Picking Hand Fundamentals


wildwoman1313
Full Access
Joined: 11/17/08
Posts: 303
wildwoman1313
Full Access
Joined: 11/17/08
Posts: 303
02/27/2013 12:32 am



When we first take up the guitar, we devote much of our effort to developing the fretting hand. We learn to play notes, to form chords, to master techniques like hammer-ons and pull-offs while relying on strumming or simple picking to keep us afloat. As we aspire to ever greater heights on the fretboard, we often trust the picking hand to magically fall in line. But it takes a dexterous hand to execute the notes of your dreams and take you where you want to go. The picking hand is the unsung hero of your guitar playing. The doer to the fretting hand's dreamer.

Nearly all of us have struggled at one time or another to locate the correct string when picking. But no matter how skilled your fretting hand is, if your notes aren't true and sure, you need to step back and evaluate the effectiveness of your picking hand. Like your fretting hand, it is always moving and has to be extremely precise. It will get you nowhere fast to fret one note and pick another.

To play the guitar with accuracy and confidence, your hands must work harmoniously together and independently of one another. Syncing your fretting and picking hands, like everything you’ve learned to do on the guitar, takes practice. Developing the picking hand’s ability to locate the right string at the right moment, and by feel, is key to keeping time, playing with a consistent tone, and doing so without your eyes continually bouncing back and forth between hands.

With so much recent focus on the fretting hand, it's time we give the picking hand its due. Keep in mind that what follows are guidelines, not rules. The style of guitar you play (i.e., classical, metal, country) will ultimately determine how you work your picking hand. With that said, let's begin with a review of the basics.

How to Use Your Picking Arm

The guitar can be played in many positions, but some are clearly more efficient than others. First off, hold your guitar so that you are comfortable and in a way that feels natural. The instrument needs to be stable, your hands need to be able to move freely about the frets and strings, and you shouldn’t experience pain when playing. You want your picking hand and arm to remain as relaxed as possible. Just like a tense fretting hand will cause unnecessary strain and tire your arm, so too will a tense picking hand. Should you feel any discomfort, put the guitar down, shake out the arm, and make adjustments.

When picking notes and playing for speed, play from the wrist, not the forearm. You want economy of motion. You don't want your arm flapping around when the aim is precision. Use concise wrist motion when playing lead.

When strumming chords, you want to strike the strings with the pick or fingertip by using wrist and elbow motion. The more vigorous the strum, the more elbow you will put into the mix.

For a refresher on the proper way to hold the guitar and placement of the picking arm, check out How to Hold the Guitar with Christopher Schlegel.

Where You Play

Where you strum the guitar makes a big difference in the sound produced. You can get different tones from different areas of the guitar. Some like the clear, crisp, almost brittle sound that comes with picking or strumming right next to the bridge and choose to play there to emphasize certain notes. Still others prefer the warmer, sweeter, mellower tones that resonate from playing over the sound hole or near the neck of the guitar.

Where you choose to pick depends on the sound you're after. Most guitarists choose a point somewhere in between the neck and bridge, where the picking hand naturally falls. Experiment with the different sounds and vary your picking according to the music you want to make.

The Pick

Picks (also called plectra) come in different shapes, sizes, and thicknesses and can be made from various materials such as metal, stone and most commonly, plastic. You can tell the gauge of a pick by its bendability. A soft pick will have the most flexibility, a hard pick, the least. It’s a good idea to visit your local music store and buy a variety of picks in different gauges and materials so that you can try them out and see what works best for you. (It's also good to keep a stash of picks on hand as they're easily lost.) As a general rule of thumb, a good medium pick will work well for most people and most styles of music.

Again, pick choice is a matter of preference and sometimes depends upon the style of music you play. You want to find a pick that suits you. Soft picks are too flimsy for my personal taste, and hard picks too rigid. When you hit on the pick that’s right for you, you’ll know it. It’ll feel just right.

Picks should be held between the pad of your index finger and the pad of your thumb, and act as an extension of your index finger. Only a small surface of the pick should be in direct contact with the strings. Don't grip the pick too tightly or so loosely that it falls out of your hand, and pick in an efficient motion using tiny, contained strokes. For more on the basics of picking, watch Christopher Schlegel's tutorial on the Picking Hand for Beginners.

Pick vs. Fingers

Picking the strings of a guitar can be done with a plectrum; with natural or artificial fingernails, fingertips, or finger-mounted picks; or by a combination of pick and fingers, a technique called hybrid picking. (We’ll get into different picking styles in the next installment.) Playing with a pick, or with your fingernails or fingerpicks, gives you crisper tones while picking with your fingers produces a softer, warmer sound.

