Speaking of picks...

I started out on acoustic strumming with a .80mm. Then a vet suggested I switch to .50mm for easier strumming and that works pretty good as far as ease of playing. Others suggest thicker picks for flatpicking or power chording.

As many have said, buy a bunch of different brand and thickness, they are usually less than a dollar each, and try them. I have noticed that from brand to brand the stated thickness is quite variable. For instance a 0.50mm Peavey is much stiffer than a 0.50mm Dunlop.

What is a good pick for a beginner to start out on, thickness-wise? Should I get a variety of thicknesses or is there a fairly standard one I could go with? I'm practicing chords (not notes :P) and will probably try to progress into some super easy songs fairly soon. Thanks! <3

p.s. I'm playing electric if that matters

There's a whole range of choices in matierials, sizes and thicknesses for picks, and the best one is the one that works best for you. I'd recommend you go to your favorite shop and grab a bunch with different shapes, thicknesses, and materials and decide which you like the best.

My personal favorites are Jim Dunlop .60mm tortex, and Fender faux tortoiseshell heavies. I'll also tend to use fingers at the same time to vary the sound.

Picks can be a bit of a "religious" topic with guitar players, so be prepared for a spirited debate to follow.

Of course, doing a little research never hurt - here's a starting point to give you an idea of how different shapes and materials can affect the sound.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_pick

I would just buy a few different types and see what you like. I play with the little jazz picks, but I sometimes will switch back and forth between those and the fender mediums.

Picks can be a bit of a "religious" topic with guitar players, so be prepared for a spirited debate to follow.

Ain't that the truth! :D

I remember reading some advice from a Pro (I think it was Tommy Emmanuel) who said "Here's a tip about thin picks - burn them!"

I've got a bag containing a selection of different thickness picks, plus a couple made from wire, one made of wood, and two made from felt (which can give a lovely tone on an acoustic).

They're all fun to fiddle with, and have different uses for differerent effects and situations. But to be honest I never use any of them - I much prefer to play with my thumb and fingers. :wink:

As others suggested, I'd try starting with whatever is a 'medium' thickness and experimenting with some thicker and thinner ones and see what you like the best. They're cheap enough to try a few out, and you're bound to lose a few anyway so a few extras won't hurt.

Cheers,

Chris

I think the general idea is thinner for strumming and thicker for lead. Personally i like a 60 or 70 for strumming and a 1mm for picking. My current band I play lead so I use the 1mm and strum with that too though when i need to.

If you have a thin pick for picking you can hear a kind of flicking sound on the strings and it is harder to play fast.

So, get some of each and use them depending on what you are playing

Thanks all, I will grab some different ones and see what happens. :D

your taste will change too as your abilities do.......but for now buy a few cheap ones and go sample

I have noticed that from brand to brand the stated thickness is quite variable.

I've noticed that even within the same brand you can get a huge variance too, I bought a pack of heavy's and thin's (fenders) and most of the heavy picks are fairly consistant, some of the thins are very similar in size to the heavies (These are fender picks, not some random brand x deal, also I didn't confuse a heavy for a light, they actually say on them heavy or thin).

I find I tend to lean towards the lighter picks, strumming or picking, but most the time I just grab whatever happens to be closest. The thin picks are easy to bend in my fingertips and some reason I think I kind of like that while picking, though I think doing that I'm just making the pick behave as though it was thicker. I also enjoy using the wrong end of my picks a lot... I'll use the side or the back sometimes just for grins. Someone might find they really like a poker chip for a pick (I've read about people liking quarters but I feel like the edge of a quarter is too vicious to my strings). I've tried a few other things like folding a business card etc (I was in a diff state playing my sisters bass and she had no picks... and I'm much more comfortable with a pick.. so I hunted for alternatives).

I started with a pack of Fender "MEDIUM".

Then about six months ago I got a pack of "HEAVY" by mistake but oh what a good mistake. I love the HEAVY's with my electric and the MEDIUMS for my accoustic.

D-

I picked up a pack of "mediums" on the recommendation of the salesman (since guitar center didn't have any loose ones) and said to go from there about seeing if I wanted lighter or heavier, at least I'm in the middle instead of progressively going up or down to find what's right. :)

I tell my students to use whatever feels comfortable. I keep a dozen or so picks in my pocket so they can try out different thicknesses/shapes.

I went through a progression that many of the guitarists I know have followed: I started with medium "star" shape (the typical pick style - I have no idea why it's called a star), went to thins as I tried to develop speed - you'll find a lot of shredders like thin picks - and ended up with super heavies because they give me the best tone. I use the same picks for either strumming or single note playing - it's just a matter of touch and feel to get what you want.

One thing I still play around with is pick size. I usually use big triangles now, but I also practice with stars and teardrops (the real tiny shape, about 1/3 as wide as stars). I find the smaller the pick, the heavier it "feels" to my touch - a medium teardrop seems to play pretty much like a heavy triangle.

In my opinion, in the beginning the thickness isn't really as important as how you grip it. Many beginners hold the pick too far back... think if it as your musical pencil: you don't hold a pencil down by the eraser end - you hold it right up close to the tip, because that gives you much more control over what the tip is doing. Of all the guitarists I've had the chance to observe over the years, only one really good guitarist didn't hold his pick close to the tip - Pat Metheney. Everyone else with decent control shows 3/8" of the pick or less to the strings.

For acoustic, my favorite ones are the .73mm dunlop tortex standards
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Dunlop-Tortex-Standard-Picks?sku=110040

and for electric, my favs are the .96mm Gator grip ones
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Dunlop-Gator-Grip-Standard-Picks?sku=110310

But yeah, just try a bunch of different ones until you find your match.

As had been said before (but with more emphasis :wink:) - you're the only person that can decide which thickness is good for you. Buying a handful of different types won't break the bank, give them all a good go and see what you like.

Been using Fender Medium and Thin Premium Celluloids for a while and they seem to fill all my needs with 6 string steel acoustics.