A banjo pick is a tool for plucking the strings of a banjo. The picks are most commonly worn on the thumb, first, and second fingers of the player’s picking hand as a trio. Metal and plastic are the most common materials used in the production of banjo picks. Many banjo pick manufacturers use a cobalt-based coating to reduce the noise the pick makes when it contacts the strings. Banjo picks are typically sold in small, medium, and large sizes and are a one-size-fits-all product.
Because a banjo is plucked rather than strummed like a guitar, it requires a different type of pick than a guitar. The banjo pick is worn on the tip of the finger and allows the player to pick the strings in a rolling motion, with each string having its own pick. When strumming the banjo across all strings, the thumb pick is commonly used. When a player is attempting to create a unique sound, he or she may use a banjo pick to play the guitar. Some manufacturers make the inside of the pick rough to help the player keep the pick on his finger even when he’s sweating profusely.
For many players, the most common pick arrangement is to use a plastic thumb pick in conjunction with metal picks on the first two fingers. The metal picks are usually coated with a cobalt-based material. The cobalt coating is designed to make it easier for metal picks to glide over banjo strings, eliminating the scratchy sound caused by metal-on-metal contact between the strings and the picks. A banjo pick’s cobalt coating will wear off over time, necessitating re-plating or replacement.
The banjo pick is available in both a long and short version, as well as different diameter sizes. The short version is designed to fit over the tip of the player’s finger, whereas the long version covers a larger portion of the finger. Many players prefer the short banjo pick because it gives the finger more range of motion; however, some players prefer the long banjo pick because it keeps the pick on the finger longer. This is accomplished by putting more of the finger inside the pick in order to make more skin contact with it.