Wrist or forearm alternate picking?

Had a bad finger injury in 2015 and Im no longer able to hold a pic like I previously used to. My right index finger is only able to bend a slight bit. That being said, it’s been a long road for me as a player since then and I’ve tried a few different avenues. Long story short I use a thumb pic now and that is the most comfortable thing I’ve found for me. That being said I recently just starting practicing alternate picking with this new pic grip and it feels comfortable but I’m not sure if I’m more of a forearm or wrist picker. I feel like I used my wrist up to about 175 bpm, anything beyond that I feel like it goes to more of a forearm picking and gets sloppy and inconsistent, and I tense up hard in my right forearm. I’ve come so far with my playing after my injury and haven’t talked to any players about it. I’m open to any suggestions you might have, thanks.

We can give you the most meaningful feedback if you post a video of your playing.

I’d suggest that in your case, it would be helpful to show the range of motion on your index finger and your current grip so we might understand the implications of your injury. It might be helpful to see you imitate your old pick grip with your fretting hand.

4 Likes


1 Like

Agree with @Tom_Gilroy that a short video would be the most informative thing.

In the meantime, have you ever tried to hold the pick using the middle finger? (Like Eddie Van Halen, for example)

How about gripping the pick closer to the knuckle of the thumb?

Also, your grip with the thumb pick is close to my “Benson picking” grip, but that does take a bit of pressure from the index.