Common household items that work as guitar picks
You don't need to buy a pick to play guitar. Many things around your house can pluck strings just as well—coins, credit cards, plastic utensils, and even your fingernails all work in a pinch. The key is finding something thin and slightly rigid that won't damage your strings or scratch your guitar body.
A coin—a dime or penny—is probably the easiest substitute. Hold it at an angle and pluck downward the same way you would with a pick. The metal edge grabs the string cleanly, though the sound is brighter and thinner than a standard pick. A quarter works too but feels thicker and slower to move between strings.
A credit card, library card, or old gift card is another reliable option. Cut a corner at an angle with scissors to create a pick shape, or just use the card as-is. Plastic cards are softer than coins, so they produce a warmer tone and are gentler on both strings and frets. They wear down faster with heavy use, but they cost nothing if you're using an old card you were going to throw away.
Key Takeaways
- Coins, credit cards, and plastic utensils all produce playable sound and won't permanently damage your strings or guitar.
- Coins create a bright, metallic tone; plastic cards produce a warmer sound closer to a standard pick.
- Fingernails and fingertips work for softer playing styles but tire your fingers faster than a pick does.
- Avoid glass, metal with sharp edges, and anything harder than your frets, as these can scratch or dent your guitar.
- A real pick costs one or two dollars and lasts much longer than household substitutes, so buying one is worth it if you play regularly.
Plastic items that work well
Plastic utensils—forks, spoons, and knife handles—can work if you use the edge or handle at the right angle. A plastic spoon handle, held at a shallow angle, plucks strings without too much resistance. Forks are less ideal because the tines can catch on strings, but the handle works similarly to a spoon.
Plastic bottle caps, old toothbrushes, and even the corner of a plastic bag can produce sound, though they're less precise. The thinner and more flexible the plastic, the softer and duller the tone. Thicker plastic—like from a sturdy takeout container—gives you more control and a brighter sound.
If you want to make a pick from plastic, cut a small triangle or teardrop shape from a plastic container using scissors or a utility knife. Sand the edges smooth with fine-grit sandpaper so they don't catch on strings. This takes a few minutes but gives you a pick-shaped tool that's much easier to hold and control than a flat card.
Natural materials and fingernail alternatives
Your fingernails work as picks if they're long enough and strong enough. Fingerstyle playing—using your fingertips and nails instead of a pick—is a legitimate technique used in classical, folk, and fingerpicking styles. The tone is warm and natural, but your nails tire and your fingers can hurt if you play hard or for a long time.
If your nails are short or break easily, you can build them up with nail polish or acrylic nails, but that's impractical for most people. A simpler approach is to use your fingertips for softer playing and buy a pick for when you want to play faster or harder.
Bone, wood, and shell all make good picks if you have scraps lying around. A thin piece of bone or hardwood can be shaped into a pick with sandpaper. These materials produce warm, natural tones similar to wooden or bone picks you'd buy. The downside is that shaping them takes time and tools most people don't have at home.
What to avoid using as a pick
Don't use anything harder than your guitar's frets. Metal picks with sharp edges, glass, or stone can scratch frets and dent the wood of your guitar body. Aluminum foil, thin paper, and fabric tear or shred when ready and won't produce consistent sound.
Avoid anything with a rough or splintered surface. Splinters catch on strings and can break them. If you're using a plastic item, sand any rough edges smooth before you play. Check that the edges of coins aren't bent or sharp—a damaged coin can scratch your strings or fretboard.
Don't use anything so soft that it bends or flexes too much. Rubber erasers, foam, and very thin plastic bend under string tension and make it hard to control your playing. You need just enough rigidity to pluck cleanly without the material deforming.
How pick material affects your tone
Harder materials—coins, thick plastic, bone—produce a brighter, sharper attack. The string snaps back quickly, creating more high-end frequencies. Softer materials—thin plastic, fingertips, felt—produce a warmer, rounder tone with less attack. The string takes longer to snap back, so the sound is more muted.
Thickness matters too. A thin pick moves through the string faster and produces a thinner sound. A thick pick moves more slowly and produces a fuller, warmer tone. This is why standard guitar picks come in different thicknesses—thin picks (under 0.6 mm) are good for strumming, and thick picks (over 0.9 mm) are better for lead playing and single notes.
When you're using a household item, you're trading some tone quality for convenience. A coin sounds different from a pick, and a credit card sounds different from a coin. None of these sounds is wrong—they're just different. If you like the tone, use it. If you don't, try something else or buy a real pick.
When to buy a real pick instead
If you play guitar more than a few times a week, a real pick is worth buying. A standard pick costs one or two dollars and lasts months with regular use. Household substitutes wear out faster, get lost easily, and don't give you the control and consistency that a pick designed for guitar does.
Real picks come in different thicknesses, materials, and shapes. Thin picks (0.46 to 0.60 mm) are good for strumming and acoustic guitar. Medium picks (0.60 to 0.80 mm) work for most styles. Thick picks (0.80 mm and up) are better for lead playing and electric guitar. Nylon picks produce a warm tone; celluloid picks are brighter; metal picks are the brightest.
You can buy picks in bulk for a few dollars and keep them in your guitar case, on your music stand, and in your pocket. Once you find a thickness and material you like, sticking with it makes your playing more consistent. That said, experimenting with household items is a good way to learn what tone you prefer before you spend money on picks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will using a coin damage my guitar strings?
A smooth coin won't damage strings, but a bent or rough coin can scratch them. Check that the edge of your coin is smooth and not dented. If you use the same coin repeatedly, inspect it for wear. Coins are harder than strings, so they wear strings down faster than a standard pick does, but the damage is gradual, not sudden.
Can I use a plastic fork as a pick?
The handle of a plastic fork works better than the tines. The tines can catch on strings and make it hard to play smoothly. If you use a fork, hold it by the handle at an angle and pluck with the flat side, not the tines. A spoon handle is usually easier to control.
What's the best household item to use as a pick?
A credit card or old gift card is usually the best choice. It's thin enough to move quickly between strings, rigid enough to pluck cleanly, and soft enough not to damage your guitar. Cut one corner at an angle to make it pick-shaped, and you have a tool that works almost as well as a real pick.
Do fingernails work as well as a pick?
Fingernails work for softer playing styles like fingerpicking and classical guitar, but they tire your fingers and can break with hard playing. For strumming or fast lead playing, a pick gives you more control and endurance. Fingernails are best used as a supplement to picks, not a replacement.
Can I make a pick from something in my kitchen?
Yes. A thin piece of plastic from a takeout container can be cut into a pick shape with scissors. Sand the edges smooth so they don't catch on strings. Wooden spoon handles can also be shaped into picks with sandpaper. These homemade picks work reasonably well and cost nothing if you're using scrap material.