Keeping the pick straight when strumming...

[Eriehunter]

I'm just learning too, and I am/went through this same problem too and it has gotten better over time.

For me it was a technique issue, I tried to solve it by trying a few different picks.

There is a medium Dunlop pick that I did like that is textured that did help. Also a Dunlop Gator Grip .71 pick that was a good choice that has a slight roughness on the surface. Now that I have gotten better I have went back to the regular smooth medium pick I was using before.

It still turns a little bit but I have much better control of it and can turn it back somewhat while playing as long as it doesn't get too far gone.

[ElemTeacher]

Thank you for all the great suggestions everyone!

[SFCRetired]

Originally Posted by ElemTeacher

Just starting to learn some strumming patterns and I'm having trouble with the pick. As I'm strumming it tends to rotate and go sideways, and then I'm playing with the side of the pick so my fingers tend to hit the strings, etc. Any tips on how to prevent this?

To this day after 30 years of playing my pick still goes sideways sometimes. Trust me, it gets better. Just keep playing.

[BigRed51]

Some picks and pick materials are harder to hang on to than others, and it is worse under hot stage lights or outside in the summer. Try rubbing your fingers on a block of violin resin ... I started doing that many years ago with good results, even in the hottest conditions. You can buy it at walmart.com for about $3, so you're not out much if it doesn't work for you ...

[ObiWanSymbian]

Originally Posted by Norml

It will get better with practice. Eventually your hand will learn.

Not really this;-)

This is based on assumption that "Practice makes master".
I tend to believe that "Practice makes permanent".

Send us pictures or a clip of how you hold the pick.
Or see some instructional viedos yourself.

Practicing is the key. Provided you practice the right thing and you practice it the right way.

[roylor4]

Originally Posted by Scootch

There a number of picks with non slip surfaces. I like Dava's myself, especially the rubber coated ones.

Jim Dunlop makes a real nice series of picks that have some kind of micro abrasions that are almost like a very fine Velcro.

Another thing I do with slippery picks, is to lick my fingers; that seems to help them stick in place.

The Dunlop's you are speaking of are called "Max grip" picks. They have low pick noise and are much easier to hold than others - especially if you play outdoors in high humidity or sweat a lot. They are my "go-to" picks.

[Norml]

Originally Posted by ObiWanSymbian

Not really this;-)

This is based on assumption that "Practice makes master".
I tend to believe that "Practice makes permanent".

Send us pictures or a clip of how you hold the pick.
Or see some instructional viedos yourself.

Practicing is the key. Provided you practice the right thing and you practice it the right way.

You can't practice the "right way" until you figure out what works best for you. When I'm playing, my grip on the pick is constantly changing depending on what I'm doing. While the "practice makes permanent" statement holds true to the left hand, the right hand is all about feel. Pick grip is all about trial and error. Your hand will learn how tight or loose to hold the pick over time. It's something everyone struggles with at first. I'm not saying to ignore all the good advice posted but this is is something that slowly stops being a problem the longer you play. The only time I have trouble with my grip now is when I consciously think about it.

[Danley]

I got a sampler pack of Jazz IIIs by Dunlop...

The Carbon Fiber model is tremendously grippy, barely have to hold the thing for it to stick. My only issues with it are a ship that's a bit sharper than I like (not as "slippery" feeling as I like), and that it's perhaps a bit thick for my taste. It's also slightly rough against the strings, but I could believe that tendency to increase it's "grabbiness" compared to a lot of thick picks (a good thing)...

As far as pick technique, I'm not sure what's meant overall by "straight," but I typically angle the pick toward the ground by about 45 degrees, and keep the pick angle slightly acute to the treble side of the neck. At least that's what I was taught, and what tends to work for me. Side of the index finger, broadest part of the thumb... Get the grip and angle down, and change as little of that as possible, picking using a "turning the ignition key" motion with as small of a radius as possible.

[earri]

Originally Posted by HHP

Mostly in the grip. Curl your index finger to create a platform, lay the pick on the platform, then bring you thumb down on the pick to lock it in. When playing, rotate your wrist so the pick hits the string at about a 45 degree angle, not perpendicular. If you hold the pick like a dirty diaper, with two fingers pinching with the thumb, it will tend to rotate.

++1; practice like this and it will get more natural and easier to hold onto, IMHO.