Lesson 2: Picking with Confidence
Pick grip and moving between strings ·
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
- I can hold the pick with a relaxed grip.
- I can cross between strings without looking at my picking hand.
- I can play 'Harbor Crossing'.
🕸Settle In3 min
- Sit comfortably, guitar resting on your right leg, back relaxed.
- Let your strumming arm hang loose from the shoulder — no gripping.
- Play any open string a few times and just listen to it ring.
✋Holding the Pick5 min
- Curl your index finger; lay the pick on it pointing away from your palm.
- Thumb on top — firm enough not to drop it, loose enough to wiggle.
- Only a little tip shows. Small motions from the wrist, not the elbow.
🥁Count It3 min
- Count the rhythm out loud before you play.
- Turn on Counts or the metronome and lock in with it.
- Loop it slowly first; speed comes on its own.
📖Play It7 min
- Read it slowly and cleanly the first time through.
- Drag-select any tricky spot and loop it.
- Use the tempo slider — move up only when it's clean.
🎵Harbor Crossing7 min
- Play 'Harbor Crossing' — keep your eyes on the TAB, not your pick hand.
- If you miss a string, slow down; accuracy first, speed later.
👂Train Your Ear2 min
- Press play on any line above, look away, and listen once through.
- Hum the first bar back, then find it on the guitar by ear.
✨Make It Yours3 min
- Take one idea from this lesson and bend it — change a rhythm, reorder the chords.
- Play your version twice so it sticks.
MY ENDING (write or describe it):
⭐Practice Tracker
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 |
|---|
| Harbor Crossingonce through, daily | | | | | |
| Picking with Confidenceclean & steady | | | | | |
| Metronome onat least one exercise | | | | | |
| My own variationmake one up | | | | | |
★ Check off each day you play — ten focused minutes counts. Consistency beats marathon sessions.
🍎Teacher Guide
PREP
- Picking with Confidence: Pick grip and moving between strings
COMMON MISTAKES & FIXES
- Death-gripping the pick. → Fix: Hold it just firmly enough that a friend could pull it away.
- Huge picking motions. → Fix: Stay close to the string — a half-inch of travel is plenty.
IF STRUGGLING
- Drop the tempo well below comfortable and loop one bar.
- Play just the chord changes (or just the rhythm) before combining.
IF ADVANCED
- Bring it to full tempo with the metronome.
- Add your own variation — a different rhythm, an extra chord.
EXTENSIONS
- Apply tonight's skill to a song you already love.
TALKING POINTS
- You're building real technique — the same fundamentals every guitarist runs on.
✅Assessment
Tap one level per skill — saved on this device.
AccuracyPlays the right notes and chords.
TimingKeeps a steady beat.
ToneNotes and strums ring clean and clear.