Lloyd- There's another way of holding the pick that Dan Crary recommends in an old book I have: holding it between the thumb and the tips of the index and middle fingers. He states it gives him better control, and also keeps the pick from rotating. I've tried it, and found it awkward, but you might not. Haven't tried it on the mandolin. The point is, Dan Crary holds his pick in a non-traditional manner, and I think that he's not done half bad. :) It relates to what YOU are most comfortable with, not anyone else's standards. BTW, I've not seen anyone respond to using a thumb pick on the Mandolin: I tried it after reading your original post, and found it unwieldy, especially trying tremolo. Doesn't mean it's not right for you however, or even for me. I might try again. Just keep on pickin'! Thanks, Bluejay