Questions About Picks or Plectrums

I have found that using a pick - sometimes called a plectrum - to play the guitar is not so much a matter of personal choice as an essential skill if you want to really master the instrument. Even finger pickers use them. They are not quite the simple piece of equipment they at first appear to be.

Q. What kind of pick do I need?

A.   Picks come in all kinds of sizes, although they tend to be a fairly uniform shape. The key question is their thickness, which varies from almost paper thin to rigidly thick, and the material they are made from. Both qualities change the sound the guitar produces when played with a pick. In addition, while I found a very thin pick - say around .46mm - is excellent for strumming, it is not so easy to use for picking invidual strings. For that, I use a .73mm or thicker pick and of the materials they come in I like tortex the best. It doesn't slip easily. I think the best advice for a beginner guitar player is to buy a packet of assorted sizes and find out how each one affects your playing and the sounds your guitar makes. You will quickly find that you have one or two favourites that you nearly always use.

Q. Help! My Pick Fell Into My Guitar..

A.   Believe me, it happens. You're strumming away, your fingers get slippery and the next thing you know your pick has either flown half way across the room or, what's worse, fallen through the sound hole of your guitar. Here's a fun film on how to get it out again.