PickTwist: The Guitar Pick My Students Keep Asking About

One of the most common issues I see in guitar lessons, especially with beginners, is how to hold a guitar pick properly.

The pick slips, rotates, or gets gripped too tightly, and before long the focus shifts away from playing and onto just trying to keep control of it.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been trying something different with a few students to see if it made any real difference.

It did!

“I didn’t have to readjust my pick constantly”

That was one of the first bits of feedback I had from a student after taking one home to try.

That’s been a consistent theme across the board.

The main thing people notice straight away is how stable the pick feels. Instead of constantly adjusting your grip, it stays in place and lets you focus on your playing and technique.

What’s different about them?

These picks are from PickTwist, and the key difference is the shape.

They use a slightly twisted, ergonomic design that helps the pick sit more naturally between your fingers.

In practice, that can help with:

• Reducing pick slipping and rotation while playing

• Allowing a more relaxed grip

• Reducing tension in the picking hand

• Improving overall picking control and consistency

For a lot of players, especially beginners, this solves one of the most frustrating early problems when learning guitar.

A quick example from a lesson

One of my newer students had been working on basic strumming patterns but kept running into the same issue. The pick would rotate every few bars, which affected their timing and rhythm.

After switching to one of these, the difference was noticeable within a few minutes. The pick stayed in position, their strumming became more consistent, and we were able to focus properly on improving their technique.

My own thoughts

From my own playing, the nylon versions feel particularly comfortable for general use, especially for longer sessions where a slightly softer feel helps reduce fatigue.

The acetal versions are firmer, which can suit players who prefer a stronger attack or are using heavier strings.

Something I’ll be continuing to use in lessons

What started as a simple trial with a few students has turned into something I’ll be continuing to use in lessons going forward.

It’s always a good sign when a small change like this helps improve picking technique without adding extra complexity.

I’ll also be working more closely with PickTwist going forward, which I’m looking forward to.

For my students

If you’re one of my students, you’ll be able to try these in lessons.

I can also get them ordered in directly, and there’s a nice little bonus to ordering through me, so feel free to ask next time you’re in!