Which fingers for fingerpicking

[DarkHorseJ27]

My wife is starting to learn to fingerpick, and she is picking it up fast. She is most comfortable with only using the thumb and index finger unless she doing chords. I myself use all my fingers. It got me to thinking which type is better. About the only way I can think of my way being better is if your attempting fast arpeggios or tremolo. She's not interested in flamenco or classical guitar, so that isn't an issue.

 

And there are a lot of good guitarists that only use their thumb and index finger, including one of my favorite acoustic guitarists, Ritchie Blackmore.

 

Are there any other things to consider when deciding what fingers to use for fingerstyle other than style and preference?

[gthom]

I suppose it's individual preference. Like you say, there's a lot of really good guitarists out there who only use thumb and index. I find some runs are easier if you can alternate i/m, but that might be more of a classical thing. I know that when I started fingerstyle I stuck mostly with thumb and index and I sometimes have to focus still to remember to alternate.

[RogueGnome]

Most players use thumb, index, middle and ring, but all possible variations abound. If she's making good progress I'd let it go. She will probably expand into more as time goes by, but as you point out, some very accomplished players use just the thumb and index.

[slagorourke]

I mostly use thumb and index only, but depending on the song I may add others.
On the Beatles 'Yesterday' for instance I use thumb and 3 fingers to grab the chords, but if I can get away with it I stick to thumb and index only.
No sense complicating things unnecessarily.

[Gary Blanchard]

I am by no means a great guitar player and am purely self-taught with chord books. I have a two-finger picking style. By the time I was informed about three-finger picking I was too set in my ways and too contenet with what I was doing to change. That being said, there are some things I like that I can't do, so I have to accept that.

If your wife is happy and doing well, I'd leave her to it and offer encouragement if she decides she would like to change. (Letting your wife do what she wants is almost always the best choice. )

[Opa John]

When it comes to fingerpicking, I'm stuck with thumb, index and middle fingers. Can't get the ring and pinkie fingers to do a thing. I gave up on those two fingers years ago.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it Merle Travis who used only his thumb and index? Or, was it Merle who never used a barre chord in his life? Or, am I thinking of Doc Watson? Somebody enlighten me, please, so I can sleep tonight.

[Stackabones]

Merle Travis, Doc Watson used thumb and index. You'll also see plenty of African fingerpickers use the same.

 

The best way is to get out of her way.

[Dave W.]

If she is "into" fingerpicking right now I would encourage her to learn to use at least index and middle as it will never be easier for her than it is now. While there are certainly some great fingerstyle players that get by just fine on index only I would assume that they have more talent than the average person. Just because they can get the speed necessary from just one finger does not mean we can. This is how my first guitar teacher put it to me. I prefer three plus thumb. My 2 cents, YMMV

[Florida_Gator]

If she's a beginner, I'd encourage her to use thumb and 3 fingers.

[GuitarVlog]

Modern fingerstylists, classical guitarists, and flamenco guitarists use thumb, index, middle and ring.

 

Early classical guitarists and lutenists used only thumb, index and middle.

 

There are now fingerstylists and classical guitarists who use thumb, index, middle, ring and pinky. There tend to be in the minority because the hand position requires and adjustment in order for the pinky to play. I'm experimenting with using the pinky.

 

Can you play with just thumb and index? Absolutely, just as you can do a lot of work with a pick; but you add more versatility by adding fingers.

[seagullplayer77]

I don't do much fingerpicking...I just toodle around here and there, but when I do, I use my thumb and my middle finger. The rest of 'em just hang there helplessly, though I'll occasionally anchor my picking hand with my pinkie. Probably not the best way to fingerpick, but it gets the job done.

If you want to play stuff like this, though, you need more than just two fingers:


[YOUTUBE]d-lD9m_YEXU[/YOUTUBE]

[garthman]

If she's a beginner, I'd encourage her to use thumb and 3 fingers.

 

 

Yes

[Gary Palmer]

PIMA is the method I was originally taught and still base my playing around.

