Finger picking, anyone here do it?
Discussion
Many, many years ago, when I first tried to play the guitar, it was a nylon string spanish guitar and I was taught to play arpeggios with my finger nails. Later I got into using picks and as I really only ever played chords this was ideal.
But I've been playing a bit of synth guitar recently, and keyboard sounds don't work so well with strumming, and it would be better if I could use my fingers, maybe even split the fingerboard (electronically speaking) and play a bass sound with my thumb, and some piano with my fingers.
But at my age my fingernails don't grow so well and tend to split or break, giving an uneven sound. I've tried finger picks but not got on too well with them, and I know some people use skin instead of nail. So, anyone here finger pick and if so, what technique do you use?
But I've been playing a bit of synth guitar recently, and keyboard sounds don't work so well with strumming, and it would be better if I could use my fingers, maybe even split the fingerboard (electronically speaking) and play a bass sound with my thumb, and some piano with my fingers.
But at my age my fingernails don't grow so well and tend to split or break, giving an uneven sound. I've tried finger picks but not got on too well with them, and I know some people use skin instead of nail. So, anyone here finger pick and if so, what technique do you use?
I don't often use finger picking, though I do hybrid pick a bit, finger tip works ok for me, whether on electric of acoustic.
Serious heavy duty finger picks like John Butler use acrylic nails that are painted on in layers that build onto the nail itself and form an extremely hard and durable coating that is practically impossible to damage on a guitar string unless you're really going for it. That said, despite being the best option from a musical perspective, most regular blokes wouldn't want to wear these as people might think you're a tranny.
Serious heavy duty finger picks like John Butler use acrylic nails that are painted on in layers that build onto the nail itself and form an extremely hard and durable coating that is practically impossible to damage on a guitar string unless you're really going for it. That said, despite being the best option from a musical perspective, most regular blokes wouldn't want to wear these as people might think you're a tranny.
I'm a terrible fingernail biter, so I use my fingertips. I even use my fingers to play the banjo as I didn't get on with the finger picks.
It's fine, but you get a really odd callous on the side of your thumb after a while. On a synth guitar it won't be too much of an issue, but you'll want the lightest, brightest strings you can get as it's quite a soft sound, even with a big guitar.
It's fine, but you get a really odd callous on the side of your thumb after a while. On a synth guitar it won't be too much of an issue, but you'll want the lightest, brightest strings you can get as it's quite a soft sound, even with a big guitar.
Can't stand the scratchy feeling on the stringsI use a pick (Fred Kelly .085 blue stubby - nice and thick and they have a nice and grippy textured surface so you don't drop them) for electric and strummed acoustic. For Finger picked acoustic I use a John Pearse vintage thumbpick (http://www.amazon.co.uk/John-Pearse-Vintage-Thumb-Picks/dp/B003ULX3RI) and finger nails and for classical stuff I just use nails.
The thumbpick was recommended by Martin Simpson and having experimented with loads I think he's right. Thumb picks take a bit of getting used to, in the end I wore one for a couple of days and they were OK. If they grip too tight you can warm them up in hot water and ease the bit that wraps around the thumb a bit. Finger picks = the devil's work.
If I play a lot of acoustic guitar finger finger style I tend to wear my nails out. If this gets really bad I have resorted to laminating/extending them by degreasing the nail surface and building up layers of tissue stuck down with superglue. This works well and can be used to fix broken nails as well. It helps a lot if you cut a strip of tissue to the width of your nail then glue it down and build it up layer by layer (4-6 layers of tissue is plenty). The file and shape as normal. Another alternative that lots of folkies use is to find a nail salon that does "silk wraps" apparently they are very good. When filing my nails I use fine emery boards or 1000-1200 grade wet and dry and only file from left to right (being right handed) so the surface of the nail that hits the sting is very smooth.
The thumbpick was recommended by Martin Simpson and having experimented with loads I think he's right. Thumb picks take a bit of getting used to, in the end I wore one for a couple of days and they were OK. If they grip too tight you can warm them up in hot water and ease the bit that wraps around the thumb a bit. Finger picks = the devil's work.
