You obviously don't want to learn how to pick locks so you can break into a building illegally; hopefully you want to learn to a locksmith or you simply have a tendency to lock yourself out of your own home.When learning how to pick locks you need to consider that there is a wide variety of locks in use today, and some are made specifically to keep out bump keys and other such tools. This means you may not be able to learn how to pick locks in every case. Many locks are made in a specific way and they can be picked or forced in certain ways if you know how to do this. It often takes some finesse and some expertise when it comes to the mechanics of the lock, but once you learn, you may be able to be a very successful locksmith in any area.

To learn how to pick locks, you first need to consider the inside of the lock itself. Most use a type of spring-action pin set. Small pins are lined up on springs; when the lock is in place, those pins all block the door handle from turning. When you slide in a certain key, the jagged edge of the key pushes the pins into a certain up and down pattern. When they are in place in that pattern, they move out of the way of the door handle so it can turn. This is the first step to learning how to pick locks.In order to do this without a key, you need to move the pins out of the way of the door handle. Typically two small bits of metal are needed; one pushes the tumblers or pins down and holds them down while the second continues to work the pins behind it. When you're first learning how to pick locks, you will notice that it takes some finesse and skill. 

You cannot simply slide a piece of metal into the lock and expect it to move all those pins out of the way; if it was this easy, you wouldn't need a key at all!Often learning how to pick locks involves specialized tools for a real locksmith. There are punch tools and bumps you would use in place of trying to push those tumblers yourself. They force everything in place, or pull the lock itself out of place completely. These too need some practice when you're learning how to pick locks with these tools.Learning how to pick locks is not always as easy as some people assume, and if you're going to be a professional locksmith you want to investigate the tools of the trade and know how to use them. Customers will not want you to damage their lock or their doors or anything else when they call you. The only way to how to pick locks professionally is to study how locks are made and how they work and to practice your techniques.