Flatpicking With Fingers

[charlie_burt]

I was here for a few short free lessons but moved back to working on jazz standards and chord melody for a while longer. I’m back now working on flatpicking/melody playing on guitar and mandolin.

I’m 68 and have been playing guitar constantly since I was ten. All the years I played electric I mostly always played with my fingers but would also hold a pick on the occasions I needed to use one. I’ve had my acoustic about 8 months now and it’s still a struggle to use a pick doing flatpicking, strumming etc with pick is no problem.

Hammer on’s/pulloffs/series of single notes work fine and with fingers and speed is pretty close to what I need. I do have a problem playing fast single notes with fingers and especially with bluegrass I don’t have time to put the pick in place that I also hold in my hand while playing. It wasn’t a problem with blues/country to alternate between fingers/pick. Now I know I’m losing volume using fingers vs pick on acoustic. Are there any flatpicker’s that use fingers alot or do I need to just manup and keep practicing on using the pick more?

Oh and I spent most all afternoon and last night between guitar/mando lessons here and man there’s a mountain of great tunes and technique’s for me to work on…tks

[Mark_Rocka]

I’d keep trying the flat pick, but have you ever tried using finger picks? It would be a little unorthodox, but it would allow you to keep your volume, and you’d probably glide across the strings faster.

If you try it out, I’d love to see a video of your results.

[jw11]

Hey Charlie,

Take a look at Wayne Henderson… even study him. He has an unusual finger picking style that sounds exactly like flatpicking. You literally would never know he’s finger picking! He’s a great guy too… and builds some incredible instruments (if anyone could afford them). You would have to find a used instrument because his waiting list is like 10 years to have one built.

Anyway, check him out. He’s very popular… Google, Youtube, etc.

Good Luck,

J.W.

[charlie_burt]

tks folks and Wayne’s a mighty fine player but eek I just can’t use finger picks, probably why I was less than a mediocre player on resonator. I can’t even use a thumbpick by itself. I guess I’ll just keep practicing using a pick and keep playing fingerstyle on the tunes that warrant that style of playing…now the use of a pick with my mandolin fits like a glove and not a huge problem with guitar, just can be bothersome at times. I can’t stand to hit an unclean note.

[Mike_R]

Love the Wayne suggestion. Short of playing like Wayne, a pick is the tool for the job. Keep at it, and it will keep getting better!

[charlie_burt]

Yeah I’ll just keep practicing on using that pick. Changing the subject, looking through the guitar lessons and came upon Link Wray at the bottom. I liked the use of the Em9 in place of the Em. I know that to keep some things in a traditional sound you’d need to use lets say a straight C chord and just one example I use is to end certain songs in the key of C is to use a C6/9 chord. It really gives the tune a nice flavor for the ending. It’s moveable so works for most any key.