If you’ve ever wanted to dial back that sharp “click” of a pick and get something closer to the warmth of fingerstyle, felt picks might be exactly what you’re looking for.
They’re especially popular with ukulele players, but they can also open up some interesting tones on guitar. You can try one from Amazon if you’re interested.
This post walks through what felt picks do, how they sound, and when they actually make sense in a guitarist’s toolkit.
Overview / First Impressions
Felt picks are designed to drastically soften your pick attack. Compared to a regular plastic pick, they:
- Reduce pick noise almost to the level of fingerpicking
- Soften the attack so notes bloom more gently
- Lower overall volume and “bite,” making them feel much more subdued
On ukulele, they really shine. They take away that harsh edge you can get from a hard pick and give you a smooth, rounded tone that’s closer to strumming with your fingers—but with a bit more consistency and control.
On guitar, the effect is similar: you get a much softer, quieter, less clicky tone than with a standard pick.
Build Quality & Design
Felt picks are typically:
- Made from compressed felt, not plastic
- Much thicker than standard guitar picks
- Slightly spongy or cushioned to the touch
Because of the material, they don’t have that rigid snap you’re used to with celluloid, nylon, or Ultex. Instead, they flex and compress as they hit the string, which is exactly why the attack is so soft.
They’re not meant to be precision tools for speed picking—they’re more of a tonal effect and feel choice.
Features & Functions
From a guitarist’s perspective, here’s what felt picks actually do for you:
- Soft attack
The main feature. The pick attack is heavily reduced, so notes sound rounder and less percussive. - Less pick noise
That click or chirp you get from hard picks on the string is almost completely gone. - Lower dynamic punch
They don’t “dig in” the same way as a stiff pick, so your transients are softer and the sound is less aggressive. - Fingerstyle-like vibe
The overall effect can be as quiet and gentle as using your fingers, but with some of the consistency you get from a pick.
How It Sounds / Use Cases
On Ukulele
This is where felt picks really earn their keep.
- Strums sound smooth and gentle, without the harsh edge of a hard pick.
- The tone is more rounded and mellow, closer to natural finger strumming.
- Great for bedroom playing, recording, or mellow arrangements where you don’t want that bright, snappy attack.
If you’re a ukulele player who finds plastic picks too harsh, felt is almost a no-brainer.
On Guitar
On guitar, the difference is immediately obvious:
With a regular pick, you get:
- Clear attack
- Brightness and definition
- Audible pick noise on the string
With a felt pick, you get:
- Almost no attack—notes just “appear” rather than snap out
- Much less clickiness
- Lower volume and a softer overall character
This can be useful for:
- Very soft accompaniment where you don’t want to overpower vocals
- Late-night practice, when you want to keep noise and harshness down
- Recording experiments, if you’re chasing a super-soft, almost pad-like strumming texture
It won’t be everyone’s everyday pick, but it’s a cool tonal option to have.
Limitations / Things to Know
Before you load up on felt picks, there are a few trade-offs:
- Less articulation
If you rely on crisp attack for fast lines, riffs, or metal rhythm, these will feel mushy. - Lower volume & presence
They naturally tame the high end and transient, so your guitar may sit further back in the mix. - Not ideal for heavy styles
Rock, metal, and funk usually benefit from a strong, defined attack—felt picks go in the opposite direction. - Durability
Felt can wear down faster than a hard plastic pick, especially on steel strings. Expect to replace them more often if you use them regularly.
In short: they’re a specialty tool, not a universal replacement for your regular picks.
Final Thoughts
Felt picks do exactly what you’d expect: they dramatically soften your pick attack and strip away most of the click and edge from your sound.
For ukulele, they’re fantastic if you want a gentle, fingerstyle-like tone with the control of a pick. On guitar, they’re more of a niche option—but a very interesting one for soft strumming, quiet practice, and mellow textures.
If you’ve never tried one, they’re inexpensive and worth having in your case as a tonal “effect.” You might not use them every day, but when you want that ultra-soft, almost fingerpicked sound without actually switching technique, felt picks deliver.
Resources & Further Study
If you’re looking to go beyond picks and really deepen your fretboard knowledge and improvisation, there are a couple of useful resources mentioned:
Fretboard Memorization Cheat Sheet – TravelingGuitarist.com
A guide that lays out major and minor triads in every key, using octave mapping and other approaches. It’s designed to help you:
- Memorize the notes on the fretboard
- Understand triads as the foundation of harmony
- Improvise more confidently in multiple keys
Traveling Guitarist Forum – forum.travelingguitarist.com
A community space to talk about:
- Guitar technique and gear
- Music theory and harmony
- General music-related topics
Both are helpful if you want to move from just “playing shapes” to actually understanding how the neck is laid out and how chords and melodies connect.