flexible).
As your playing develops, try to play with a stiffer (heavier gauge) pick
for the fastest response from the string and for the strongest sound.