Fingerpicking, or
playing fingerstyle,
is playing the guitar
using the fingertips or fingernails,
rather than with a plectrum (or "pick").
It is usually used in Classical
guitar styles, and some other acoustic
styles, but it has found its way into
other genres as well, including rock
and roll, although its use in such genres
is rare. There is a whole school of
jazz guitar playing using the technique.
Joe
Pass was a leading exponent and
currently Britain's Martin
Taylor is noted for this chord-melody
approach. It is not the only way to
play the guitar without a pick, but
it is perhaps the most common pickless
style of professional guitar players.
There are at least as many ways to
fingerpick as there are fingerpickers.
The picking hand (the right hand for
right-handed guitarists) may or may
not have small picks attached to the
fingertips, somewhat similar to the
Scruggs style on the banjo, but it is
more common to simply use the fingertips
or fingernails. The pinky finger, or
possibly ring finger, might be held
against the bridge (on an acoustic)
or a pickup (on an electric),
to brace the hand. This finger should
be as straight as possible, though not
too rigidly. Holding it against the
bridge on an acoustic
deadens the tone of the instrument,
therefore when the player becomes skilled
enough it is preferred that the surface
of the guitar
simply be used, if possible. Then, the
other fingers, excluding the thumb,
are held in a claw shape (giving the
method its generic name of clawhammer)
and may then pluck or strike the strings.
There is a potential but slight disadvantage
to fingerpicking. If the fingertips
are used, there is a small chance that
a blister will develop, though this
is not likely unless one plays too fast
before calluses are developed. On the
other hand, if one uses the fingernails
instead, they might become slightly
ragged as tiny pieces of the nail are
chipped away by the strings. Neither
possibility is a real concern for a
serious guitarist, however.
Thumb and finger picks
In addition to using the finger tips
or finger nails, guitarists
who wish to play in a finger style,
while keeping the advantages, such as
the increased volume of the note, of
playing with a plectrum may choose to
use thumb and/or finger
picks.
These are "thimble"-like
prosthetics with extended nails which
spare the guitarist from the wear and
tear on fingernails. Though common among
banjo players, finger
picks are relatively uncommon among
guitarists. Thumb
picks, however, are common, as usually
the emphasis gained through the volume
increase these picks
give is desired for the bassline alone.
Hybrid picking
Following on from the use of thumb
picks, several guitarists
who only make occasional use of finger
picking may tend towards hybrid picking.
In hybrid picking, the plectrum is held,
as usual, between the thumb and index
finger while the remaining fingers are
used for fingerpicking.
Hybrid picking, because of its convenience
to the plectrum using guitarist,
has therefore found its way into styles
of guitar music where fingerpicking
is rarely, if ever, used. A notable
user of hybrid picking is Zakk
Wylde, who brings this technique
to heavy metal.
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