Holding pick b/w thumb and middle finger

**MarkRhodes** · 03-08-2017, 10:56 AM

No, I haven't changed my grip again. At least, not because I wanted to change it. Rather, I hurt my index finger. (Not sure how.) So I put the pick between the thumb and middle finger so I could keep practicing. Very different feel, though not awkward. Actually seems more even, though when my index stops hurting I'll likely go back to the other way.

Anyone grip this way all the time?

**morroben** · 03-08-2017, 02:21 PM

Jimmy Herring...or at least it appears he does.

**JazzinNY** · 03-09-2017, 12:21 AM

Eddie Van Halen I think.

**mikostep** · 03-14-2017, 09:25 AM

Pat Metheny?
Was playing with this a lot. I actually find that Benson grip and Metheny grip have basic differences in usage of index or middle finger in holding the pick. I'm often combining them for different effects.
I like Benson grip because of overall rhythmic feeling I get and connection with guitar (left hand?). I like Metheny grip because of accuracy I get.

Sent from my SM-C7000 using Tapatalk

**monk** · 03-15-2017, 06:34 PM

George Barnes used thumb and middle with his index touching the edge of the pick. I think I posted a close-up picture of him some time back on one of the Barnes threads.

**Moonray** · 03-15-2017, 09:08 PM

Mike Moreno has developed that technique for RH balance reasons.

See the clips on My Music Masterclass....the classes are very useful too...I bought the 3 of them.

Mike Moreno - Guitar Lesson 1 (Sound, Technique & Articulation)

**Philco** · 03-16-2017, 12:51 AM

I think Jesse Van Ruller may use the second finger.

I changed to that for a while and really liked it.

**Philco** · 03-16-2017, 01:13 AM

Yeah Jesse is using second finger here...

**MarkRhodes** · 03-16-2017, 09:40 AM

My index is better now, so I'm no longer doing the thumb / second finger thing. It felt alright and seemed quite even but I think it would take a lot of time to get up to tempo. (And my 'up to tempo' isn't that fast as it is.)

For the record, here is is my favorite way to hold a pick. Followed by a second view of the same grip. That's the tip (of a Fender or D'Andrea Medium) b/w thumb and index, with a shoulder below.Attachment 40720 Attachment 40721

**snailspace** · 03-16-2017, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by JazzinNY

Eddie Van Halen I think.

Eddie does a bunch of stuff. In this clip, he usually holds the pick between thumb and middle, but sometimes switches to thumb and index. When he plays tremolo passages, he uses all three.

**mr. beaumont** · 03-16-2017, 11:00 AM

I'll often switch to thumb/middle if I'm doing Ted/Lenny style "harp" harmonics. It's not a bad thing to try.

**snailspace** · 03-16-2017, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

I'll often switch to thumb/middle if I'm doing Ted/Lenny style "harp" harmonics. It's not a bad thing to try.

I agree. That's what ya got all them fangers for, ain't it?

Of course, when it comes to my own playing, people seem to enjoy it more when I don't use any fingers at all.

**Moonray** · 03-17-2017, 06:11 PM

I use thumb/middle when doing harmonic "slaps" ala Tuck Andress.......I just make a quick transition to
T/M and then immediately back to my default T/I.
You have to rotate the RH toward your index finger to get a good slap and keep the index really straight ....sort of like
when you do a bar with the LH index.

I had to grab my guitar to see how I do it ....it's become that natural.

Funny thing is I thought that's what Mr Beaumont meant ....cause I do like him too for harp/cascade harms too,
but then I realized that I hadn't noticed a mention of slap style [if you can call it a style]

**neatomic** · 03-17-2017, 06:35 PM

definitely index finger...i like to keep the middle finger available for flippin the bird!! haha

cheers

**grahambop** · 03-18-2017, 06:23 AM

I hold the pick mainly between thumb and middle finger, with the index just touching the edge to stabilise it. I did this years ago to get a bigger tone.

It just seemed that between thumb and index gave a thinner tone because there was less of an angle between the pick direction and the string. Looking at the way I play classical guitar, I realised the fingertips and nails strike the string at quite an angle, almost diagonally, which has a big effect on the classical guitar tone.

So I evolved the thumb-and-middle finger grip to get a similar effect with the pick, it seems to work tone-wise because it presents the pick to the string at a greater angle.

**sgcim** · 03-18-2017, 06:49 PM

I had a HS student from Sri Lanka who held it like that, and he could play faster than I could. I tried it, but I had a serious injury to my middle finger when I was three, and they sewed it back on by going through the tip of my finger, so it didn't work for me.

**ginod** · 03-24-2017, 04:41 AM

I can tell you about me, who has played from the beginning with thumb and middle finger. Its about five years ago i changed to thumb and index. The only reason i did this, was to be able to use the other fingers for hybrid picking.

Personally, i think there is no difference, at the end there is no need to use tumb and middle finger.

I think there is no reason to spent much time about this topic

**mangotango** · 03-25-2017, 08:14 AM

I now do this, with the main hold on the plea being between thumb and middle, and the index giving light support. As has been said above, I now deliver the plea at a better angle to the string, so the tone is better; plus, my teacher has said that he notices less tension in the hand/arm by comparison so I have better control and more speed.

Win-win, basically.