Fingerpicking

[dreadnut]

So I started learning fingerpicking when I built my banjo 40 years ago. I used a plastic thumb pick and brass finger picks on my index and middle fingers. Once I established some patterns, I transferred them to the guitar and I do a lot of fingerpicking, as well as flatpicking.

Then about ten years ago I had carpal tunnel surgery on my right thumb and picking fingers. Ever since, my middle finger won't work with a finger pick. But it works fine without a pick on that finger. So I've taken to doing all my fingerpicking just with my fingertips. I tried the long nail thing and that was too much maintenence, so I have just built up callouses on my picking fingers, like a bass player. I find that this gives me better control than the picks did, and I can downstroke with my fingernails, something you can't do with those finger picks because they point the wrong direction and they get hung up on the strings

Works great when I'm in a small setting or amped. If I'm in a group setting and going acoustic I just flatpick to get volume.

 

[Stuball48]

Not much a picker but what I do, I do with bare fingertips and love the softness they create. Plus--agree with you that small riffs and timing and accuracy better.

 

[bobouz]

I fingerpick almost exclusively, with both nails & flesh striking the strings. My ring finger remains fixed to the board, Scruggs style. I absolutely cannot play without the extended nails & have to substitute a reversed metal fingerpick if I break a nail - positioned so that it just barely extends beyond the flesh & mimics the fingernail.

Every time I break a nail, I’m immediately traumatized!

 

[HeyMikey]

I’ve been trying to learn how to fingerpick primarily by learning songs I like - e.g., Blackbird, Dust in The Wind, etc. Over the past few months I’ve noticed increased joint pain in my fingers on both hands. It may or may not be related, and may just be a normal progression of my arthritis. Do you folks have similar issues and what do you do to treat it?

 

[awagner]

My challenge is getting the high G to ring out when fingerpicking my 12s. Not a problem with a flat pick, but I just don’t get much volume from that string when I fingerpick it, most likely because it sits on top of the low G, and the string is picked from below.

I mostly tune to standard pitch, so I am reluctant to use a higher gauge string (.10 instead of .09), and I don’t like finger picks.

The only other solution I can think of would be to reverse just the G strings, but that would require a new nut.

 

[dreadnut]

I like the fact that with bare fingers I can downstroke the strings with my fingernails, which gives a flatpick dimension to it. Not possible to do with my fingerpicks.

 

[Rich Cohen]

Fingerpicking is what it is....challenging but satisfying, no? All all about rhythm and that groovy feeling one gets listening to popping sounds working against one another. Our brains are fools for such things. And other things (I won't go into that!)

 

[dreadnut]

I like to do the "boom-chucka" Merle/Doc thing, but I also love to do the melodic arrangements of Jim Croce and Gordon Lightfoot.

Then there's John Prine style fingerpicking, pretty much all thumb and forefinger.

 

[Rich Cohen]

I like to do the "boom-chucka" Merle/Doc thing, but I also love to do the melodic arrangements of Jim Croce and Gordon Lightfoot.

Then there's John Prine style fingerpicking, pretty much all thumb and forefinger.

Yeah, the amazing thing is you can finger pick with two, three or four fingers. And produce some very beautiful rhythms. Also if you figure it out, picking with a pick and also approximate finger picking too. But all of you knew that already!

 

[Westerly Wood]

maybe some of the best fingerpicking of all time:

 

[Tom O]

Started fingerpicking 50 years ago and like it best. Now use mostly just a thumb pick. For a 12 string try Earnie Ball Picky Picks. They fit between the pairs. They sound good on my resonator as well. Finger picks do increase the volume and give a different sound than bare fingers.

 

[GGJaguar]

I've tried and tried again to use finger picks (and thumbpick), but I just can't tell (i.e. "feel") where my fingers are in relation to the strings and it turns into a disaster. I've resigned myself to playing finger style with naked fingers.

 

[mike1100]

I appreciate the folks that can do this well.

I gravitate to extremely short nails going back to my days of learning piano as a kid. Today, I still play keys and I still can't stand long nails . On the bright side, being "limited" in this regard has made me work hard on my flat picking.

I've tried Fred Kelly finger picks and think it could be doable if I committed to it. My "naked" fingertip tone sucks, but I try. I'd like to master hybrid picking with a good set of callouses on my finger tips, but with other competing interests I don't see me putting in the reps / sets needed to accomplish this anytime soon.

 

[geoguy]

I've tried and tried again to use finger picks (and thumbpick), but I just can't tell (i.e. "feel") where my fingers are in relation to the strings and it turns into a disaster. I've resigned myself to playing finger style with naked fingers.

Agreed. And it seems to work for some others, e.g. Jeff Beck & Laurence Juber:

 

[Rayk]

I'm a flesh user . Lol.

I started as a Strummer and learned from albums mostly Rush .

I tried to join a few bands but I didn't make the grade all high school years. A few years before I had a friend named Peter Nabit and it was through him I seem my first Guild dread it was his sisters I don't know if the translucent blue finish was out then but that's what I remember it looking like it was brand new guitar and gorgeous never seen anything like it .
Peter was a way better player then me but he had no patience and yelled at me all the time ,I finally had enough . I seen him some yrs later Maybe 10th grade or so . His dress was looking more road side basker though I didn't know the term then .

He pissed me off again because he entertained us with one song after the other all night not repeating one of them . I couldn't believe what I was hearing or how the heck he got so good I was a bit better at the time but that's about it. Lol

So I kept playing , focused more on acoustic again and I feel that's when my style started at that point the guys from the same bands that refused me said I was best acoustic player out them all . That felt nice but I still had a long way to go. Still going I guess . Lol

When I moved to Florida is when I started with open tunings and more finger style though mixed with a pick at first . I still did my strumming sings but not often . I only played a 12string though those yrs a Yamaha F 312 or something.

When I started finger picking it was just flesh no finger picks . I tried a thump pick but like GG Jaguar said I couldn't stop my thumb from diving into the strings .

They just feel weird . I'm slowly trying to get my ring finger into the action and I'm getting it to play long , not well but it's a start.

One thing that might make it harder me is my style of playing has been based around my picking style so my mind is locked in that combination of playing.

Changing or augmenting this after 40 years will take a good bit of time , maybe I'll get it down around my 98th birthday. Lol

Sorry for the story once I started I just had to keep going . Lol

 

[Stuball48]

Loved your story Ray. Keep 'em coming. Folks like you are an inspiration to me.
Been working most of afternoon on figuring out how to strum along with Andrew Rue, his violin player, and a bagpipe player on "Amazing Grace." If you want your soul touched Google - Andrew Rue Amazing Grace. I, quickly, figured out it was not any major chord in standard tuning but capo the 3rd fret (standard tuning) and play it in C worked for me. Now for the melody.

 

[Guildedagain]

As we are made with fingers but not picks, it is infinitely more natural to fingerpick, no pick to drop or lose.

You'll know when you're overplaying because your fingertips hurt.

Learning fingerpicking is mastering melody/rhythm on guitar. 1/4 notes with dotted 8ths, really can't be done with a pick.

To me a pick is for hard rock, banging out endless powerchords, endless solos ;{)