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Plectrum, picks or fingers?

Posted by Darren on June 28, 2016 at 9:09am in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts

Hi, new here and about to start playing...

I see various videos with people playing with a plectrum, fingerpicks (i.e. like a banjo) and with fingers.  All sound great, but is there a preference for a type of playing linked to a style?  I seem to see plectrums used for more rock styles, and blues/country is pretty mixed.  

Interested to know if there's advantages in learning one style over another (early on or generally) and if they relate to particular music styles?

Thanks!

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Replies

  • Darren June 30, 2016 at 8:07am

    Thanks for all the replies.  Looks like the best bet is to experiment with each style and see what both seems natural, and allows me to play the styles I gravitate towards.  I'm thinking of plectrum and fingerpicking - whilst I can see the benefit of the finger picks, being amplified I shouldn't need the added volume.  

    Now on with the build...

    • Alan Hergert > Darren June 30, 2016 at 12:18pm

      Yes.  Figure out what works best for you.  "Darren" style.  ;)

  • Cause the Blue rat June 29, 2016 at 10:56pm

    Some years ago I ran across a vid of a guitar player using  perfect clawhammer techniques. Showing how you can pull up with your thumb to get a bass note. Switching lower strings with your thumb and still keep that bum diddy gallop that is the essence of this technique. Unfortunately those vids are no longer available.  

    So yes it can be done. And has a real bluegrass sound to it. 

  • Cause the Blue rat June 29, 2016 at 5:59pm

    There are two popular types of finger picking. The first is Travis. The second is called  'claw hammer'. They are both very distinct in the way they're played. And the way they sound.  Travis is very smooth. Claw Hammer as a very pronounced 'bum didy' or gallop. Where Travis is smooth.

    Unfortunately you can go through 100 youtube vids called 'clawhammer' and not find a single one with a true clawhammer technique. They're all playing Travis. 

    this is clawhammer.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnAZloK7P88.

  • Cause the Blue rat June 28, 2016 at 9:24pm

    My two cents,

    What style interests you more? What style of picking makes you want to play? Sounds right for what you want to do. Learn that style first. 

  • Ron "Oily" Sprague June 28, 2016 at 12:11pm
    I use 'em all! I can tell you that after 35 years of playing 6-string acoustics and electrics in folk, country, blues, bluegrass and rock styles, my fingerpicking seriously improved over the next 4 years when I started playing fingerstyle on 3- and 4-string CBGs. This then carried back over to my 6-string playing. I personally would recommend learning to play fingerstyle blues and slide on a 3-string GDG-tuned git. You will learn how to keep a bass note going, and get at least your index and middle fingers going properly. Then, try a 4-string; you can then try working your ring and or pinkie fingers in on the fun. Then you can translate back to a 6-stringer, which suddenly looks like a a bunch of different 3-and 4-stringers in different tunings all clamped together.
    • jawbone > Ron "Oily" Sprague June 29, 2016 at 4:16pm

      What is considered "Fingerstyle" - is it the same as "Cottonpickin'" - I use my thumb (with a shortened pick) and my first two fingers - thumb goes down and fingers come up.

  • JL June 28, 2016 at 10:02am

    my 2 cents, for what its worth...

    start with a thin flexible guitar pick with a textured grip to get the hang of strumming first.  they are cheap and easy to toss and grab another when you break it compared to breaking strings.

    then move on to picking with bare fingers. 

    which you use when is up to you, "artistic impression".

    banjo finger picks are just an aide to volume and speed over bare finger picking.

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