Do I need picks to play the banjo?
Published: December 3, 2018 | Author: Jonathan Lowson
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What are picks?
Picks are little metal or plastic things you wear on the tips of your fingers and thumbs to help you play the banjo more easily. There’s a lot of good reasons to wear picks. You will get more power and a better sound. It’s also easier to play fast whilst wearing picks. Some people lack confidence when they first start playing and tend to play very quietly. Picks will help you play louder so you will feel more confident.
Getting used to picks
It takes a little while to get used to playing with picks when you first start, so many beginners prefer to play without picks. We will talk about playing without picks later, but for most people it is a mistake to start playing without picks. Why? Because it is so much easier to get used to them if you wear them right from the start. It will only take a few weeks or months before it feels natural, and you will get all the benefits straight away – the increased volume and a clearer sound. If you get used to playing without them at the beginning, it can be very difficult to get used to them later on. I know several players in their 70s who started with bare fingers, and after forty or fifty years of playing they still wish they could play with picks to get that special sound. Unfortunately it’s really hard to switch to using picks if you’ve already learnt to play without them. On the other hand, I know guys who played with picks all their lives and then decided to play with bare fingers, and it was easy for them to do that.
Playing without picks
So why play without picks? A lot of my students play with bare fingers and there are many different reasons for it. One guy I know works shifts so the only time he has to play his banjo is late at night. He lives in a flat with neighbours really close by and playing with bare fingers is quieter than playing with picks. Some people prefer the softer sound of playing with bare fingers. But the most important reason for playing without picks is if you just don’t enjoy wearing them! Seriously, if you find wearing picks doesn’t work for you, then just play the banjo without them! You can play everything on JoffLowson.com, including in the Banjo Academy, with or without picks.
Playing with and without picks
I played for over thirty years with picks on, and I love the sound they make, it’s brighter and clearer than with bare fingers. However in the last few years I’ve been enjoying playing without picks sometimes, just to experience a different sound and feel. Playing without picks can be nice for slower songs and also if you are accompanying a singer who has a very soft voice. When I’m joining in a jam session with people I don’t know very well, I often play without picks for the first few songs, just to feel my way into the jam. Once I feel more comfortable with the group, I put my picks on and play louder. Of course you can play quietly with picks, it’s just a question of practise. I’ve tried playing many songs without picks, and sometime I like that softer sound, but I usually prefer to play with picks on. Even Earl Scruggs played without picks sometimes!
There are some more technical reasons why you might need to play without picks. There are certain kinds of strumming or brushing actions that are easier to do without the picks, so a lot depends on the style of banjo you want to play. However for most people I recommend starting to play the banjo with picks.