I've picked up a pick and now I can't do anything

First, do not listen to the little voice. :twisted:

Only one answer.

Practice.

1. Pay particular attention to the technique of some people you consider good, either pros or locals, compare it to the way you look in the mirror. If there's anything GROSSLY different, analyze it and think about how it affects your picking.

2. Practice. There's nothing like practicing to improve your skills, and don't chicken out: when things get hard, don't go back to your fingers because it's easier, stick it out.

3. Keep in mind that having both a good finger picking technique and a good plectrum technique will do you good, focus on your pick technique for a while, until your comfortable, but don't neglect your finger picking skills.

4. Don't forget to practice combining the techniques: Hybrid picking!

Practice is definately the answer..

Your not alone though. I'm a newbie, but been playing since Feb now and I still dont feel really comfortable with a pick. Usually it ends up in my mouth and I am chewing on it until my guitar teacher scolds me :oops: and makes me use it. At home its better, I use it quite a bit at home but its not real comfortable. Getting better though.

Geoo

I am a newbie myself and here is the advice everyone gives me when I have problems getting one hand coordinated with the other (besides PRACTICE!)...just forget about your fretting hand for now. Mute the strings or leave them open. Then just pick the pattern you want to pick (if it is a scale just pick the strings in the order you should and don't worry about the sounds.

Eventually you can add the fretting hand and go SLOWLY and build spped gradually...

I need to follow that same advice for fingerpicking!

Gow slowly and work you way up to speed.

I'd actually think you can play faster with your fingers. You can get a more defined sound with a pick though.

I had the same problem. Finally I just forced myself to keep the pick in my hand, no matter how uncomfortable it felt. Eventually it started clicking, and I got used to the pick. There are still a few things I don't do well with a pick (very fast strumming, for example).

Like you, I sometimes und up with the pick in my mouth.

The hardest thing IMO to do with fingers is fast tremolo picking. It's easy to do with alternate picking with a plectrum, but hard for me to learn to do by alternating fingers on a string. Never have gotten the hang of it.

Many thanks for all your responses; I feel much better. Yeah, I know practice is key... I'll just stick with it like everyone says. Every once in awhile my pick hand seems to catch all the strings, so for the most part I'm stoked. :D

What gauge pick are you using. A thin gauge may actually slow you down. Try a medium gauge. Also try Dunlop's instead of a generic. I find you can get better feel of pick on bothe the grip and picking.

Practice, Practice, Practice.

Better learn how to do that with a pick because you can get much faster... MUCH faster

I am not so sure about that. I learned both teqniques right from the beginning and I am definitly faster with my fingers. Unless the picking is done on adjacent strings I can't see how using a pick can be faster than fingers. Even with very small movements it is my fretting hand that will determing how fast I can go.

Just my two cents.

I am with Mikespe, work on one hand at a time even if it means just picking the open strings to get the pattern down.
I am also in agreement with MaxRumble.
A good fingerstyle player can play much faster than a flatpicker.
Why? you are using a thumb and usually 3 fingers, thats like having 4 picks all playing at the same time.

What gauge pick are you using? A thin gauge may actually slow you down.
That's a good question, I don't know but it seems very thin. It is an old, mostly worn one that I found many years ago on the street. :oops: I guess I never really thought about pick guage before. I have some other random ones that I think are thicker so I will try them to see if it makes any difference. What you said makes perfect sense to me, thanks.
I am with Mikespe, work on one hand at a time even if it means just picking the open strings to get the pattern down.

This seems like a brilliant idea, and I will try it immediately.

Pick size makes a ton of difference, I think. I started with a thin but I use mediums now.

Geoo

Why? you are using a thumb and usually 3 fingers, thats like having 4 picks all playing at the same time.
Actually, it's not like 4 picks at all, fingers can't upstroke. Also, the pick is much more precise, and to top it off, maybe the biggest difference is that finger motion comes from your finger tensors, while your pick motion comes from your wrist.

For me (and most people) the speed of your wrist moving both up and down is noticibly faster than the fingers, even if you're using more than one of them on the same string. Of course, in terms of definition and consistency, the pick has a huge advantage, which makes increasing your speed easier too.