P = Pulgar / thumb = E,A,D bass strings
I = Indice / index = Third/G string
M = Medio / middle = Second/B string
A = Anular / ring = First/high E string

IMHO adopting this technique broadens a player's scope to toward classical technique and can be readily adapted for work involving most other playing styles.

[gthom]

PIMA is the method I was originally taught and still base my playing around. P = Pulgar / thumb = E,A,D bass strings I = Indice / index = Third/G string M = Medio / middle = Second/B string A = Anular / ring = First/high E string IMHO adopting this technique broadens a player's scope to toward classical technique and can be readily adapted for work involving most other playing styles.

 

 

I'd agree with that. Once you're familiar with using PIMA, it seems pretty intuitive most of the time (unless you'd already developed bad habits like yours truly). I don't really see what could be the downside to starting off with this approach toward fingerstyle.

 

Although once I was learning a Doc Watson tune where he does what I guess is called "brush picking" (using just your index finger to play notes on successive strings) and I wasn't able to get myself out of using both the I and M instead of just I.

[DarkHorseJ27]

Its not like she wants to be a technique monster. She mostly wants to strum to back her singing and to fingerpick things she thinks sounds pretty.

[gthom]

Its not like she wants to be a technique monster. She mostly wants to strum to back her singing and to fingerpick things she thinks sounds pretty.

 

 

 

That's no excuse for not learning proper technique. :poke:

[Florida_Gator]

Its not like she wants to be a technique monster. She mostly wants to strum to back her singing and to fingerpick things she thinks sounds pretty.

That's "all" I wanted to do when I first started playing, too... but PIMA pays off big time, quite soon. Not only is it more flexible, but it actually makes things EASIER long-run.

(special thanks to Gary for learnin' me the "PIMA" acronym )

[Gary Palmer]

That's "all" I wanted to do when I first started playing, too... but PIMA pays off big time, quite soon. Not only is it more flexible, but it actually makes things EASIER long-run. (special thanks to Gary for learnin' me the "PIMA" acronym )

No probs mate

--------

I found it worked for me in several ways, with the main one being flexibility in being able to play virtually anything by varying technique. It may seem difficult at first, but the situation quickly resolves itself as the death-like neck grip eases and the fretting hand becomes more familiar with the fingerboard while playing the strings accurately.

[crashclc]

I'm a PIMA player when I play finger style (which is more and more lately) but for some reason and without any real conscious thought that darn pinky sneaks in for a shot here and there - usually on the high E string. It is probably not the official text book method, but it seems to work for me.

[fatback]

Gary Davis played thumb and index.

I sometimes play thumb and index, but mainly thumb index and second but I grab chords with index second and ring.

When playing Gary Davis numbers I sometimes just play with the thumb and index but need to at times use the second finger as well.

Does she sound OK. Does it work? She'll change her style when she wants to, maybe she won't even think about it.

Don't worry

Phil

[fatback]

I'm a PIMA player when I play finger style (which is more and more lately) but for some reason and without any real conscious thought that darn pinky sneaks in for a shot here and there - usually on the high E string. It is probably not the official text book method, but it seems to work for me.

 

 

It works for you. I think in the end that may well be the point.

 

Phil

[Jkater]

If she's a beginner, I'd encourage her to use thumb and 3 fingers.

+1

You saved me for having to type the whole thing. Wait! I already typed as many words... (but I use ten fingers so it went fast...)

[Jkater]

(special thanks to Gary for learnin' me the "PIMA" acronym )

PIMA: Pouce, Index, Majeur, Auriculaire? (why the french)

[Gary Palmer]

PIMA: P ouce, I ndex, M ajeur, A uriculaire? (why the french)

or

Prima, Indice, Medula, Anular

It's all latin based to me.

[Fendouglas]

I, too, am self-taught and started finger-picking (in fact guitar playing) - on medical advice - to prevent arthritis setting in in later years (and it has worked!), after an injury to my right hand.

I use all fingers (less pinky) as this was the way I learned but, like most of us on here, I have seen some exceptionally fine players using only thumb and index fingers and I think the sound that emerges has a lot to do with the action of the left hand, i.e. hammering on and off the strings in a timely manner