Best Guitar Picks for Beginners: What To Consider

Part of learning to play the guitar is learning the different types of tools you may need.
This includes the type of guitar you will use, to the amplifier, to all sorts of other accessories & nick-nacks.
While some may seem excessive and not absolutely necessary, for a serious guitarist, a good pick is without question.
Picks in the .75 - 1.5mm range make great guitar picks for beginners, because of their comfortability, ease of use, and versatility to play various styles of music.
Not to mention their wide availability & lower cost vs exotic or handcrafted plectrums.

Do I Need To Use A Guitar Pick?

The decision to use a guitar pick depends on the desired style of playing or the guitar we happen to have available to us.

A guitar pick is recommended for those learning on an electric or steel-stringed acoustic, but not traditionally used on classical Spanish guitars with nylon strings.

If you are curious about finger-picking, the fingertips are so soft that they produce a soft, quiet tone.
Sometimes this is desired, but with a pick, suddenly that tone becomes brighter, much more defined, and each note rings out wonderfully.

Using fingernails isn’t recommended unless you are playing a classical nylon stringed guitar.
Fingernails paired with steel strings just creates a thin, scratchy tone, which does not sound all too pretty.
Not to mention steel strings can quickly wear down your fingernails.

Speaking of guitar picks, if you don't know how to hold one, fret not!
We have a whole informative article on that topic too.
Read it here: How To Hold A Guitar Pick

Shape, Thickness, Material

These are the 3 basic factors which will help you decide on your favorite picks.
The shape and guitar pick size dictate the comfortability of the pick in your hand.
Whether the pick's playing tip is round or sharp, also affects the tone with rounded picks producing a more mellow tone & the sharp picks creating a more defined sound.

The thickness determines some of the tonal characteristics too. Does it sound soft & mellow (thicker pick), or bright & snappy (thinner pick)?
It also affects the flexibility of the pick,
which is important for masking unwanted excess noise that is common among learners, and how soft & equal the chord sounds.

The material most directly determines the durability & feel of the pick, how long will it last? How much effort can I use? Will it quickly wear thin?
For a more in depth analysis of the factors that play in choosing a pick, see our ultimate pick guide here

Here's some of the most common pick materials used along with their pros & cons.

• Celluloid - These produce a nice warm tone & we know them as "bulk guitar picks" because they're so easy to come by.
  The only drawback is that they can wear down incredibly fast & in some cases can break if too much force is used.
• Nylon - Nylon picks are very flexible & quite durable, making them a great choice for strumming.
  As far as drawbacks, we typically only find these in thinner gauges & you might want to opt for a stiffer pick when playing technical leads.
• Delrin - Delrin, Polyoxymethylene, also known as Acetal, is a well-rounded option.
  There's so many of these picks to choose from in all sorts of thicknesses, shapes, & with various paying characteristics.
  These have a nice balanced tone, good durability, & you can't go wrong with a pick made for delrin.
  One drawback we can see if that it might be difficult to find the right picks for you because there's just so many options available!
  
  Our variety pack below is also made of Delrin & looks to provide a solution with various thicknesses to experiment & includes a jazz version which is a favorite amongst many players.

The Iron Age Delrin Guitar Pick Variety Pack

Our Iron Age picks are a great option for entry level guitar guitarists.

They are made from delrin as opposed to your common celluloid. Delrin is much more durable so the picks won’t wear, peel, snap, or round.
Yet they don’t sacrifice the classic guitar pick feel.

They are available in light, medium, heavy thickness, and also in standard and Jazz guitar pick sizes.
They are the perfect initiation into the guitar pick world, without making too much of a financial investment.

And as you play more and in different contexts and styles, you might begin to assign a different pick to each style,
perhaps you use the light pick for strumming chords, the jazz pick for leading,
a heavy or medium pick when you want a little bit of both.

A variety pack is recommended, because you can experiment with how each pick sounds and feels, and then it won’t be hard to quickly discover your favorite.
Here's some of the characteristics:

Red - Light .73mm

• Perfect for beginners
• Strumming chords - most newbies start out by learning the chords to their favorite songs this is a great entry level option!
• Light & Flexible - Creates a bright & snappy tone that sounds almost percussive.
  Play as busy as you like, or strum really hard without risk of damaging your strings, the guitar, or the pick.
• Standard pick shape - For players still discovering their own strength, gripping the plectrum too hard, causes hand pain, fatigue and stress.
  But, a thin plectrum can be gripped harder without hurting the hand.

White - Medium .88mm

• Perfect for players of all levels
• Strumming or precision picking
• A good all-around pick
• Traditional pick shape

Black - Heavy 1.2mm

• Perfect for Intermediate and advanced guitarists.
• Thick shape is comfortable to hold & assists in grip
• Great for heavy riffs, solos, and single lines
• Standard Pick Shape
• Also made from durable Delrin material

Jazz - 1.2mm

• Perfect for intermediate & more advanced players
• Matte textured for enhanced grip
• Good for all styles of playing, especially lead
• Smaller Jazz 3 Shape assists in super close, accurate playing
• Made from thick delrin material for durability 

Conclusion

If you’re looking to buy some picks to get you started on guitar, any picks ranging from .75 - 1.5mm would be best for you.
These are recommended because they are very standard for all guitarists,
they are very flexible which allows you to strum simple chords, and diminish unwanted pick noise, and the thin shape goes easy on the beginners hand.

In the Iron Age paradigm, those are the red and white colored picks. The Black and Jazz picks are there for you to try and grow into.
If you liked the article, try to consider our variety pack, here's what people are saying about them!

First off yes I am a musician but I’m a Percussionist.
It’s been around 30yrs since I played guitar on a regular basis. I am a novice on guitar.(again)
So getting back into it I was looking for guitar pick options. When I came across your guitar picks I figured I’d give them a go.
I favor the Medium weight & Jazz picks over the heavy & thin guitar picks.
- Alan R.

LOVE THESE IRON AGE PICKS!,as an aficionado of quality picks,you don’t get much better than these,
SCREECHEE AT WHIM!,I’m squealing with delight with every single attempt,40 years & the best pinch monsters ever... this pick is so Cool
- Dave

I’ve tried all the big brands of picks. Literally, all of them. I haven’t found ones that have that sound and feel until now.
These just feel like home. I’ve bought several times over and don’t think I’ll ever buy another pick brand again. 
- Brandon

Thanks for reading our article about the best guitar picks for beginners. Let us know what you think!

Also in Iron Age || General Blog