plectrums!

hold the pick between thumb and forefinger - so that just the tip is showing and you are holding the rest of the pick firmly

angle the pick so that when you play a downstoke the tip of the pick is pointing slightly upward . This ensures that the tip of the pick crosses the surface of the string as it plays the string and that it does not get caugght behind the string. and when you play the upstroke try to make sure that the tip of the pick is pointing slightly down

Thank you both for the tips. will do that!
Alan sheeran you just wrote my script! now 2 weeks?, ive been trying to master this for 2plus Years!.  Every time i hear that sound i just put the pick down... Some times it does sound right!but no consistency. So now i will persist....

Old Doll

Hi Patrickjaques,

Are you taking the{ } out of this old doll today? Plectrum {singular } are small Kinda V shaped plastic PIECES one holds to play guitar strings! They come in different gauges! Believe me i know this, as i have tried everyone one in every gauge and colour?
Now Patrickjaques does this explaination satisfy your need ?.
As i have thousands of them send me your address and ill send you some!
And you can make yourself a fancy guitar case from same?

[Aside! What are plectrums i have no clue?

Im going to see Miss Nanci Griffitts tonight "Yipee" And you patrickjaques stressing me out asking me about Plectrums?.
"Its gone away yesterday, now i find myself on the other side, where the river changed direction across the great divide" Sorry Paddy i was just practising for the gig tonight! lol." Plectrums what are you like?
Old Doll.

This might help

http://www.cyberfret.com/first-fret/usi … /page2.php

I have had trouble getting used to using a plectrum when strumming. I have been trying all sorts after some advice from chordians after posting a similar thread when i first joined. I eventually found i got on better with a soft one, its a jim dunlop .46mm. I guess it would be too soft for some people but it seems to suit me. I bought loads of different ones to try and ended up using the one that someone gave me.

Try a thumb pick yet?

I tried one with my bass a while back, and picked one up for fingerpicking.  I like a good solid bass note and it was a bit muddy with just my thumb.  My thumb nail wore down too.  Still taking some getting used to, but you may want to try one out.  It's kind of nice that it fits around your thumb and so makes it a lot easier to hold firmly, plus if it fits well it positions itself too.  The hard part is that your thumb is in a different position than it is for strumming, so that's what made me think you might like it.  It sounds like you were having trouble keeping the pick in the right position, so a pick that you hold a little differently might be nice.  For $1, it seems like something inexpensive to try anyway. 

- Zurf

Hi old doll, I love this question, because I always think that I am lost if I don't have a plectrum. I play with a very good friend at least 2 times a week, and he is a drummer too which is very interesting for me, to keep the rhythm. We always play acoustic, and there are songs we play, we even create or compose them on the spot, where we strum, just one "strike" followed by blocking the guitar chords. Like we strum 1 time and we block that chord (almost always E), and slowly we start to strum more and block less, going almost always into a blues song. Here, lost without a plectrum, I noticed that it works without.
If I play alone, I DON'T like at all the hard kind of plectrums, I play almost always with a dunlop plectrum, not the softest plectrums, and certainely not the hardest. I use a soft plectrum, strong enough to have a crystal clear and quit hard tone. Which are the best: I use dunlop, I received about 10 Martin plectrums, most of them have "disappeared", and I received (nice isn't it, in a store in Finland) for free 3 kinds of plectrums, again not the hard ones.
There are guitar players using a nickle to play, and you also have the "finger plectrums" used in finger picking. This the part where I get sad: I am a very bad finger picker, and I want to play that style. I also discovered that the type of plectrum is dependant of guitar + strings.
Nice day

Hi Guitardocphil,
Im now wondering would the one that fits over the thumb, be more helpful with fingerpicking, as it would seem more stable? Just a thought!. I recently had a blocked pipe in my washer! Yes you Guessed right Doc!, I beautiful coloured plectrum after another, well it did make a change from socks?
Have a good Day.
Old Doll.

Hi old doll,

Just curious how you've been playing your guitar up till now.

I asked because I have never got on with a plectrum (picks of various types) or any other devise tried them all at different times and they just did'nt feel right.

Just use my nails and the fleshy part of my thumb for strumming I feel have more control that way.

Regards.
Ark

Hi Arkady,
Ive Been using The fleshy part of my thumb! In the beginning i was thought to use my index and thumb nail together! But  I rapidly ran out of nails?
Ive seen loads of guitarist,and Banjo Players in the last week! all of them used Plectrums or in Paddyjacks case {Picks}. So a whole new education for me now?.

Slán
Old Doll.