If I play a lot of acoustic guitar finger finger style I tend to wear my nails out. If this gets really bad I have resorted to laminating/extending them by degreasing the nail surface and building up layers of tissue stuck down with superglue. This works well and can be used to fix broken nails as well. It helps a lot if you cut a strip of tissue to the width of your nail then glue it down and build it up layer by layer (4-6 layers of tissue is plenty). The file and shape as normal. Another alternative that lots of folkies use is to find a nail salon that does "silk wraps" apparently they are very good. When filing my nails I use fine emery boards or 1000-1200 grade wet and dry and only file from left to right (being right handed) so the surface of the nail that hits the sting is very smooth.
Usually play arpeggios finger style. Much more accurate than using a pick, helped by resting your palm on the body above the lower E string to keep your hand in place.
Once you have the hang of it you can alternate the fingers to give different patterns rather than just up and down the strings and use the thumb for bass notes on the E A D strings to corresponde with the chords,
This was our first attempt,
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/id880156316
Martyn
Once you have the hang of it you can alternate the fingers to give different patterns rather than just up and down the strings and use the thumb for bass notes on the E A D strings to corresponde with the chords,
This was our first attempt,
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/id880156316
Martyn
I use skin on finger tips but you can't really beat the tone you generate with nails, I experimented with using fake nails stuck on with glue dots so they were removable after playing but to be honest they'd come off mid piece or I wouldn't have them with me so it worked out better to sacrifice the tone and go with skin. As mentioned earlier there are some finger pick contraptions but I always found they make your fingers feel heavy and clunky and slow you down too much.
I hybrid pick (rockabilly mainly) and find the nails on 2,3 and 4 really don't have to be that long, I grow them to just short of my finger tips and they still pluck the string nicely. Having said that my nails are pretty weak, middle finger especially. It tends to split down the centre which drove me mad for ages so now I buy some clear nail hardener (colourless varnish basically) and whack that on once a week. You can't see it unless you were really looking and it keeps them strong enough to get by.
I practice finger picking in open tunings. It sounds fine if you make mistakes - you can practice the accuracy without being disheartened with bum notes. If you watch someone like Leo Kottke play - he's making mistakes with his right hand all the time but, because of the open strings ringing as a kind of sympathetic drone, you don't hear them. Get it tight that way. As to nails/skin/fake nails - IMHO it doesn't matter. It's just tedious practice. I've never really thought about which bit of my finger is hitting the string. I very rarely use a plectrum - even on electric guitars. Again IMHO, you can't get the variance in tone and bite with a pick.
My first teacher was my step-brother, who was classically trained so standard p-i-m-a finger picking has never been a problem.
I do have issues with Travis picking (although I'm slowly getting to grips with it), and "back-thumbing" a la Robert Johnson. I don't think I'll ever master the latter. It's witchcraft and sorcery I tell ya!
I do have issues with Travis picking (although I'm slowly getting to grips with it), and "back-thumbing" a la Robert Johnson. I don't think I'll ever master the latter. It's witchcraft and sorcery I tell ya!
I attended school with James Grace and he can pick like nobody else I've ever seen. He was the first guitarist to have ever won the Tagore Gold medal from London's Royal college of music, from which he graduated.
http://youtu.be/ZIwwHauv4xw?t=20s
As above, take note of his fingernails.
http://youtu.be/ZIwwHauv4xw?t=20s
As above, take note of his fingernails.
Edited by Pints on Tuesday 23 December 12:03
singlecoil said:
Thanks for the replies everybody. I've cut the fingernails on my right hand and am busy practising getting a good sound from just the fingertips, Still a big difference between the sound of my thumbnail and the sound of my fingertips, so perhaps I should cut my thumbnail back too?
I go with a short thumbnail too. BorkFactor said:
I do a bit of it, always used my fingertips and never nails. Gives a lovely tone on my acoustic and I hold the pick between my first and second fingers between times so I can easily switch 
My mate can do that, I've never figured out how he does it. He can switch from playing with a pick to playing with his fingers and back again without missing a beat. He can't explain how he does it, either.See here at 01:45. Whenever I try that the only thing that happens is that I drop the pick...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjbz2OpvluE
Edited by Gaspode on Sunday 21st December 16:05
Short thumbnail if your fingernails are short. As a rule my nails are slightly below the top of my finger, looked at sideways on. If that makes any sense. If I look dead on at the Palm of my right hand, I can't see the nails. Getting the mastery of independently affecting the volume generated by each finger and the thumb (on the bass) is the main thing. If Inthink about it too much, my technique suffers!
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