Trying a new pick position

Well, I never thought I'd ask for info on this topic!! I did search and essentially I find the advice in the lessons amounts to it is held between the pad of the index finger and the pad of the thumb. It should essentially be held as an extension of your index finger. (Did I miss something more in depth?)

I have recently had discussions with a couple people on pick method, and even read an article about Megadeth's guitar player (forget his name; I will add it later) where he talked about using different pick positions, and there was even a recent post somewhere alluding to the same topic, I think.

Basically it is thus: I normally hold the pick as described: an extension of my index finger, held between pads of thumb & index. But what I've recently been dabbling with is holding the pick with the side of the index finger. Basically just curl your index finger further until the first knuckle area and thumb are on the same plane with the pick held between.

While awkward feeling (so far) it immediately gave me much better control for what I will call "speed picking". The thumb helps control pick depth, and I can even mute with it. (Thumb muting?) I can pick faster and with more control. My left hand was winning, but mow my right hand has taken the lead!

I'm getting some random harmonics because I am not used to it yet, and even sort of skinning my knuckles a bit :D, but it's working for me and I think I'll keep practicing with this position as part of my routine.

Anybody else using or trying this approach? Is it just a crutch I should avoid getting sucked into using?

Can you take a photo of the pick in this new position? Thanks and best regards.
Carmine

I think if I understand what you are saying I hold my pick very similarly to this, but a pic would be great. Always looking for new an improved ways of doing something.

Jaime

It is more difficult to photograph one's right hand than one would expect. Especially when one is right handed. :p

I used the brightest coloured pick I had. Here is my "normal" position in playing mode:


The result of this position is it changes the angle of the pick making it other than a straight on 90 degree attack. (I have seen picks designed to make this happen.) The hand is closed into a fistlike position which seems to reduce any extraneous movement and keeps the pick in very tight control. And the flat angle of the thumb & index acts kind of like a combination depth gauge and mute mechanism.

I also remembered seeing a G-Dec demo with the dude from Def Leppard. I watched him deliberately take the same grip just before running a little riff.

Thanks a lot. I did not know how difficult was to take photos, I should have thought more about it. Yes I saw people playing in that position but I can not do yet. My hand become rigid and thumb is not "free" to do the "thumb muting". I am wrong somewhere.
Thanks, it sounds very interesting, hope some instructors will jump on this Thread.

Interesting post and well done on the photo's. I have never giving thought to another way of holding a pick. But now that you mention it, it seemlike I had seen someone holding a pick like that..
Thank for the tip..
Gordon

I got it!!
http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=10761

Interesting. He does mention it is his opinion and that some good players do hold with the index finger curled.

Where I am seeing the closed grip is on the context of metal and speed riffs. I wonder if he had that in his frame of context? I might post this in one of the instructor forums, since we're not getting much input here.

Just to be clear: I am not trying to say this is a good thing to do or not. I am trying to find this out.

[Edit:] I posed the question to Lawrence Katz in his forum and got a very fast reply:
http://www.guitartricks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31591

As far as those harmonics you're getting, try pulling the thumb back a little so that the tip is not past the pick. This might help you avoid some of that.

All the best