If you have arrived at this article, chances are good that you are beginning your journey into the world of guitar.  This can be a daunting task, I know.  Believe it or not, I was there once myself.  I spent many hours in one of the local music shops trying to pick out my first guitar which was very difficult at the time because I knew almost nothing about them.  Fortunately for me (sort of),  I was on a limited budget so my options were somewhat limited.  I eventually settled on a white Peavey Raptor that would later gain the nickname "Rhandi", but that story is for another time.  This guitar has served me well throughout my journey.  After many years and few upgrades, it is now my son's guitar.  When I first purchased this guitar, the cost after taxes happened to work out to almost all the money I had.  I literally only had a few coins left with which to purchase a pick, so I purchased one from the 25 cent pick bin.  Believe it or not, I still have this pick today.  I believe it began it's life as a Fender medium but I can't be 100% certain at this point. 

My first on the left compared with a new Fender medium.

So, what does it really mean to be a beginner?  Obviously, if you have acquired your first guitar with the last month, you qualify as a beginner.  How long will you meet that definition?  Over the years I have read a lot of articles making claims that it takes 8,000 to 10,000 hours to become a master of certain abilities.  I'm sure there is data to back this up somewhere, but I'm also certain that along with that data, there is someone right there to sell you a shortcut.  Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, Expert, Master... these terms are very subjective.  I probably logged around 800 to 1,000 hours on the guitar in my first year playing, and that was enough to be able to form my first original band.  I would not claim any degree of mastery at that point, but I feel safe saying that anyone should progress beyond beginner status after that many hours.

Rhandi as she exists today.  Some upgrades applied:)

It was in that second year of playing, and my first year with a band, that I really started upgrading my gear to a more professional level.  Though now I might question the tastes and decisions of the younger me, I was making progress in the quality of my amps, effects, and instruments.  This progress continued for many years, but through all that gear, I actually stuck by my medium gauge, celluloid picks.  It wasn't until around 2010 that it hit me that there must be a better pick.  By this time, the rest of the gear I was using was pretty much top of the line.  Even with top level gear, my skill was still reaching a plateau.  So I started looking into better picks.  Even though there were picks out there that got me a little bit further toward my goal of mastery, I couldn't find the answer I was looking for.  Long story short, I decided to make my own.

The beginning

So without boring you with the long story of how this came to be, let us get back to the main point of this article.  Why is the Dragon's Heart Guitar Pick the best guitar pick for beginners?  To best explain this, I must site the words of a great instructor of mine.

 "Excellence is about the pursuit of perfection.  Practice makes permanent.  Practice perfection without regard to speed.  Speed will come with time.  Slow is steady, steady is smooth, smooth is fast."  

When it comes to any physical discipline, I doubt wiser words were ever spoken.  The core of the Dragon's Heart concept is founded in consistency.  Thin picks are often given to, and used by, beginners because they are very forgiving to sloppy play and error.  Thin picks, however, violate the main function of the guitar pick. The purpose of the pick is to displace the strings causing vibration.  Thin picks do this, but the thin picks are usually displaced more than the strings.  This results in more motion in your fingers, hand, and arm.  Thin picks generally wear quickly as well, which means that the pick's physical dimensions are constantly changing as you play.  Both of these properties hinder consistency.  

The final sketch

The Dragon's Heart Guitar Pick was designed to mimic the desirable, three dimensional characteristics of a thin pick without the excess recoil and motion of the same.  This is of even greater benefit when you progress to sweeping and alternate picking.  The materials for the Dragon's Heart were chosen because they resist erosion.  This provides more consistent play over an extended period of time.  The result is a pick that guides you towards consistency on an almost instinctive level.  For beginners, I recommend either the Pure Dragon's Heart or a 6 pack of my Faux Dragon's Heart Picks.  If you are like me and good at keeping track of things, the Pure is your best bet.  If you are looking to get more picks for your money, pick up a Faux 6 pack.

From the first run.

The Dragons' Heart Guitar Pick is the result of my many years of experience.  I fully believe that it is, with out doubt, the best pick available.  Obviously, it was not available when I was a beginner.  For me to say that it is "the best pick for beginners", is a very subjective and loaded statement.  Don't take my word for it.  There is a now an over-whelming amount of articles and reviews about these picks on youtube and other gear sites.  Further, all the local guitar instructors I know personally are avid users of my picks and they always suggest that their students practice with them.  

One of the latest.

I am going to close this with the same thing I pretty much always say.  There is no wrong way to play.  If you like your sound, then you are doing it right.  No one can tell you what gear is best for you, only you can decide that and don't let anyone tell you that something you like is bad.  Keep those things in mind, but never stop pursuing new gear and new techniques.  And, as always...

Play with fire...

In your heart:)

Corey W.