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Thread: anybody play electric guitar w/o a pick?

  1. #1
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    Default anybody play electric guitar w/o a pick?

    I'm looking into switching it up. I've used several types and weights of picks and am now considering doing the "hubert thing".

    Anybody tried this? Any advice? I'm a little concerned with losing speed (what little I have!). Or do you gain or keep speed by using thumb and other fingers?

    Bob
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    I do use my fingers quite often. I just alter my style a bit and play slower. The tone becomes so dynamic when you use your fingers instead of a pick.
    The Law of Gravity is nonsense. No such law exists. If I think I float, and you think I float, then it happens.
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  3. #3
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    I do this from time to time but mostly around the house. It does change how you approach a few things but that's OK because then you become more self stylized.

    I suggest the next time you play with others just don't use a pic and see what happens.

    "No Tele For you." - The Tele Nazi

    Ha! Tele-ish now inbound.

  4. #4
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    I tend to play 90% finger style, I am self taught so it is a bit sloppy at times, but I enjoy the flexibility it provides me in my limited playing range.

    It is fun to mix it up a bit, so give it a shot.

    Growing your thumb nail long (to the tip of your thumb) will actually start to sound like a pick.

    Looks sexy to
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    Default Good exemple here

    I use thumb & fingers quite often too, you can make much more variations on your guit . like country stuff, blues , name it ..

    It makes your sound quite different by a different attack ..It s also find for the jazz comping stuff ,i love it ..You can also find a way to hold your pick in beetwen fingers while youre plain in that style , then if you need speed , you grab the pick ..

    Look at mr. Clutch_ master playin mostly with his fingers ..

    s cuse my bad english , im Frogie from Quebec..



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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Robert
    I do use my fingers quite often. I just alter my style a bit and play slower. The tone becomes so dynamic when you use your fingers instead of a pick.
    i find the same thing happens when i play without a pick [which is about 25% of the time].
    "I happen to have perfect situational awareness, Lana. Which cannot be taught, by the way. Like a poet's ... mind for ... to make the perfect words." - Sterling Archer

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    One of the things that happens fortunately when you age is that your hair and nails grow at a rapid rate. My nails are as hard as any Fender Medium. I use them all the time and I find that there is much more speed by using 5 fingers compared to one pick. A prime example is Derek Trucks. Man that guy can play and it is all fingers. I really think you can be way more expressive with the fingers, and finger nails, than any pick.
    The Blues is alright!

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    It's something I see as a different technique entirely, and like anything else in music, it's totally discretionary. There are some awesome rhythmic techniques that I find translate really well onto electric guitar, Rasgueado being one of my faves (can really spice up some of your RG lines). Slap guitar is also pretty cool - I think Raul Midon uses it quite alot. Jeff Beck's hybrid picking is also immense, even if he does look like Zelda from the Terrahawks....

    Nails are also totally optional - I tend to cut mine off entirely if I'm playing loads of fingerstyle on a steel strung guitar, as the treble strings have a nasty habit of cutting a really annoying groove into them and that just p***es me off.

    Experiment with it and you'll find out what works best with the way you play.

  9. #9
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    I play with a pick between my thumb and index and use the rest of my fingers for picking simultaneously. I'm not a very fast picker so this technique helps me fake speed and still get the pick attack that isn't possible (to me) with nails.
    Patrick

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    Default Trick to get hard nails..

    My woman made me tried a product she uses to get her nails grow fast & hard and it works really good..

    It s call :
    (Vaseline) ''healthy hand & nail conditioning''

    Gee ! my nails are hard just like titanium..
    Makes your nails grow pretty fast too, as long as you spread some evereday..

    You can find it at your drugstore..

    For those interested .

    Cheers

    Blazes
    My SoundClick -- Rubber Band -- Jazz Trio

    --Quebec made 1978 Norman B-30 , Martin Dc 15E , Suzuki Archtop
    -- Fender Start Reissue 57 , Ibanez AR 300 , Peavy Falcon ,Xaviere Xv600,
    -- Fender Telecaster , Charvel_Jackson , Framus Lapsteel
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    --Amp:Traynor Ycv40 wr -- Blackstar HT5-- Car :Toyota Tercel 1999..

    / `--'(
    < [] []////////|:::-)
    \_.--.(

  11. #11
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    yeah, for at least one of my lesson songs, i have to. and i like to play that way acoustically, when i don't have flat-picking to do.

    i have always had long nails. when i decided to play guitar, i cut half off. i still have them on my right hand.

    for long strong nails, get dairy and take vitamins. trust me.

    they come in handy.
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    Does it come in Pink with little sparkles?
    The Blues is alright!

    Guitars: 1968 Gibson SG, 2005 Gibson SG Standard, 2006 Gibson LP Classic Gold top, 2004 Epiphone Elitist LP Custom, 1996 Gibson Les Paul Standard. 2001 Epiphone Sheraton II, 2007 Epiphone G400.
    Fender Strats: 1996 Fender 68 Reissue CIJ, 2008 Squier CV 50s, 2009 Squier CV 50s Tele Butterescotch Blonde

    Amps: Blues Junior Special edition Jensen in Brown Tolex with Wheat front, 65 Deluxe Reverb reissue,1970 Sonax reverb by Traynor, Avatar Custom 2/12 Cabinet with Eminence Legend V1216 speakers,
    2008 DSL100 Marshall Amp , Fender Super Champ XD,Fender Vibro Champ XD

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  13. #13
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    Thanks for all the replies, and especially for that Jeff Beck clip, Blazes. Man, what a musician.

    And speaking of playing without a pick, how about this guy?

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  14. #14
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    Derek Trucks is amazing...
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  15. #15
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    This guy has done just fine without a pick:


    I was listening to some of his stuff more closely recently. I never really realized what a banjo-like quality his playing has to it. Part of it is from his picking technique, another part is from the hollow bridge-middle quack tone.

    Since my hand injury, I can really only play with my thumb and pinky on my right hand. I can do some interesting hybrid double-stops but no real fingerstyle.
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  16. #16
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    And there's Mark Knopfler with one of the great guitar solos of all time, with no pick:

    Guitars: Jimmie Vaughan Strat, 2001 Affinity Squier Strat with 70's Japanese pickups, Affinity Squier Tele
    Amps: Fender Pro Junior w/ Ragin' Cajun speaker, Peavey Delta Blues 115
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    Strings: Darco 10's
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  17. #17
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    And another one! Albert King and Gary Moore. Albert plays a few notes with those fingers, as opposed to Moore and his gazillion notes a second. Albert wins.

    Guitars: Jimmie Vaughan Strat, 2001 Affinity Squier Strat with 70's Japanese pickups, Affinity Squier Tele
    Amps: Fender Pro Junior w/ Ragin' Cajun speaker, Peavey Delta Blues 115
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  18. #18
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    Here's one, where he "palms" the pick and plays with the fingers. Listen to how those notes pop. I really dig this tune by Joe Bonamassa.


    I like playing bluesy stuff without a pick. I have no technique at all, but it's fun.
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  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Katastrophe
    Here's one, where he "palms" the pick and plays with the fingers. Listen to how those notes pop. I really dig this tune by Joe Bonamassa.
    That smokes!

    "No Tele For you." - The Tele Nazi

    Ha! Tele-ish now inbound.

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