[How to hold a pick] Things guitarists should know about their body

Hi. My name is Fujioka Takuto and I play the guitar in an acoustic unit called BABY BABY!
Besides music activities, I also work as rehabilitation therapist.
Every day I think about whether there are any ideas and knowledge that I get through therapy that can be also used for playing the guitar. So, I decided to write about the things guitarists should know about their body from my own perspective.
I hope you enjoy the column!

This time, let’s look at how to hold a pick from a different perspective, by learning about the role of each finger.

First of all, I would like to briefly explain the role of each finger.
The thumb, index finger, and middle finger are for detailed work.
For example, when holding chopsticks, holding a pen, you use these three fingers mainly.

So what about the remaining ring finger and pinky?
Most people hold chopsticks like this.
In other words, the ring finger and little finger have the role of securing and "stabilizing".
You can perform detailed work using the thumb, index finger, and middle finger, because these two fingers enhance the stability of the hand.

Let's look at the hand holding a pick now!
Generally, you hold a pick between your thumb and index finger, and use the middle finger to support the index finger.
I think that the ring finger and pinky are only lightly grasping and fixed in position.
Now, please pay attention to the force applied to the thumb side and the force applied to the pinky side!
Do you have a finger that is tensed up or too relaxed?

I think the reason why picking is not stable, and you drop the pick while you are playing the guitar is because the balance of the force applied the "operating finger" and the "positioning finger" is bad.

For example, even if you hold a pick correctly, if the fingers on the pinky side are extended, then the control on the thumb side becomes unstable, so the pick moves during the performance. Conversely, if you grasp too tightly, you may not be able to express detailed picking nuance.

In my case, the fingers on the thumb side were tensed up and that the fingers on the pinky side were too relaxed and extended.
With this shape, it is easy to pick a wrong string when playing a single note, and easy to make mistakes when playing arpeggios, and cutting sounds becomes uneven.

This is a bad example.

Since I started relaxing the fingers on the thumb side, grasping the fingers on the pinky side lightly, making sure that the force applied to the right hand was even, I can play more accurately with a lighter touch than before (although there are still a lot improvement needed).
Through this experience, I re-learned that self-control of the body is important!

When performing live in public, you may get nervous and you may not be able to relax, but even at that time, focus on all five fingers and control the strength. If you can do it on a regular basis, you can avoid mistakes and concentrate more on the performance.

Controlling the body like this is the same in sports, and I think it is very natural that some people are good at it, and some people are not.
I think that you may be able to see something you could not see before by paying attention!
If you are having difficulty in picking, please try to pay attention to your right hand when playing the guitar!
Let's enjoy playing the guitar together!