[Sunny1433]

It's been a couple of years since I stopped using a pic and I definitely feel more connected to the guitar. My playing is slower but more expressive I feel. But I have lost some of the "speed" I had and alternate picking is probably the hardest. Something like what Jimmy Page does on heartbreaker or since I've been loving you. What have you found challenging or like about playing this way? Any tips to share?

 

[Fuzzy dagger]

I stopped using a pick for about 10 years. Gotten back into it in the last two. I don’t think either one is faster Now I switch between the two, sometimes in the same song.

 

[Sunny1433]

I stopped using a pick for about 10 years. Gotten back into it in the last two. I don’t think either one is faster Now I switch between the two, sometimes in the same song.

That's pretty cool! Did you find a way to get more proficient without the pic? As in di you have a favorite exercise?

 

[Cups]

Depends on the guitar/song/mood. Band gigs are all pick though. Acoustic solo stuff is mostly fingers.

 

[SaucyJack]

I use one occasionally, not very often while I'm sitting around the house playing though.

 

[Maxer]

Use a pick most of the time when I'm sitting around working up tunes and concentrating on just chunking out riddim, but for some recording purposes - just some, mind you - I get waaaay more tonal expressiveness with my fingers alone, especially when doing solos. It's been a real discovery for me. One of my guitar heroes is Jeff Beck and that man coaxes a ridiculous amount of tonal variation out of his guitars using his fingers.

 

[Sunny1433]

Use a pick most of the time when I'm sitting around working up tunes and concentrating on just chunking out riddim, but for some recording purposes - just some, mind you - I get waaaay more tonal expressiveness with my fingers alone, especially when doing solos. It's been a real discovery for me. One of my guitar heroes is Jeff Beck and that man coaxes a ridiculous amount of tonal variation out of his guitars using his fingers.

Yeah, I should get into jeff Beck more! Any suggestions?

 

[High/Deaf]

I liked the Blow By Blow and Wired era, but they're all great in their own way. Absolutely required listening, IMO.

And so is this guy, Matteo Mancuso. I mean, if you're curious about fingerstyle and think it may limit your speed.......

 

[Sunny1433]

I liked the Blow By Blow and Wired era, but they're all great in their own way. Absolutely required listening, IMO.

And so is this guy, Matteo Mancuso. I mean, if you're curious about fingerstyle and think it may limit your speed.......

That's absolutely sick! He's kinda playing like a bassist, with his first and second finger. I haven't given that a proper go yet, I use my thumb and first finger to alternate pick. Maybe I could try that.

 

[troyhead]

And so is this guy, Matteo Mancuso. I mean, if you're curious about fingerstyle and think it may limit your speed.......

This guy is definitely playing electric like a classical guitar (thumb plus three fingers, even the way he is holding his hand over the strings). I started out on classical guitar, and to this day I still prefer using fingers for complicated "picking" patterns. But I could never do the fingernail thing, so playing with my fingers requires using the fleshy parts of my fingers.

I suck at solos, and I've been thinking about dropping the pick more and trying to play with fingers. But then what do you do for strumming?

I'm interested to hear about how others play electric with their fingers, but without growing their fingernails.

 

[Sunny1433]

I don't grow my fingernails at all for guitar. For strumming I've kind of adopted a modified flamenco style where I snap my wrist to strum. It definitely doesn't have as much attack but I don't play many heavier styles that require that kind of strumming. I'm not using a pic at any time, so I've had to find my own weird way of doing things.

 

[Dorian2]

I use pick, hybrid, and finger. Depends on the situation. As for Beck recommendations, this album is fantastic.

 

[Jim9guitars]

I alternate between pick and no pick on electric and acoustic. I kind of developed my technique on the fly because I use to drop my pick in the middle of a song on stage and didn't want to interrupt the flow of the song. I've since picked up some fingerstyle techniques that apply more to the acoustic.

 

[Jim9guitars]

This guy is definitely playing electric like a classical guitar (thumb plus three fingers, even the way he is holding his hand over the strings). I started out on classical guitar, and to this day I still prefer using fingers for complicated "picking" patterns. But I could never do the fingernail thing, so playing with my fingers requires using the fleshy parts of my fingers.

I suck at solos, and I've been thinking about dropping the pick more and trying to play with fingers. But then what do you do for strumming?

I'm interested to hear about how others play electric with their fingers, but without growing their fingernails.

I strum without a pick by brushing my nails across the strings on a down stroke and catching the up stroke with the tip of my index finger. I straighten it so it's almost pointing at the floor. My down stroke can be any number of two fingers to all four. Apparently my hand looks like I am playing with a pick.

 

[greco]

I like to play jazz chords with my fingers. It is not that unusual in some styles of jazz guitar playing. However, MINE IS unusual at best ..LOL!

 

[Wardo]

I play St James Imfirmary on a Firebird V finger pickin with a thumb slap but that’s about it. Fender 351 heavy pick for most everything else.

 

[Sunny1433]

I like to play jazz chords with my fingers. It is not that unusual in some styles of jazz guitar playing. However, MINE IS unusual at best ..LOL!

How so?

 

[greco]

How so?

Sonically!...I have a long way to go at this point. Many of the chord shapes are awkward and the required muting is challenging.

 

[Kenmac]

I stopped using a pick in 1993. My influence for that was a really good guitar repairman who was also an amazing fingerpicker. After seeing what he could do I decided to stop using the pick and get into fingerpicking. As others have said, and I've found this to be true, using fingers/nails is more expressive. You don't have to lose speed either as there are plenty of exercises you can use for faster picking.

 

[GTmaker]

I basically strum along while I try and sing and I prefer not to use a pick.
Like Greco said, a lot of my chord patterns are really designed for fingers only.

Another thing I have noticed os that the guitar tone has a definite flavor with fingers only
and if you get used to that, picking up a pick does change the tone of your sound.
I have been able to tweak the guitar and amp to compensate for the pick tone BUT I prefer the fingers only tone at this stage of things.
G.