to finger pick or not to finger pick

Subject: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: 53
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 09:45 PM

which do you prefer? fingerpicking style, or flatpicking style, that is the question.

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: Andrew S
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 10:15 PM

The answere completely depends on the type of music you want to play. I myselft play mostly old Delta and Piedmont blues. For that, you HAVE TO figerpick. Anything else would just be sacreligious.

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: 53
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 10:20 PM

ok , thanks for the info, i 'm working now on my fingerpicking, but i'd rather use a pick, cause i play a lot of rhythm parts and i just can't seem to master the finger pick.

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: ddw
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 11:14 PM

53,

this question has been asked several times before, and I always put in the same reply. Fingerpick! There is nothing you can do with a flatpick that you can't do with fingerpicks, but there's a helluva lot you can do with fingerpicks that you can't do with a flatpick.

A lot of people will tell you that flatpicking can be a lot faster, particularly for bass runs. Pure bunk. With practise, you can go in close with thumb and index finger and do ANYTHING a flatpicker can do.

The only caveat to all this is that you need to use picks (or good nails), not just fingertip flesh. They'll make you feel like you're dancing in a honey jar for a while, but the extra volume and clarity will be worth it.

david

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: M.Ted
Date: 17 Oct 01 - 12:05 AM

It is useful to be able to do both flat picking and finger picking--I respectfully submit that, while Dave does have a point about the versatility of finger picking--what he says is not literally true, there are some things that a fingerpicker, and particularly some one with those picks on their fingers, really cannot do very well. It is much easier to play Freddie Green style rhythm guitar(or any similar swing accompaniment) with a flat pick. And Rock'n'Roll is pretty much flat-picker's territory. And you need your fingers to play Bossa Nova, but you can't use those fingerpicks-

Mostly, over the years, I have found that, playing unaccompanied, you have a lot more options when you use the fingers(though I actually learned to play guitar with fingerpicks, I ditched them twenty five years ago, and have had no need for them since)--when you are playing with a group though, the flatpick is very, very, helpful--

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: GUEST,truckerdave
Date: 17 Oct 01 - 01:11 AM

I vote for fingerpicking. You can do a nice bass line with your thumb and the melody with the other 3 fingers. If you're good enough you can make it sound like 2 guitars instead of one. Gets real interesting when you do it with slide in an open tuning. Listen to Sylvester Weaver's "Guitar Rag" from the 20's and you will swear there's two people playing.

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 17 Oct 01 - 03:38 AM

Flatpicking for me, but there again, I play far more tenor banjo and mandolin than guitar. One thing I like about flatpicking melodies (apart from me finding it a lot easier - my fingers are too slow) is I feel that you can be more "percussive" and "drive" a stronger rythym.

Jon

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: clansfolk
Date: 17 Oct 01 - 07:19 AM

Fingerpick with a "plectrum" thumb pick! Best of both worlds.........

Pete

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: BluesMojo
Date: 17 Oct 01 - 10:38 AM

I love fingerpicking, but I never use fingerpicks. Is this just a tone issue, or will using just bare fingers somehow impede my ability to play?

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: Clifton53
Date: 17 Oct 01 - 11:52 AM

I love to fingerpick also BluesMojo, and have never gotten the hang of fingerpicks or thumbpicks. I guess I haven't found the right ones yet. Bare fingers and a good nail on my right thumb are it for me, and I've found that I can really lift a string and pop it loudly with bare fingers, something I can't do with picks on.

It's whatever is comfortable for the individual, but I still try the picks from time to time, as I think that playing smoothly and with pace, wearing picks, is the height of guitar playing. Just my opinion of course, and I don't feel that not wearing picks will impede your playing.

Clifton

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: mooman
Date: 17 Oct 01 - 12:29 PM

Both in more or less equal measure here!

mooman

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: Steve in Idaho
Date: 17 Oct 01 - 12:41 PM

I'm a flatpicker - I have a couple of songs I fingerpick on - but really like the drive a flat pick can give. And there are some things that only a flatpick can do. At least this flatpicker!! Fiddle tunes with a straight melody line would, I think, be difficult with finger picks.

