This is a question I find many people asking.  This does make a big difference if you don’t know.  One thing to keep in mind is that you need to hold the pick lightly when strumming.  If you don’t you will get a very stiff awkward sound.  To get a smooth sound, you need to hold the pick lightly, and let the pick give in to the string as you strum.

Thin picks will give you a thinner sound and produce a nice strum effect.  Medium gauge picks sound better for electric.  The medium gauge picks also work well when using acoustic guitars.  I find the thin picks sound good on Acoustic guitars as well, but not so much for electrics.

Thick picks work when you really want to dig in on an electric guitar, especially for power chords and rock soloing.  Using thick picks on acoustic guitars will give you a big duller sound, which may sound good depending on what you’re going for.

Here’s my suggestion to you.  Go to your local music store, and buy one, of each kind of pick.   Now play each kind of pick on acoustic, and then electric.  This will help determine what you like best for each kind of guitar.  This is crucial.  YOU need to find out what YOU like.  Music is a great thing.  One, because it allows individuality, and there are no steadfast rules, just basic guidelines.  This means that you can use a thin pick on electric for power chords, and it won’t be wrong because I said to use thick picks earlier in this article.  I’m telling you to use thick picks for power chords because I have tried it, and find it sounds better for power chords.

W hen learning the guitar, don’t worry about learning something wrong, and don’t be afraid to try something new.  I find that out of failure comes greatness.

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