When should you change your guitar pick?
It’s obvious that guitar picks wear out and need replacing, but when is the right time to change them? When I first started learning guitar, a senior in school told me that older picks feel better with time. As a young and naive beginner, I fully embraced that idea, keeping a small tin with 3–5 of my favorite picks that I refused to replace. It wasn’t until I joined a professional band and performed regularly that I realized how much the condition of a pick affects playing. If you’re a beginner or just curious to see if your thoughts on pick longevity are accurate, this article is for you! Let’s dive in!
Guitar teachers will make sure you change your guitar pick when the time is right!
Just like checking your nail length, our guitar teachers routinely inspect your guitar pick and will let you know when it’s time for a change. A worn-out pick can affect your playing habits, so it’s important to keep it shipshape!
We are a music school offering guitar lessons at Upper Thomson Road, Singapore. Signing up for guitar lessons with us means learning from a team with over 10 years of experience running a successful music school in Singapore. Over the years, we have refined our teaching methods to ensure they are engaging, effective, and tailored to suit students of all ages and skill levels. Our commitment to excellence goes beyond lessons—we organize annual recitals! It provides our guitar students with the opportunity to showcase their progress, build confidence, and experience the joy of performing.
Your guitar pick is going, going… gone!
In reality, a guitar pick can last anywhere from a few days to several months, depending on your playing style. An aggressive speed metal guitarist will wear out picks much faster than a disciplined student with a lighter touch. Because wear and tear vary greatly between players, time isn’t the best indicator for when to replace a pick. Instead, it’s important to regularly check its condition.
If you’re using a Vinnie Classroom guitar pick, knowing when to change it is easy—the printed logo acts as a visual guide to track its lifespan. Ideally, you shouldn’t wait until the logo has completely worn off before replacing your pick!
Pay close attention to the wear pattern on both sides of your pick. Some students tend to hold their pick the same way every time, leading to uneven wear. In the left photo, pick 3 (from left to right) appears more worn, while in the right photo, pick 2 shows more significant wear. However, these are actually the same picks—I simply flipped them around for the photos!
Guitar pick wear and tear pattern explained
Every style of music creates a different wear pattern on the guitar pick. However, there are just mainly 2 areas that will be worn out. While my list will not have every genre of guitar music, it should cover most of them and give you a general idea!
Wear area 1 alone
- Strum and Sing guitarists
- Flat picking country guitarists
- Hybrid picking fingerstyle guitarists
- Electric guitar students taking Rockschool grade 1 to 3
Wear areas 1 and 2 together
- Blues, Jazz, Metal and Rock Guitarists
- Guitar students who have embarked on their alternate picking journey
- Electric guitar students taking Rockschool grade 4 and higher
However, regardless of your playing style and guitar skill level, you should not allow your pick to wear enough to affect your picking accuracies and habits.
Consistency is key!
As I mentioned earlier, it wasn’t until I joined a full-time band that I realized how crucial a good pick is for maintaining performance consistency. You’ve probably seen guitarists on stage tossing their picks into the crowd—while it’s a fun fan service, it’s also likely because those picks are too worn out to use anymore. Just ask my students, and they’ll tell you—I have a section of my table covered in worn-out picks!
Speaking of consistency, many guitarists and students tend to collect picks of different shapes, thicknesses, and materials. While it’s exciting to experiment, constantly switching between picks can hinder muscle memory and prevent the development of a consistent playing habit. After an initial exploration phase, buying picks in bulk can be a game-changer. If you’re unsure about your choice, starting with a pack of 10 is a great way to test them out. Once you find the perfect pick, consider buying them in batches of 100 or even 1,000!
Read about how to choose the right guitar pick here!
Conclusion
In conclusion, a guitarist should change their pick when it shows visible wear, such as rounded edges, uneven surfaces, or reduced grip. If the pick starts feeling different while playing, it’s time for a replacement.
However, if you still need help, talk to us. Taking guitar lessons can help you understand more about guitar picks!
Consider taking a Trial Lesson with us! I am sure with our decade-long experience, we will be of valuable help to you. Contact us through these easy channels! 🙂
