Finger Picking?

[M29]

Hello,

Do you guys have any suggestions on getting started on finger picking? I want to learn this technique the correct way and not pick up any bad habits. I am sorry if this was already covered but I cannot get the search function to work.
I have been watching Jeff Beck and a few other guys use this and wanted to learn.
Also I picked up a DVD on the Blues by Greg Koch that is absolutely fantastic. Greg is an excellent teacher and pretty humerous as well. He goes over many of the basic techniques of Albert King, Howlin Wolf, Elmore James, Guitar Slim and also some Eric Clapton. Oh yeah he also covers The Sky Is Crying-Stevie Ray Vaughn. This DVD keeps me coming back for more, it is thick with info and Greg can really sling them strings as well.

Thank you
M29

[Katastrophe]

My fingerpicking could use a ton of work, too. I'm interested in hearing ideas on this one, too!


Beck does some amazing things on his Strat with the fingerpicking...

[M29]

It looks like he uses his first and second finger like you would use a pick in a double pick, is this safe to say? If I can get this far I wold be happy right now.
M29

[Cranium]

The first time I started playing I was playing acoustic, you used index and middlefinger cause they are the most comfortable to play with (although thats what my teacher thought me ofcourse)
If your playing arrpeggios with your fingers use the thumb on D and lower strings and the others on the higher strings, if its a 5-string arrpeggio from A string then can use your thumb(A)-index(D)-middle(G)-third(B)-middle(E) I think thats how it works, because its hard to pull with the pinky (Also same idea if you play a 6-string one. But its pretty hard to pick fast with your fingers, pick is obviously faster unless you got your fingers to move real fast, I guess some people can...

[M29]

Hello Cranium,

I see, I thought a pick would be quicker as well and also thought a pick would be more percussive or give a sharper sound or attack to the sound of the string. Then I hear Jeff Beck and it sounds almost like a pick. Maybe he had a callus that adds to the sound.

M29

[M29]

Hello,

I made a mistake in my previous post and thought an edit of that would not get noticed.

It appears that Beck uses his (Thumb) and (First Finger) like a pick. I wrote his first and second finger in my previous post. If he used his first and second it would be like a base player, sorry for the confusion.

It is hard to see he uses them so fast.

M29

[Cranium]

I never seen someone use their thumb and index like a pick, most classical guitar players play with index and middle finger, but as long as you can play it that way go ahead and do so.

[Tim]

I have been practicing some figurer picking the last week or so myself. My left hand picking fingers seem to have minds of their own. They do not work like I want them too.

One would think than after playing chords for several years, that the left hand would not have any problems. Not this hand’s fingers! It seems they will need retraining for the art of finger pickin’.

I went out and purchased a book by Progressive called “Fingerpicking Guitar” by Gary Turner and Brenton White. The book comes with a CD. The book is geared form Beginner to Advance Student.

Although I like DVDs better to learn from.

[Justaguyin_nc]

I been fortunate to have seen a few beginner and advanced DVD's.. I put up an audio file of the following
DVD's explaining styles.. seems like everything and anything is used and is correct..
From thumb and index to thumb and no index but the ring and middle.. but basicly.. Thumb and index is used
by many many players.. throwing in the middle now and then it seems..

I have seen more then this but..
these audio clips come from the following dvd's in this order:

Fingerpicking Country Blues Guitar - Stephen Grossman -Basic and simple

The Fingerpicking Blues of Mississippi John Hurt - John Sebastian and Happy Traum - intermediate

Beginner's Fingerpicking Guitar - Fred Sokolow - Beginner

The Guitar of Lightnin Hopkins - Ernie Hawkins - Beginner - intermediate

Guitar Styles And Techniques of Jerry Reed - Buster B Jones -Advanced

Hope this helps..


Audio File can be found here:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=R4IGNSS1

[Robert****]

I use a hybrid picking style - using my pick between the thumb and 1st finger as usual, then using the 2nd and 3rd finger to pluck the strings. I learned this by checking out Albert Lee and Danny Gatton. Even the pinky gets used sometimes, although not that often.

Maybe I should make another video clip demonstrating this?

[M29]

Hello Robert,

If I remember right you did mention your picking style on one of your videos. It takes me a while to digest some of this stuff, your playing is awesome but I am a long way off yet.
While I have you here Robert, I have been looking for a section of one of your video's that showed sweep picking. Did it get taken off or am I missing something?
Your help would be greatly appriciated.

M29

[Robert****]

I could make a video focusing only on the hybrid picking style I guess, focused on how to get started with the technique.

Is this what you are looking for?

http://www.dolphinstreet.com/video_clips/video-2.php

[M29]

Hello Robert,

Yeah a lesson on hybrid finger picking basics would be great! I was looking over the Greg Koch DVD again and he touches on the style you are talking about but just briefly.

Yes that is the sweep picking video, I was looking in the lessons area and missed it.

Thanks as always Robert.

M29

[marnold***]

I would like to be able to do some fingerpicking but since losing my first three fingertips on my right hand, that's out. Actually, what I really would like to try is playing flamenco. I tried using some banjo picks, but that didn't work out so well and I wasn't really motivated to try any harder.

Thankfully, my pinky is still intact so I can do some hybrid picking with the pick and my pinky. It takes some getting used to, but then again, so did everything else after the accident

[Robert****]

Oh my, what happened to the fingers, how'd you lose them?

[Cranium]

I could make a video focusing only on the hybrid picking style I guess, focused on how to get started with the technique.

Is this what you are looking for?

http://www.dolphinstreet.com/video_clips/video-2.php

Now that is what I call shred... that was cool considering you don't even play in that style.

Edit: By the way Robert your hands look really big...

[marnold***]

Oh my, what happened to the fingers, how'd you lose them?

I had a little run in with the snow thrower in January of '01. You know how it says "Don't stick your hand in here, idiot" on the chute? Obey that warning. To give you an idea of the damage, look at your right hand and imagine that your first three fingers suddenly became the same length as your pinky. Let's just say that it wasn't one of my finer moments.

I guess that gives me something in common with Tony Iommi, although I'm right handed. Playing guitar is the only thing where it was actually better to hurt my right hand than my left. I've learned how to compensate for basically everything, except fingerpicking. I used to play bass with my fingers. If I practiced enough I could probably get it down. On the rare occasion that I pick up a bass, my middle finger in particular misses the string altogether. Of course, it's slightly better than half its original length.

I had to relearn how to hold a pick. Now I actually have a better grip on it than I did before. I can tap with my pinky as well as use it for hybrid picking. My flamenco career has probably been cut short (pardon the pun) but I was unlikely to become the next Estaban anyway.

[Tim]

That is some story. I am glad to see you where persistent in learning how to play the guitar again. Your story encourages me to study harder to be a better player. Thanks for sharing you personal tragedy.

[marnold***]

That is some story. I am glad to see you where persistent in learning how to play the guitar again. Your story encourages me to study harder to be a better player. Thanks for sharing you personal tragedy.

Well, I don't know if it's a "tragedy" so much as it was "stupidity." The first thought that entered my head once I was at the hospital (and I knew that my five-month-pregnant wife wasn't going to go into premature labor) was "I can't believe I did something that stupid."

Basically I wanted to do whatever I could do to get back to "normal" as soon as possible. I had really just started getting into guitar again and didn't feel like quitting. Plus, how was I going to produce large quantities of noise if I didn't play my guitar?