Reddit reviews D'Andrea PRO-346 Rounded Triangle Plec, 12-Piece, Shell, 1.5mm

A couple of things:

1. • You are doing great and have clearly come a long way.
     
2. • I'm not sure how old you are but you appear to have large hands for your age/size/gender and seem pretty comfortable with your pinkie
     
3. • your timing/rhythm seems pretty good
     
4. • The instrument will feel more stable if you get a strap. It doesn't need to be anything fancy but you shouldn't have to hold up the mandolin with your fretting hand. You should be able to let go of the neck and have it stay in place.
     
5. • You have good playing posture. I'm assuming you are sitting when you practice. If not, please do. See this video but keep your good posture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmagoBQunZI
     
6. • The pick you are using is too thin. Generally, mandolinists use 1.5 mm picks with rounded corners. I recommend this as a cheap pick with good tone: https://www.amazon.com/DAndrea-PRO-346-Rounded-Triangle-12-Piece/dp/B000EEJFN0
     
7. • Even though your timing is pretty good, you should practice some of the time with a metronome. This really helps to build better rhythm.
     
8. • When working on a song or tune, try not to stop when you mess up. Stopping during a song is a bad habit. Using a metronome or backing tracks, instead, try to catch up. Mistakes happen all the time. Learning how to keep going is an important skill.
     
9. • you need to work on your picking hand. A lot of great players plant their pinkies like you do, but it isn't recommended. It also looks like you are holding the pick between the tip of the index finger. Your index finger should be curled. Like this: http://www.beimborn.com/stc/sm_pick_on_mandolin.jpg
     
10. • Try to get off the page. The more you can internalize the music you are playing, the better. Reading music can be a crutch. Try to commit the exercises to memory.
      
11. • I always encourage newer players to find a jam in their area that is beginner friendly. Playing with others is fun, improves your ear and speeds learning.

They're probably long out of commission by now

here's a link to something similar

and dunlop makes something like that out of ultex but i think those only go up to 1mm where yours is 1.5mm

I play my uke with my fingers, but I've played guitar a lot with a pic. My personal favorite is the D'Andrea Pro Plec 1.5mm. It sounds great on metal or nylon strings, has a nice smooth surface that glides across strings, and the rigidity gives a nice rich full sound from strings. Great for fast picking licks, or for heavy strumming, works great all around. I also like the shape, it fits into the nook of my finger very well, where I basically have my pointer finger curled like making a fist and the pick sits into that nook on top, held in place with my thumb. It's a great shape for this style of holding a pick, but I know everyone has their own preference. I think these sound good on nylon strings, so maybe give them a try. They require a little different technique than the flexible style of pick, but the sound is a lot better from these imho.

I swear by these. They're big so they're easy to grip (and find). They're thick so they never break. They're basically perfect.