I felt like I was trying to tap-dance in combat boots. Too much stuff between me and the strings.

It's just matter of getting used to them. My nails are not strong enough to grow to any length, so I play with my finger tips. I use three plastic finger picks and a thumb pick to give both a crisper sound and extra volume I switch back and forth between picks and bare fingers without problem, My brain compensates for the difference so I get the same feel with or without picks.

The open part of the thumb pick can be a bit of a problem but dropping the pick into boiling water and then moulding it quickly around the thumb so that the open end is tucked as far as possible under the thumb, out of the way, usually does the trick. (The hot plastic and residual boiling water can be painful for a few seconds but, hey, you've got to suffer for your art!)

If you have good nails then fine but if you feel the need for picks then persevere. You'll get there in the end and it's worth the effort.

I once followed some advice to try aLaska Piks which fit under the nail but, if you're like me and don't have good nails in the first place, they're about as much use as a chocolate fireguard.

DC