Members dman11 Posted October 6, 2012 Members Share Posted October 6, 2012 I recently started playing electric with my fingers and realized not only is the tone awesome but I can actually play my licks without a pick. things like hammerons are sounding okay for fast runs and intuitively I'm using my thumb more. Anyone experience this? I'm playing and diggin my Sheraton II's tones better than with a pick.I still play with a pick for metal and such but for blues and roots rock it's fingers all the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members billythegoat Posted October 6, 2012 Members Share Posted October 6, 2012 I have been working on chickin pickin for the past few years and have recently stopped using a pick. I have had roughly the same results. Loving the tone but working on speed. It's nice not needing a pick when there isn't one to be found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wagdog Posted October 6, 2012 Members Share Posted October 6, 2012 i like playing w/o a pick, however i find myself using hybrid picking more often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PrawnHeed Posted October 6, 2012 Members Share Posted October 6, 2012 I rarely use a pick. Saves nails when strumming, otherwise I usually prefer fingers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ugameus Posted October 6, 2012 Members Share Posted October 6, 2012 I use my fingers almost exclusively. If I am cranking the gain I will use a pick, but that is really the only time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GAS Man Posted October 6, 2012 Members Share Posted October 6, 2012 I usually play without a pick. My thumb and 3 fingers are much better at picking out arpeggio progressions than I am with a pick. Exceptions are strumming, rapid alternating picking songs like Misirlou or Thunderstruck, and lately I've been grabbing a pick a bit more when I really want the dynamics that come from digging in hard with a pick. But still, 90-something percent of the time, I just use my finger nails. But it was taking classical guitar lessons back in '97 that got me firmly entrenched as a finger picker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members humbuckerstrat Posted October 6, 2012 Members Share Posted October 6, 2012 I use my fingers when I play slide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MahaloVision Posted October 6, 2012 Members Share Posted October 6, 2012 Haven't gone completely pickless, but use the fingers only when doing anything Knopfler-esque. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Elessar [Sly] Posted October 6, 2012 Members Share Posted October 6, 2012 I like to switch between fingers and the plectrum, and sometimes hybrid picking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Yngtchie Blacksteen Posted October 6, 2012 Members Share Posted October 6, 2012 I have done a few videos where I'm only playing fingerstyle, but I need to work out some dedicated fingers-only licks, so that it's not just a different tone but a totally different technical approach as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ajympt Posted October 6, 2012 Members Share Posted October 6, 2012 Originally Posted by GAS Man I usually play without a pick. My thumb and 3 fingers are much better at picking out arpeggio progressions than I am with a pick. Exceptions are strumming, rapid alternating picking songs like Misirlou or Thunderstruck, and lately I've been grabbing a pick a bit more when I really want the dynamics that come from digging in hard with a pick. But still, 90-something percent of the time, I just use my finger nails. But it was taking classical guitar lessons back in '97 that got me firmly entrenched as a finger picker. Same here- took classical lessons for a couple years and even though I have a boatload of pics, I almost never have one in my hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Doctor49 Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 mostly have a pick but mostly for hybrid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members billybilly Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 I think that invariably, you learn to use your fingers because they are there and many times, picks are not. I must admit though, I started on acoustic and did a lot of finger picking which has influenced my electric playing. Each have there place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BydoEmpire Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 I play without picks pretty often and enjoy doing it, but it's not my main thing. I'm probably 90% picks, 10% fingers. I would say I'm far from an expert, but comfortable enough with my fingers that I can get by and do what I need to do if there isn't a pick around. It's great fun, and great for breaking out of ruts. I think a lot of times I play better blues and rootsy stuff without a pick - probably just forces me to slow down and hear before playing, and you can really spank it. On the other hand there's no way I can do justice to Paganini's 24th caprice with my fingers. Slide playing, and playing bass is 100% fingers for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IbanezJon Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 Took me a while to adjust but it's quite good to know you can play either way. Guess it came from the same reason as most others.. not having a pick around, too lazy to get one etc.. Can't play fast country stuff.. but yeah.. I agree about the tone. There is something special when the finger tone is coming from both ends.. instead of just the fretting end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IbanezJon Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 I'm am curious as to how many people use their nails when finger picking vs using the fleshy part.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kayd_mon Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 I hybrid pick a lot, and I'll sometimes play without the pick at all. I don't play too differently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundcreation Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 Nope...don't like playing with fingers at all unless it's necessary for the part. Don't like the muted attack that playing with fingers gives. For me the sound of pick on strings is FAR superior to fingers alone. hmmm....maybe it's a part of the reason I really haven't liked the way Jeff Beck has sounded since he stopped using one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tone Deaf Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 Originally Posted by soundcreation Nope...don't like playing with fingers at all unless it's necessary for the part. Don't like the muted attack that playing with fingers gives. For me the sound of pick on strings is FAR superior to fingers alone. hmmm....maybe it's a part of the reason I really haven't liked the way Jeff Beck has sounded since he stopped using one. I used to feel exactly the same way. But then I started to discover some of the texturing and note combinations you can achieve by plucking combinations of strings simultaneously that just can't be accomplished with a pick. Now, for me at least, it's like anything else...I switch it up depending on what I want to accomplish. The right tool and the right technique for the task at hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thecornman Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 I can go either way, but I prefer to have a pick and use it with my middle and ring finger for hybrid! I play with my jazz picks chocked up anyways and can tuck them up to go all fingers when I feel the want to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members realtree71 Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 Some songs with some without. But when I practice I try to spend equil time without. I love the tone without but for me it's hard to get use to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundcreation Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 I used to feel exactly the same way. But then I started to discover some of the texturing and note combinations you can achieve by plucking combinations of strings simultaneously that just can't be accomplished with a pick. Now, for me at least, it's like anything else...I switch it up depending on what I want to accomplish. The right tool and the right technique for the task at hand. Right...but that's what I meant by "if it's necessary for the part". If I need the sound of two stings played at once plucked then I will use it. But for 99% of what I play....I think fingers sound terrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PrawnHeed Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 I'm am curious as to how many people use their nails when finger picking vs using the fleshy part.. Both. Not as important on electric, but on acoustics, and especially nylon strings, you can vary the tone considerably by changing the amount of nail. Go to a classical guitar site and there's probably a whole subforum dedicated to nails. How to file them, how to repair them, what to eat to strengthen them, ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PeaveyPlayer Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 All depends on the song but given a choice, I would play with a pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members csm Posted October 7, 2012 Members Share Posted October 7, 2012 Can't fingerpick for {censored}, and never could -- but I use hybrid picking for practically everything, electric and acoustic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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