Three finger Pick Grip

[LEE MALONE]

I've been playing close to 40 years and when I use a pick,
I hold it with thumb index & middle. It works for me, and I'll never
change.

I've been told "that's wrong" by many players.

Do any of you hold the pick that way? Do you know of
any pro's that do?
Advantages / disadvantages, etc..

BTW: I'm left handed, but play righty.
Wondering if this had anything to do with it.

Thanx,
Dan

[Klas Törnquist]

Post by LEE MALONE
I've been playing close to 40 years and when I use a pick,
I hold it with thumb index & middle. It works for me, and I'll never
change.
I've been told "that's wrong" by many players.
Do any of you hold the pick that way?

I do, so you're not alone. However, I don't know why I do. Maybe feels
like I get better control that way.

Klas

[Andy]

Post by LEE MALONE
I've been playing close to 40 years and when I use a pick,
I hold it with thumb index & middle. It works for me, and I'll never
change.
I've been told "that's wrong" by many players.
Do any of you hold the pick that way? Do you know of
any pro's that do?
Advantages / disadvantages, etc..
BTW: I'm left handed, but play righty.
Wondering if this had anything to do with it.
Thanx,
Dan

I'm righty and play righty and hold it exactly the same. Tell anyone
that's telling you you're doing it wrong to fuck off.

Works for me.

Cheers,


Andy

[Grinner]

Post by Andy

Post by LEE MALONE
I've been playing close to 40 years and when I use a pick,
I hold it with thumb index & middle. It works for me, and I'll never
change.
I've been told "that's wrong" by many players.
Do any of you hold the pick that way? Do you know of
any pro's that do?
Advantages / disadvantages, etc..
BTW: I'm left handed, but play righty.
Wondering if this had anything to do with it.
Thanx,
Dan

I'm righty and play righty and hold it exactly the same. Tell anyone
that's telling you you're doing it wrong to fuck off.
Works for me.

Oh you're wrong alright. Ernie Ball will quite authoritatively tell you that
you must curl your index finger, place the plectrum on that finger after the
last joint and then place your thumb over the plectrum.

There is only one correct way to hold a plectrum. Guess old Ernie never met
Jimi.

[Mark Nahra]

i believe jerry garcia held his that way. not a bad precedent.

Post by Andy

Post by LEE MALONE
I've been playing close to 40 years and when I use a pick,
I hold it with thumb index & middle. It works for me, and I'll never
change.
I've been told "that's wrong" by many players.
Do any of you hold the pick that way? Do you know of
any pro's that do?
Advantages / disadvantages, etc..
BTW: I'm left handed, but play righty.
Wondering if this had anything to do with it.
Thanx,
Dan

I'm righty and play righty and hold it exactly the same. Tell anyone
that's telling you you're doing it wrong to fuck off.
Works for me.
Cheers,
Andy

[RPM1]

Post by LEE MALONE
I've been playing close to 40 years and when I use a pick,
I hold it with thumb index & middle. It works for me, and I'll never
change.
I've been told "that's wrong" by many players.
Do any of you hold the pick that way? Do you know of
any pro's that do?
Advantages / disadvantages, etc..
BTW: I'm left handed, but play righty.
Wondering if this had anything to do with it.

Not sure if it's true, but I heard Carlos Santana plays like that.

[Numpty Doodah]

I've been playing close to 40 years ..................

......AND BOY AM I TIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yuk yuk yuk...i'll be here all week..

;-)

[Grip]

......AND BOY AM I TIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yuk yuk yuk...i'll be here all week.. "TRY THE VEAL"!

;-)

Post by Numpty Doodah

I've been playing close to 40 years ..................

......AND BOY AM I TIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
yuk yuk yuk...i'll be here all week..
;-)

[Dr. Zontar]

Post by LEE MALONE
I've been playing close to 40 years and when I use a pick,
I hold it with thumb index & middle. It works for me, and I'll never
change.
I've been told "that's wrong" by many players.
Do any of you hold the pick that way? Do you know of
any pro's that do?
Advantages / disadvantages, etc..

I actually change the way I hold the pick depending on what I'm doing.
Sometimes I hold it the conventional way for really clean or fast
picking. Other times I turn it sideways between my thumb and first 2
fingers (kinda like you) for an extra hard attack and pinch harmonics
(letting the thumb touch the string). Other times, I hold the pick
against my palm with my ring finger and pinky and fingerpick with the
other 3 fingers.

What ever works at the moment.

- Rich

[Derek]

I only use index and thumb, because I hybrid pick a lot. I don't think
you will go blind or anything from using three fingers though. If you
used four, well.....

[Rat]

Post by LEE MALONE
I've been playing close to 40 years and when I use a pick,
I hold it with thumb index & middle. It works for me, and I'll never
change.
I've been told "that's wrong" by many players.
Do any of you hold the pick that way? Do you know of
any pro's that do?
Advantages / disadvantages, etc..
BTW: I'm left handed, but play righty.
Wondering if this had anything to do with it.
Thanx,
Dan

I did it the same way for 15 years ... then I started to use my middle and
ring finger for picking as well (I guess that's what people call hybrid
picking) and I started holding it withonly two fingers. I find that I have
more control over the pick now and my reight hand is a bit more relaxed ...
I don't know why I changed my picking habits tho ... it was some kind of
natural evolution ...

