Pick Scrape - Guitar Trick

The Pick Scrape is a must-know trick; when used with taste, it will make your playing more alive and cool. Besides this, it is fairly easy to perform and you'll be able to enjoy this hack even if you're a complete beginner.

Performance:

  1. Position your fretting hand for the chord you'll be playing right after the Scrape.
  2. Slide the side of the plectrum along the lower strings, from the area around the pickups towards the headstock.
    Guitar pick being dragged along lower strings from pickups towards the guitar headstock, demonstrating a pick scrape technique
  3. Pull the plectrum off the strings in a way that will make the chord ring.

This trick usually fits well at transitions from one part of a song to another (for example, from a verse to a chorus).

Listen to the song 'Neptune' by InMe at 2:37:

As well as in repetitions of a riff, right before a repetition.

In the video below, I added the pick scrape to Riff #1 from the 'Alt-Rock and Metal Riffs for Beginners' lesson:

 

Return to Home Page

This article was last updated on September 26, 2025
A new web app from the webmaster of this website:

Virtual Phrasebook

🌍 Essential travel phrases in Spanish, Chinese & English — side by side. Click words to swap & build variations.

🇪🇸 ES 🇨🇳 ZH 🇬🇧 EN 🔄 Word swapping

"No information overload — just essential phrases. Built for real travelers."

Suggestions? 💬 Help shape the next version — share your feedback or feature ideas.