4 Tips To Not Lose Your Guitar Pick
There are many annoying things in life, but there’s nothing more annoying than losing a guitar pick you just had in your hand, and then realize that it has disappeared forever!
The small size of the plectrums makes them easy to play with, but often difficult to keep.
The key to not losing guitar picks, is to start thinking of them as a vital piece of gear. Like a violinist would never lose their bow, or a drummer would never lose the drum sticks, you should never lose your guitar picks.
There are many methods below, that will prevent your guitar picks from getting lost.
METHODS FOR NOT LOSING YOUR GUITAR PICK
1- Use a container for your guitar picks
Decide on a location for your pick, when not in use, and put it back where it belongs, when you put the guitar away.
Many players think of the guitar pick as disposable, and don’t place value on them. When you allow your guitar picks to lay around in random locations, it is not a surprise when your guitar picks get lost.
The container can be a glass, your guitar case, your wallet, or a handmade DIY case. Be original and don’t be afraid of using something unique.
2- Lend your guitar picks only to your closest friends:
From time to time, there will be another guitar player who will need to borrow a guitar pick, especially during a tour, or live performance.
Sometimes the borrowed picks find their way back. However, often they walk off with the player and you never see them again.
Start thinking of picks as having the value they deserve and treat them that way. Do not hesitate to ask for your pick to be returned.
3- Use a guitar pick holder:
Like the container, this is an accessory that allows you to keep your guitar picks where they belong, in a known place.
In addition, in a live performance, a guitar pick holder can be used to store your picks during the songs that require fingerpicking, that do not require a pick.
It is the perfect guitar accessory for the live player who needs quick access to guitar picks anywhere and everywhere on the stage.
There are holders for the guitar neck and for the microphone stand. Some people create their own DIY holders with double-sided tape. This can work for a while, but has some disadvantages: The tape can lose it’s capacity to hold the pick over time, and the glue can damage the guitar surface.
If you are looking for an adhesive-free guitar pick holder click HERE.
4- Check your pockets before you go to bed:
As simple as it sounds. If you have played many years, you are probably storing your guitar picks in your pockets. This is the most common way to lose your guitar picks.
A day after playing guitar, you will use different jeans, with no guitar picks in your pockets...or even worse, you will do laundry with the picks inside your jeans, and your washing machine will eat them!
WHERE TO LOOK IF I LOST MY GUITAR PICK
If you are very careful, you won’t need the following advice. But just in case this happens, we have some suggestions for you.
These are the best places to look for your guitar picks:
- Look for your guitar picks in the jeans you had yesterday
- Search for your pick inside of your acoustic guitar
- Did you take a break and get water from the fridge? Maybe your guitar pick is in the kitchen.
- Same advice for the toilet!
- Under the carpet. Guitar picks can be kicked by your feet if they lay on the floor.
- Use your memory skills: Have you played with a friend recently? Ask them!
- Under the keyboard or laptop, especially if you are learning guitar online or use your PC for recording guitar.
With this small checklist, you can easily find your guitar pick in a systematic way. But, what happens if this does not work?
I CANNOT FIND MY GUITAR PICK - AND NOW?
If the guitar pick gets lost you can only do one thing: Hope you have some extra guitar picks!
It is important to have some additional unused guitar picks in a secure place. Before that, you have to decide which guitar picks types are essential for you, and at least have a pair of them for this emergency.
We have a guide to choosing the right guitar pick, which you can find HERE.
It can be very annoying to find out you cannot continue playing, because your guitar pick is gone, and having extra picks will save time, which you can use to practice guitar.
Do you know somebody who is always losing their guitar picks?
Please share this advice with them!
6 Responses
Ruben
Funny article, but very useful!
Another place to find your guitar picks is your car.
I have to take the car to drive to our rehearsal room and I always find some old guitar picks under the seat.
The guitar pick holder trick is a very good one, especially for people who play at home and have their guitar always in the same place.
Anonymous
Hi Nils!
hahaha
Teaching discipline is also a difficult thing :D :D
Maybe you can try with a container of picks in your classroom :D
Nils_Guitar
True!
I always tell my guitar students all of these methods.
However, they still forget them in the academy :D :D
Anonymous
Hi Carla,
Thanks a lot!
I also have some in my car, and wallet, and pockets, and … everywhere ;)
Carla
Haha! I totally agree with the washing machine. They should put a guitar pick filter on them!
I also keep my picks in my car, just in case I have band meeting
Carla.
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lou
22. October 2024
Actually, drummers may not loose their drum sticks but their drum key all the time. I dont say that as a drummer. I’m a bass player and that’s why. I have no little gadjet to loose. Bass is supperior.