Introduction to Guitar Picks and How They Differ From Plectrums

Guitar picks (also called plectrums) are small, triangular pieces of plastic or other material that are used to pluck the strings of a guitar. Picks come in a variety of thicknesses and hardness, and can be made from a variety of materials including nylon, celluloid, metal, and stone.

Guitar picks were first used in the early 19th century, and were originally made from tortoiseshell or other animal horn. In the late 19th century, celluloid picks became popular, and in the early 20th century, picks made from other materials such as Bakelite, metal, and stone began to be used.

Today, guitar picks are available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and materials. Picks can be bought in bulk or individually, and can be custom-made to suit the player's preference.

The thickness of a guitar pick is measured in millimeters (mm), and the most common thicknesses are 0.46 mm, 0.71 mm, and 0.81 mm. The hardness of a pick is measured on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the softest and 10 being the hardest.

Picks are made from a variety of materials, including nylon, celluloid, metal, stone, and even wood. The material that a pick is made from will affect the sound that it produces when the strings are plucked.

Nylon picks are the softest and produce a mellower sound, while celluloid picks are harder and produce a brighter sound. Metal picks produce a very bright sound, and stone picks produce a very soft sound.

Picks come in a variety of shapes, including pointed, rounded, teardrop, and triangle. The shape of the pick will also affect the sound that it produces.

Pointed picks are the most common type of pick, and produce a bright sound. Rounded picks produce a mellower sound, while teardrop picks produce a very soft sound. Triangle picks are the hardest and produce a very bright sound.

When choosing a guitar pick, it is important to consider the thickness, hardness, and material. Different picks will produce different sounds, so it is important to experiment with different picks to find the one that produces the sound that you prefer.

A common misunderstanding occurs between the usage of the words guitar pick and plectrum. While these two terms are often used interchangeably,
The difference often depends on the context with the words being used.
All guitar picks are plectrums, but not all plectrums are guitar picks.

A guitar pick can be defined as a small, thin piece of material that is used to pluck the strings of a guitar.
A guitar pick is specific to the instrument used to play the guitars’ strings.
They are often seen in a teardrop shape and are made from celluloid, however they can also vary in shapes, and materials, and are becoming increasingly complex and personalized to the player's preference.

A plectrum, on the other hand, is a broader term that can refer to any type of device that is used to pluck or strum a stringed instrument. This includes not only guitars, but also other stringed instruments such as banjos, ukuleles, and mandolins.
In England and Europe, the guitar pick is often called a guitar plectrum. Sometimes the word plectrum can refer to a higher end guitar pick.
However, not all plectrums are suited for guitars,
For example, a harpsichord has a small plectrum used to strike the strings inside.
The plectrum greatly precedes the guitar pick as the usage of plectrums can be seen as early as ancient Greece, where they used them to pluck the lyres. In medieval times they were used to play lutes. A plectrum can be made from anything ranging from wood, bone, horn, shell.

A guitar pick is a type of plectrum that is used to pluck the strings of a guitar. While all guitar picks are plectrums, not all plectrums are guitar picks. Plectrums have been used to pluck stringed instruments for centuries, and the guitar pick is a more modern invention.
So the difference between a guitar pick and a plectrum is that one is specific to guitars and a plectrum can be referring to any tool used to pluck a stringed instrument. You should understand which is being referred to based on the usage of the word.

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