One of the advantages of using a pick is that it involves less multi-tasking, which makes it easier to do. You generally get more volume and clarity with a pick, and strokes are more even than those played with fingers, which are of different sizes and levels of strength. Alternate picking is far more effective as are tremolo effects (notes played in rapid succession).

Fingerpicking, on the other hand, makes it possible to play multiple non-adjacent strings at the exact same time. It is more suited to playing separate musical lines (melody, harmony, and bass), and there is no need for fretting hand damping when playing chords with the fingers since only the desired strings are plucked. Also, a greater variation in strokes is possible when playing with the fingers, which allows for more expressiveness in timbre.

Anchoring vs. Floating

"Anchoring" is when a guitarist rests a part of the picking hand on the guitar, pressing down with some amount of force so that the hand stays fixed in the same spot while playing notes. Some guitarists rest their pinky (or more than one finger) on the guitar body or pickguard, while some let the side of the picking hand rest lightly near the bridge, keeping that contact point fixed in the same location at all times to help stabilize the picking hand for greater accuracy.

You might think of anchoring in terms of writing. When you hold a pen and write, the side of your hand rests lightly on the table top which gives you a feeling of stability and control over the pen. If the side of your hand is not resting on the table, it is more difficult to make the small, precise motions necessary to write legibly. The control of the pick is very similar to the control of the pen—many guitarists feel the need for the stability that the anchored hand position offers in order to pick with precision.

If you are having a difficult time locating the correct string when you pick, you might want to try anchoring for a more stable feel in your pick hand. It gives you a fixed point of orientation, which makes it easier to find the strings because of their relative distances to this anchoring point. Also, bracing your hand allows it to rest on the guitar, and can make it less tiring to play.

However, while anchoring is good for orientation and provides stability and support for your picking hand, it'll cost you in speed and freedom of movement. (This is not to say that anchoring makes it impossible to pick at blazing speeds. It doesn’t. It just makes it a bit more challenging.) Anchoring can impede certain maneuvers, like strumming chords, and most often requires that you release the picking hand to allow for uninhibited movement of both the wrist and the elbow.

To illustrate this point, try shaking your picking hand vigorously from the wrist as if you were trying to break all your guitar's strings by strumming real hard. That's the movement of a free wrist. Now, press down your pinky on your guitar, or even on your desk or keyboard, and try the same thing. Your wrist movement is impeded, no? Yes.

Finally, many consider anchoring bad form. It is often frowned upon by guitarists and considered a crutch that limits the potential that practicing with your whole arm offers.

Which brings us to "floating." Many guitarists prefer to let the picking hand "float," or hover over the strings unmoored, so as not to hinder mobility or limit range of motion. A floating hand is the opposite of an anchored hand: you release the guitar's body, or slightly touch it without pressing down. The fingers of the floating hand may either be relaxed (hanging down) or curled into a fist, whichever feels more comfortable to you.

While a floating hand may provide more flexibility and allow you to move freely, you lose the advantage that orientation provides. You may tend to hit the wrong strings more often until you master the technique. And you also sacrifice the support provided by the anchored hand, so your hand is now kept in place by the muscles of your arm. Floating can be a lot more tiring than playing anchored, but once you’ve mastered the technique and your arm muscles have adapted to the work required of them, this will no longer be a problem.

Whether to anchor or float the picking hand is again a matter of preference. In the end, your picking will only improve if you do what's comfortable for you. That's the reason why some guitarists—like Yngwie Malmsteen—anchor most of the time and others—like Steve Vai and Joe Satriani—don't. Whatever your preference, it would behoove you to learn both techniques. If you master anchoring and floating, you can use the technique you feel most comfortable with in any given situation.

These are some of the basics of how to use your pick hand. Next time we'll take a look at some picking techniques for both beginners and more advanced guitarists.
_____________

Picture from playing guitar with guitar pick by Babak Babali|Source=Playing guitar with guitar pick |Author=Babak Babali |Date=2010-4-7
# 1
maggior
Registered User
Joined: 01/27/13
Posts: 1,723
maggior
Registered User
Joined: 01/27/13
Posts: 1,723
02/27/2013 3:18 pm
This is an interesting topic. I'm mostly self taught, so I just did what comes naturally. I couldn't even tell you what I did until I picked up a guitar and took notice. I anchor with my pinky on my les paul. I think I may do something different on my strat - I'll have to check it out when I get home. I may rest my hand on the side of the guitar or on the bridge.