I am always trying to do more with less so the ability to be able to do both would make me the happiest - but at my age I don't think that is going to happen! *G*

Steve

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: GUEST,Steven G.
Date: 17 Oct 01 - 01:33 PM

I enjoy flat picking, because my fingers aren't to coordinated enough to do finger picking. I have tried so many times to finger pick, and couldn't do it, and went back to the flat picking. It works for me.

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Oct 01 - 02:45 PM

Having been taught in the classical style, I have always found finger picking better than flat picking. I guess it's like any thing else - practise!!!!

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: Justa Picker
Date: 17 Oct 01 - 02:52 PM

I do 'em both but in the overall umbrella of fingerpicking. For flatpicking single string runs, etc., I use the thumb/index two fingered style. I can also flat pick with a regular flat pick, but find I have more control with the thumb/index method.

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: dwditty
Date: 17 Oct 01 - 03:32 PM

I use mushy old fingers. Find I can pick, strum, snap, tweak, pinch, slam, etc. without tearing up my guitar. Just my preference, though. Whatever works best for what you do is as it should be.

dw

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: Steve in Idaho
Date: 17 Oct 01 - 05:11 PM

And that said dw - you do a very nice job of it also!! Was a treat to hear you last night!

Steve

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: 53
Date: 17 Oct 01 - 07:45 PM

thanks for all the comments, they were all good, but i still think that i can flatpick better than using the fingers. brent mason a studio musician in nashville has one of the best styles that ia have ever heard, he uses both a flatpick and his other fingers and now a lot of country pickers are doing that style, to me that's even harder than fingerpicking. bob

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: ddw
Date: 18 Oct 01 - 12:16 AM

53,

I had a music partner who played that way back in 1963 — guy from Texas named Jerry Benton. He was very good and w-a-a-a-y ahead of me, but I could never understand who he would want to lose the use of the index finger by holding a flatpick. He said it was just the way he learned it.....

david

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: BluesMojo
Date: 18 Oct 01 - 01:02 AM

I went to a guitar workshop by Gary Brewer a couple weeks ago at Bean Blossom, the Uncle Pen Days festival, and he did a song that he picked with a flatpick and then did fingerpicking with his middle and ring fingers. I'd never seen anything like that before, he said it was just natural to him.

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: Whistle Stop
Date: 18 Oct 01 - 08:55 AM

I can't understand why anyone would want to make this an either/or question. Why limit yourself? I do a great deal of both, and would recommend learning to do both if you want to get the most possible enjoyment out of your playing.

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: Jon W.
Date: 18 Oct 01 - 10:28 AM

I'm not what you'd call an accomplished guitarist or banjo player--but my 2 cents worth is that I can't take the layer of isolation between my hand and my instrument that picks - either flat or finger - introduce. I've tried other methods a few times, but I always come back to just plain old bare fingerpicking.

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: Don Firth
Date: 18 Oct 01 - 11:50 AM

I started out fingerpicking, first on a steel-string guitar, then shifted to a classic. I've played classic guitars ever since.

When I took music at the University of Washington back in prehistoric times, one of the requirements was that everyone had to play a bit of piano as well as whatever else they played. Now, I love the piano when other people play it; but for me, there was just too much machinery between me and the strings. I feel the same way about flatpicks and fingerpicks. But some great musicians use 'em.

BTW, using a flatpick in conjunction with middle or ring finger was the way Glen Campbell played (plays?), and he was no slouch.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: Hilary
Date: 18 Oct 01 - 04:57 PM

My momma always done told me NEVER to pick ..... Oops sorry you meant guitars. H

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: 53
Date: 18 Oct 01 - 06:38 PM

yeah, glenn cambell is a great guitar player.

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: 53
Date: 18 Oct 01 - 09:35 PM

in the past couple days, i have really been working on my finger style, i'll talk on mudcat and pick my taylor big baby at the same time, good practice on both accords.

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 09:07 AM

for my nose, i like plain old fingers. fingerpicks scar the inside of the nostrils and you can't even get flatpicks up those holes in a way that'll get much snot out.

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: 53
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 04:22 PM

someone has to be funny.

Subject: RE: to finger pick or not to finger pick
From: GUEST,frankie
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 04:53 PM

I put some of those acrlyic nails on the i,m,r fingers of my right and since then I never use a flatpick. I leave the index a little long and use it to do single lines with alternating strokes and for strumming when I'm not fingerpicking. It's kind of opened up a new world for me. f