Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on March 15, 2015 at 12:18pm

Pretty much a flatpicker from Day One. I never really played with my fingers much, except when playing my classical, until I got into CBGs. A few months plucking away on 3 and 4 strings did wonders for my fingerpicking skills, and transferred easily back to 6 strings. But after 38 years, my right hand is pretty much on autopilot. The one thing I have noticed with the concentration on CBGs over the last 4 years is that I now am a mindless alternate picker, which expends much less energy, and results in more fluid lead playing. I rarely even think about my picking hand anymore, except when finger picking. I just have developed more speed with a flatpick.

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Permalink Reply by Cause the Blue rat on March 15, 2015 at 4:47pm

Flat pick. Fender mediums. The old fashioned shaped ones. Over the years I've tried almost every shape and thickness out there. Tried nylon pics. Found them to be to floppy. Triangle and odd shaped ones were either bulky or hard to hold. Really heavy pics were great for speed. But needed to just graze the strings. Anything deeper could break a string. Always came back to the fender mediums.  

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Permalink Reply by The Phrygian Kid on March 15, 2015 at 7:27pm

thumbpicks take patience.

fingerpicks take lots and lots of patience.

persevere, its worth it.  Try National brand nickel steel ones, they're easier to bend into a perfect fit than plastic ones.

Unless you've had a mishap you should have four fingers on your picking hand, so its not necessarily an either/or position, try fingerpicks on your pinky and ring finger and you've still got index and pointer bare. (this was Freddie Kings trip, also Little Steve from E Street, he uses fingerpicks but not on his pointer, which he uses to hold a flatpick with his thumb, an unusual combo)

Big fat picks have dynamics.  You can still hit a string lightly, it just takes practice.  Ouch there's that word again.  Nothing is free...

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Permalink Reply by Tom T on March 16, 2015 at 1:15am

Thanks Kid.

Hadn't thought of trying finger and flat together. Guess there is no reason one could not. May feel like rubbing your stomach in one direction and head in the other. I'll give it a try.........

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Permalink Reply by Bad Finger (Eric) on March 16, 2015 at 2:23am

Tom (and anyone else), Pat Curley did a nice video on hybrid picking just a couple months ago.

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/video/hybrid-picking

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Permalink Reply by Tom T on March 16, 2015 at 8:30am

Thanks Eric.

I did Patrick's on line blues course and had seen the hybrid picking video once. I'll go back and give it another. look.

Thanks

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Permalink Reply by Keith on March 16, 2015 at 9:31am

Flat pick, everything else I am all thumbs.  I chew my nails so fingerpicking is not going well and finger picks feel like wearing oven mitts.

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Permalink Reply by jawbone on March 16, 2015 at 10:40am

What are these "Alaska Picks" ????

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Permalink Reply by jawbone on March 16, 2015 at 10:32am

How the heck did wayfinder sneak that in while I was typing ???!!!!????

I use a thumb pick and fingernails - I file the thumb pick down quite a bit. I just found I couldn't get a strong sound using my thumb. Still don't like the feel of it but.... I also heat them to bend them to fit my big fat thumb better.
PS: what is the style called when I use thumb and first two fingers at the same time, kind of like you are picking up popcorn ???

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Permalink Reply by Tom T on March 17, 2015 at 3:30am

Thanks for the link. Strange looking little fellers.........

Looks like a design significantly different than what is normally considered finger picks. Do you use them on your thumb as well as fingers?

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Permalink Reply by Tom T on March 17, 2015 at 8:30am

Well, they're inexpensive enough to give a try. Thanks

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Permalink Reply by Clarky on March 17, 2015 at 1:01am

I learned guitar with a pick, so totally fine with one, but I don't get on with finger picks for the same reason as Bad Finger.  I use my fingers a lot now and like to feel the strings, I can't adjust to finger picks because I feel to far away from the strings (if that makes sense).

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