When it comes to holding a guitar pick, the method you choose depends to some extent on the type of picking technique you’re using, and the overall form that technique requires.

As with everything in picking technique, this multiplicity of correctness is actually the greatest challenge. With so many combinations of contact points and orientations that actually work, it can be hard to know which one to choose.

In this section, we’ll give you a quick overview of three of the most common grips in popular use, as well as a few pointers about less common grips used by famous players. Which one you use may change as you experiment with different techniques, but understanding how these common grips work is a great starting point.