The Best Tips on Wearing Banjo Picks: What You Should Remember

​​If you're a beginner in banjo playing, one of the foremost things on your mind would probably be learning how to fingerpick correctly and learning a few other techniques as well. But did you know that one of the most common mistakes of beginning banjo players is that they tend to put their picks on backward?

Banjo picks are worn by banjo players who play the five string in the 3-finger banjo style, also called Scruggs style or Bluegrass. For this style, you will make use of two fingerpicks and a thumbpick. But what else should you know about wearing banjo picks and correctly using them? Here are the best tips on wearing banjo picks: what you should remember.

• The thumbpick

The kind of thumbpick that’s commonly used is often made of plastic for the actual pick. But the wrap which can hold the player’s thumb is either made from metal or plastic. Once you put on your banjo thumbpick, you wouldn’t want it to point towards your hand but away from it. If you play with your right hand and place your hand flat downwards, the thumbpick should point to your left. You should also push the thumbpick downwards on your thumb to have it sit as comfortably as possible in between the knuckle of your thumb and the tip of your thumb. The good news is that thumbpicks are pretty easy and simple to wear; there are no complex maneuverings when it comes to the thumbpick.
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• The fingerpicks

Fingerpicks can be trickier. Most banjo players get these banjo picks wrong during their first attempt, but after a while, many players develop various techniques to utilize picks and get the best tone. Most banjo players who put on a fingerpick for the very first time put it on the wrong way – rather like a fingernail. But this isn't right, because if you put the fingerpick on this way, you are more likely to hook the banjo strings each time you try playing. The correct way of doing it is to put the fingerpick on and have it cover your finger's fleshy part, so it’s on the opposite side of your finger to the nail.

There is also something to be said about how far you put the fingerpick down on your finger. There’s no correct way to do it – it will vary depending on your preference. But some experts recommend pushing it down in such a way that only a bit of the fingerpick will stick out from the finger, about one-eighth of an inch. Some players prefer to have more of the pick blade showing beyond the fingertip. You can then bend the portion that sticks out so it is more curved. This can give you a much clearer tone and results in less noise from the fingerpick. Doing this also allows you to play more cleanly.

Other tips
One thing you can do is twist the fingerpick slightly to one side, this will allow you to play the banjo strings more easily. When your hand is in its position for playing, it usually rests at an angle, and your fingers would normally strike the banjo strings at a specific angle as well. But this can result in noise from the pick and a less full or clear tone while the pick is straighter on..  However, when you twist the fingerpicks, you can lessen this issue. Good luck, and happy playing!