Guitar strings should be strummed or picked just as hard as they need to be in order to be heard clearly and accurately, and not any harder.
If you are strumming or plucking too hard, it means that you have too much tension in your strumming hand, or it means that you are not forming the chords and or notes correctly with your other hand.
As someone who has played guitar and bass for over seven years, how the pick is held will significantly influence how your guitar playing sounds. The good news is that this is an easy skill to pick up with a bit of time and practice.
This article will cover several topics to help you get down holding the pick perfectly. These topics will include how hard you should pick your electric guitar strings, how much of the pick should hit the string, how to pick the strings accurately, how tightly the pick should be held, and if it is ok to hold it with three fingers or not.
Please also remember that playing the guitar and holding the pick is a motor skill, which means it will take a bit of time and effort to get it down to the point where it feels just right for you. However, with a bit of time and practice, it is something you can get down pretty quickly.
Also Read: Loose Guitar Strings: Reasons & Best Tightening Methods
How Hard Should You Pick Electric Guitar Strings?
Pick electric guitar string as hard as you can
You should pick electric guitar strings as hard as you need to get the tone that you like – not less and not more.
Picking too lightly will produce a different sound and tone than you are looking for, and picking too harshly will mean that you wear your strings down faster than necessary.
Additionally, if you find that you have to pick the strings with a great deal of force when holding the guitar pick.
It may mean that you need to press the chords with your left hand more accurately (assuming you make your chords with your left hand) and more securely on the fretboard to form your chords properly.
Also Read: Playing Bass With Pick Vs Finger Vs Thumb: I Tried Them All
How Much of the Pick Should Hit the String?
Try to limit how much the pick actually hits the string. Having too much contact between the pick and string can actually slow you down.
The best option is to experiment with the pick until you find the perfect amount of the pick to use to hit the string. From there, play with a metronome regularly in order to increase your speed while still sounding clear and keeping your rhythm.
Here’s how to experiment on how much should the pick hit the string (depending on your preferences):
- Hold the pick so that it strikes the strings at an angle of fifteen to twenty
- Pluck one of the strings on the guitar.
- Continue plucking the string while making contact with the string with a bit more of the pick than you did previously, and you will notice that the sound has a bit more of a snap.
- Repeat the steps until you are satisfied with the sound and it feels natural
How Do You Pick Guitar Strings Accurately?
Practice more to get better at picking strings
The best way to pick your guitar strings accurately is through continuous practice. Practice regularly with your favorite songs or a metronome without looking at the pick – start slow and go faster from there.
Playing with a metronome is always a massive help. Start playing a relatively easy song at a low setting on the metronome, such as sixty beats per minute.
When you can hit the strings accurately on each strum at the 60 beats per minute mark, move it up in increments of twelve. You may surprise yourself at how quickly you improve, and your sense of timing and rhythm improves.
How Tight Should You Hold a Guitar Pick?
You shouldn’t hold a pick too tightly. The pick should be held in your hand tightly enough to keep the pick from slipping out of your fingers. Don’t grip it too firmly because it will slow you down.
The more tightly you hold any object in your hand, the more tense your hand is. The tighter you are, the slower you will be able to move.
Once you have experimented with the different tension levels to hold the pick, try moving your wrist up and down to strum the strings instead of your fingers. This will help you hold the pick with less tension and therefore be able to move more quickly.
Is It Ok to Hold a Pick With 3 Fingers?
It is perfectly Ok to hold a pick with three fingers, as long as it is not held too tightly that you feel too much tension in your hand. Keep in mind this is not the usual way and you may become slower.
When holding the pick, the primary thing to keep in mind is that you are holding the pick with as little tension as possible so that you can move quickly and easily.
Suppose you are holding the pick with three fingers instead of two. In that case, you may be better able to hold onto the pick this way, especially if you are playing thrash or metal music, which requires moving your strumming hand rather quickly, depending on the song you are playing.
If you are holding it with three fingers instead of two, you may want to experiment with holding your pick with two fingers instead of three fingers. This is not to suggest that you are doing it wrong with three fingers, but to add this other technique to your playing.
Also Read: Playing Bass With Pick Vs Finger Vs Thumb: I Tried Them All
Conclusion
We covered several topics to help you get down holding the pick perfectly. These topics included how hard you should pick your electric guitar strings, how much of the pick should hit the string, how to pick the strings accurately, how tightly the pick should be held, and if it is ok to hold it with three fingers or not.
Please remember that this is a motor skill, so you will need to practice regularly to get this down. Doing so with a metronome will help you get the right feeling to hold your pick and strum the guitar and will help you with your rhythm as well.
