How to hold guitar and pick

Fundamental Techniques for Electric Guitar

Hi, guys! I just wanted to share with you some of the fundamental techniques for electric guitar.

How to Hold the Guitar

We're going to start really basic, beginning with something as simple as how to hold the guitar.

• Positioning: Most of the time, electric guitar players will sit with the guitar across their right leg, and the neck will be going across the body.
• Neck Angle: Be careful not to allow the neck of the guitar to descend towards the floor. We want to keep it nice and level, maybe even slightly upright. If the neck points too far down, it can lead to a bad hand position on our left hand, which we want to avoid.

Posture and Relaxation

• It's great to be relaxed when we're playing, but not to the point where our posture suffers.
• Avoid Resting Your Forearm: Do not rest the forearm of your fretting hand on your leg while playing. This can lead to pain in your forearm.
• Elbow Position: Avoid resting your elbow on your leg as it restricts movement.

So, remember:

• Sit with the guitar across the body, not pointing towards the floor or the ceiling too much.
• Maintain a level position with a relaxed elbow, not holding it out or tucking it in.

Hopefully, it all feels reasonably natural.

Right Hand Technique

For the right hand, you're probably going to be using a pick. If you've chosen this course for popular music, it's likely that you'll use a pick 99% of the time.

How to Hold the Pick

• Grip: Hold the pick between your thumb and your first finger.
• Pick Orientation: Ensure that the pointy end is sticking out underneath your thumb joint. Tuck your first finger up behind your thumb.

(Insert image of pick grip here)

• Avoid Fingernail Issues: Make sure your first finger does not go down too far. If your fingernail touches the strings first, it doesn't sound great. Tuck that first finger out of the way to show the pick to the strings.

Tension and Control

• Grip Tension: Do not hold the pick too tightly; just enough so that you don't drop it.
• Adjusting Pick Exposure: You can comfortably adjust the amount of pick you show to the strings depending on the style you're playing:
  • For intricate playing, show a minimal amount of the pick.
  • For more strummy, relaxed styles, show a bit more pick.

Finger Positioning

• It's entirely up to you how you position your other fingers. My personal preference is to keep them relaxed and slightly splayed. This provides easy access to volume and tone controls, plus allows for finger-picking techniques, which we may explore in a future lesson.
• Alternatively, you can bunch those fingers up into a light fist, just remain relaxed.

Experimentation

• Try Different Techniques: Experiment with both finger positions and see which you prefer.
• Remember, nothing about playing guitar should feel tense; we want to be nice and relaxed.

Give it a go and see how you get on!