Paul Kleff: How to Get Guitar Pick Hand Control For Beginner Guitar Players

How to Get Guitar Pick Hand Control For Beginner Guitar Players By Paul Kleff

Are you frustrated with your guitar picking?  Many beginning guitar players have a great deal of difficulty picking individual guitar strings with accuracy and control.  Poor guitar tone and a feeling of instability in the pick hand while picking are major indicators of an improper pick hand setup.  Getting a good setup of the pick hand is easy once you know exactly what you need to do.  It’s easier than you may think, and once you know how your guitar picking will quickly improve.  You will be able to pick accurately with confidence and even be able to pick without having to watch the guitar strings while you play.

This entire lesson is demonstrated in this guitar lesson video.  Watch it for free and learn how to improve your guitar picking now.

If your picking hand feels “unsure” when you pick and you have a hard time picking the correct string when you play, this lesson will also help attain a feeling of stability in your hand and it will be much easier for you to pick the correct string at the correct time.  Developing the ability to locate the right string at the right time by feel is extremely important because it will allow you to pick without having to watch your pick hand and the strings

Today’s lesson will show you a simple way to get your pick hand properly set up for single note picking on the guitar.  Learning the setup is easy, and if you have been struggling to get control of your pick hand, the benefits of learning the correct pick hand setup will come quickly.

Before we work through the entire picking etude, let’s look at the picking part in isolation.  The picking part of the etude consists of playing the third, second and first strings in that order using a downstroke.  Here is the picking sequence by itself:

Tablature 1:

Play the three note sequence using all downstrokes.  Be sure that all the notes are sounding clearly and cleanly and that your tempo is steady.  Do not worry about speed—this is about getting a good, even sound out of the notes with your pick hand.

Once you are able to play the repeating sequence at an even tempo, try playing it without watching your pick hand.  Keep your eyes closed or look straight ahead.   Are you able to still play the picking sequence as well as you could while watching your hand?  

If you are having difficulty playing it without looking at your hand, the problem most likely lies in your pick hand setup.  Let’s fix this problem now so you will be able to play the sequence without watching your pick hand.

Watch the guitar picking lesson video to learn the correct way to align and set your picking hand for great picking results on the guitar.

Think about this:  When you hold a pen and write, the side of your hand rests lightly on the table top which gives you a feeling of stability and control over the pen.  If the side of your hand is not resting on the desk top, it is more difficult to make the small, precise motions that single not picking requires.  The control of the pick is very similar to the control of the pen—you need the stability that this hand position gives you in order to maintain control when you pick.

Getting the best pick hand position for picking the sequence involves letting the side of your picking hand rest lightly near the bridge on the front of the guitar.  The sensation in your pick hand when you place it in this position should be very similar to the feeling in your hand when you hold a pen to write.  

With your pick hand now in a better position, try playing the picking sequence again without looking at your pick hand.  You should feel that your pick hand is more stable and in control and that it is much easier to locate and pick the correct string without looking at your picking hand.

Repeat the picking sequence for a few minutes while making sure that your hand is in the new position.  Try to play it first looking at your pick and then while not watching your hand.

Now we can add the fret hand part and play the entire downstroke picking etude.  The fret hand part is very simple so that you can focus your attention on your pick hand.  Focus your eyes on your fret hand to be sure you are playing the correct notes and allow your picking hand to feel the correct position while picking the strings.  Remember to pick slowly and to keep an even tempo as you play.  There should be no gaps in your sound when your fret hand changes from one position to the next.

Tablature 2:



The primary focus of the downstroke picking etude is to help you learn to maintain a pick hand position that will allow you to develop your picking technique so that you will be able to pick cleanly and confidently without looking at your pick hand.  Great sounding guitar playing is the result of good guitar technique.  In turn, good technique is much easier to achieve with the correct setup.  Whenever you experience problems with any area of your guitar technique, go back and review your setup to make sure it is sound.

Maintain the pick hand position where the side of your pick hand rests near the bridge throughout the etude and let your hand learn to feel the location of the strings.  Keep your picking hand in the correct position and it will have greater stability which will give you more confidence and the ability to play the correct strings at the right time without having to watch your pick hand all the time.    

Learn to play the downstroke picking etude by watching the free guitar picking video lesson.

About the Author:  Guitar instructor Paul Kleff has been a guitar teacher for over 20 years.  He has toured in the USA presenting guitar clinics and has created lessons for guitar websites.  For more videos, tips and guitar lessons visit Guitar Lessons for Beginners Online.