switching from finger picking to a pick

I've never gone from finger pickin to pickin, but there's a wealth of practicing in order to get comfortable with the pick itself. There seem to be 2 main areas.

1. Strumming - try and use the heaviest pick you feel comfortable with, hold it lightly when you strum and let the pick move slightly as it hits the strings. This prevents the pick catching on the strings. Look at the angle that the pick hits the string, it can be side on or twisted, it can be at 90 degrees, or 45 degrees whatever you feel best with.You can also take a look at the developing your right hand sections here - http://www.folkofthewood.com/Acoustic_G … ssons.html .

2. Cross Picking : You also need to be practicing picking individual strings in sequence. Take a look at Crosspicking Guitar and run through some of the exercises. See  http://www.folkofthewood.com/Crosspicki … sons.html.

I used to use soft picks, but I couldn't use them to shift to pick individual notes - I ended up trying to bend the picks to get them to stiffen up.

Now my daughter uses the old soft picks for sticking on my birthday card every year - it's the best use for them.

There are a lot of pick types - tortex is very good. It is thin, but returns to its original shape very quickly. I use Dunlop yellow 73's. It allows you to strum and pick. If you want to use a pick, then persevere with the loose hold on the pick. It pays dividends in the long run.

Ah, that must be it.  The only one note picking I do is betwixt and between strums to put some bouncy country rhythm to the strumming.  I just started practicing scales on my electric so that I can do put some blues riffs in now and then. 

- Zurf

Hey Washburnblues! (How can you have the blues if you play a Washburn? )

Dunlops all the way!

Thin reds (.5) for strumming only.
Orange (.6) for strumming with a bit of individual note picking (or I have to compete my strumming against lots of noise.)
Yellow (.7) for lots of individual note picking and a little strumming.
And Stubbies as thick as a house for fast jazz.
Fingers when I forget or drop my pick.
Then sometimes I throw these rules out 'cause I can be a contrary bugger!

(By the way, my fingernails are Jim Dunlop issue as well! )

I think it's all in personal preference. I use the Jazz III for almost everything and also hybrid pick a lot of passages as well. Best of luck...

i have problems with a pick too.  i sound pretty good finger picking and it's harder to keep the rhythm with a pick...but it's louder with a pick so i'm torn between wanting to use a pick and not.  good idea rounding it off more, it does sound too harsh with a point!  i was wondering if anyone uses a thumb pick and likes it cuz i use my thumb to pick anyway.  lemme know!