I can appreciate the freedom of a floating hand though. Thinking about it now, I can remember working on "Wish you Were Here" by Pink Floyd which combines striking individual notes with strumming chords. To play that effectively with feel, you have to play the individual notes with a floating hand so you can easily transition to the strum. The challenge in being able to play the song well (for me) was hitting the correct string with a floating hand.

I find it interesting that you point out that Yngwie plays with an anchored hand - goes to show you can speed play even with an anchored hand! Whatever works for you... From now on, when watching other players I'm going to take note on what they do out of curiosity.

I'm going to try working on playing solos with a floating hand and see what new things that might open up for me. I can be inspired by the stupidest things...like new picks! Seemingly small things can unlock new inspiration and potential.

Thanks for the interesting article!
# 2
compart1
Full Access
Joined: 06/27/09
Posts: 1,410
compart1
Full Access
Joined: 06/27/09
Posts: 1,410
02/27/2013 3:19 pm
Hi wildwoman1313
Thanks for another fine article..
# 3
wildwoman1313
Full Access
Joined: 11/17/08
Posts: 303
wildwoman1313
Full Access
Joined: 11/17/08
Posts: 303
02/27/2013 9:35 pm
I had to stop a moment to see how my picking hand works too, Maggior. How I use my hands on the guitar comes very naturally to me. I don't consciously notice what I'm doing with them. As I mentioned, I've been anchoring since Day One. When I play "Wish You Were Here," my pick hand is anchored for the notes and floating for the chords. I'd be interested to hear how the floating hand works out for you. Oh, and no inspiration is "stupid." Run with it. ;) Thanks for your comment!

Hey, Compart1! And thank you for reading and commenting.
# 4
maggior
Registered User
Joined: 01/27/13
Posts: 1,723
maggior
Registered User
Joined: 01/27/13
Posts: 1,723
02/27/2013 11:06 pm
Originally Posted by: wildwoman1313 Oh, and no inspiration is "stupid." Run with it. ;)


Exactly!! I take it anyway I can get it.
# 5
shardy00
Full Access
Joined: 10/20/08
Posts: 5
shardy00
Full Access
Joined: 10/20/08
Posts: 5
03/01/2013 3:54 pm
I think one has to be cautious when talking about anchoring your pinky. My pinky and ring finger touch the pick guard or guitar body, but I wouldn't consider them anchored. Anchoring to me is applying some significant pressure that keeps your hand in a specific position. I doubt many good guitarists actually anchor because the pressure would cause tension and hinder speed and accuracy. I bet Yngwie plays with very little tension to create the picking speed ... I bet his technique is more of a hybrid between floating and "anchoring". He may look anchored, but I bet it is more of a light touch. I think this touch is essential for a point of reference ... Too many great guitarists to list that actually pick with extended pinky and ring fingers.
# 6
wildwoman1313
Full Access
Joined: 11/17/08
Posts: 303
wildwoman1313
Full Access
Joined: 11/17/08
Posts: 303
03/01/2013 7:29 pm
You make a valid point, Shardy00. Touching the pickguard or guitar body is not the same as anchoring. Anchoring does indeed involve the pinky, or even ring and pinky, pressing down on the guitar body with some amount of pressure and remaining fixed to this contact point. As long as the fingers of the picking hand are free to slide lightly over the wood of the instrument, even if they touch the guitar, it's not considered anchoring. And I agree with you, Shardy00. Many guitarists use some combination of the two techniques. Thanks so much for your comment!
# 7
muktibodh
Registered User
Joined: 11/02/10
Posts: 4
muktibodh
Registered User
Joined: 11/02/10
Posts: 4
11/25/2013 5:32 pm
I would like to know how to pick chords very rapidly like fluttering of a butterfly.
# 8
wildwoman1313
Full Access
Joined: 11/17/08
Posts: 303
wildwoman1313
Full Access
Joined: 11/17/08
Posts: 303
11/29/2013 4:18 am
By "butterfly picking," muktibodh, I assume you are referring to sweep picking, yes? There's a GT article called Picking Hand Techniques that includes a brief overview of sweeping and a link to GT Instructor Eric Barnett's tutorial Introduction to Sweep Picking. Check it out to if this is indeed what you are referring to and to see how the technique is done. Hope this helps. :)
# 9

Please register with a free account to post on the forum.