[Progmatist]

Post by LEE MALONE
I've been playing close to 40 years and when I use a pick,
I hold it with thumb index & middle. It works for me, and I'll never
change.
I've been told "that's wrong" by many players.
Do any of you hold the pick that way? Do you know of
any pro's that do?
Advantages / disadvantages, etc..
BTW: I'm left handed, but play righty.
Wondering if this had anything to do with it.
Thanx,
Dan

Steve Morse plays exactly the way you do. He's a lefty playing righty,
and he holds his pick with 3 fingers.

The reasons Steve gives for holding his pick this way are:

1) It offers much more control over picking.

2) It puts his picking hand in such a position that there's a "valley"
where his hand isn't touching only the string being picked. All other
strings are being muted so they don't ring out accidentally.

3) When he does artificial harmonics, he doesn't have to worry about
re-gripping the pick. All he has to do is remove his index finger from
the pick for touching strings at half length. The middle finger is
still there as before holding the pick.

4) It makes it easier to "palm" the pick when finger picking.

There are other reasons why this works for him. The ones above are the
ones I remember.

[Ryan Elkins]

Post by Progmatist

Post by LEE MALONE
I've been playing close to 40 years and when I use a pick,
I hold it with thumb index & middle. It works for me, and I'll never
change.
I've been told "that's wrong" by many players.
Do any of you hold the pick that way? Do you know of
any pro's that do?
Advantages / disadvantages, etc..
BTW: I'm left handed, but play righty.
Wondering if this had anything to do with it.
Thanx,
Dan

Steve Morse plays exactly the way you do.

As does James Hetfield.

Ryan

[LEE MALONE]

Post by Progmatist
Steve Morse plays exactly the way you do. He's a lefty playing righty,
and he holds his pick with 3 fingers.

Sigh of relief.

Post by Progmatist
1) It offers much more control over picking.

AGREE

Post by Progmatist
2) It puts his picking hand in such a position that there's a "valley"
where his hand isn't touching only the string being picked. All other
strings are being muted so they don't ring out accidentally.

Never analyzed why I hold it the way I do until now.
TRUE

Post by Progmatist
3) When he does artificial harmonics, he doesn't have to worry about
re-gripping the pick. All he has to do is remove his index finger from
the pick for touching strings at half length. The middle finger is
still there as before holding the pick.

TRUE

Post by Progmatist
4) It makes it easier to "palm" the pick when finger picking.

True

Thanks for your input. Very much appreciated!

Post by Progmatist
There are other reasons why this works for him. The ones above are the
ones I remember.

[markd]

Post by LEE MALONE
I've been playing close to 40 years and when I use a pick,
I hold it with thumb index & middle. It works for me, and I'll never
change.
I've been told "that's wrong" by many players.
Do any of you hold the pick that way? Do you know of
any pro's that do?
Advantages / disadvantages, etc..
BTW: I'm left handed, but play righty.
Wondering if this had anything to do with it.
Thanx,
Dan

EVH plays with his thumb/middle finger, although I've pretty sure I've
seen him with his index on the pick at the same time too.

Nothing 'wrong' with it, just different.

[Angof]

Post by LEE MALONE
I've been playing close to 40 years and when I use a pick,
I hold it with thumb index & middle. It works for me, and I'll never
change.
I've been told "that's wrong" by many players.
Do any of you hold the pick that way? Do you know of
any pro's that do?
Advantages / disadvantages, etc..
BTW: I'm left handed, but play righty.
Wondering if this had anything to do with it.
Thanx,
Dan

AAAGH I read this thread and thought i'd have a google for some advice.
There loads of poeple who each say something different. Now I dont know.

So heres a few questions.

1. 3 fingers or 2 fingers? (thats 2 fingers and thumb or 1 finger and thumb)
(I dont actually think I can fit 3 fingers on a pick) :-/

2. first finger pointing down the pick or across the pick toward the heel of
the hand?

3. Thumb pointing down the pick or across the pick away from the heel of the
hand?

Angof

[psalter]

Convention says thumb and index finger. I'm a lefty playing righty
and I too use three fingers but I don't think the lefthandedness has
anything to do with that. I'd always heard Eddie used three fingers
but someone here said it may be the middle and thumb. If you are going
to hybrid pick you'd need to free up that middle finger otherwise do
whatever is comfortable.

[Patrick Keenan]

Post by LEE MALONE
I've been playing close to 40 years and when I use a pick,
I hold it with thumb index & middle. It works for me, and I'll never
change.
I've been told "that's wrong" by many players.
Do any of you hold the pick that way? Do you know of
any pro's that do?
Advantages / disadvantages, etc..

I am right-handed, and hold the pick as you describe. I think it may give a
bit more flexibility and control with regards to pick angle.

HTH
-pk

Post by LEE MALONE
BTW: I'm left handed, but play righty.
Wondering if this had anything to do with it.
Thanx,
Dan

[Progmatist]

Post by LEE MALONE
I've been playing close to 40 years and when I use a pick,
I hold it with thumb index & middle. It works for me, and I'll never
change.
I've been told "that's wrong" by many players.
Do any of you hold the pick that way? Do you know of
any pro's that do?
Advantages / disadvantages, etc..
BTW: I'm left handed, but play righty.
Wondering if this had anything to do with it.
Thanx,
Dan

Eddy Van Halen holds his pick with 3 fingers. This makes it easy for
him to do his signature two handed tap.