Fingernail instead of pick?

[Meggy]

I use my index fingernail kind of as if it is a pick, i.e. with the thumb held against the first joint and with alternating up and down strokes. I've done this for ages now (decades) and would find it very hard to go back - having tried a pick a few days ago it felt (and I must admit sounded!) very awkward indeed. With the fingernail I get a somewhat softer attack, with no discernable click. One advantage is that you can switch very easily to fingerstyle playing, without having to store the pick somewhere, or needing to use a pick and fingers approach. I will admit it can make rapid strumming a little difficult, though I think I do OK as long as the fingernail is not allowed to grow too long.

But I'm just curious to know if anyone else out there does something similar, or even any well known jazz guitarists?

[Doctor Jeff]

Wes Montgomery is famous for using his calloused thumb to achieve his sound.

According to George Benson, "Wes had a corn on his thumb, which gave his sound that point. He would get one sound for the soft parts, and then that point by using the corn. That's why no one will ever match Wes. And his thumb was double-jointed. He could bend it all the way back to touch his wrist, which he would do to shock people."

Many guitarists, including Joe Pass, use their thumbnail like a pick for single-note runs.

I play fingerstyle and try to keep them relatively short so I strike the string with the fingertip and the nail, for a mellower sound than just the nail alone.

[Stackabones]

Tuck Andress

[Meggy]

Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff

I play fingerstyle and try to keep them relatively short so I strike the string with the fingertip and the nail, for a mellower sound than just the nail alone.

I have my fingernails fairly short also, so that even when doing the "fingernail like a pick" thing, I get a combination of tip and nail - at least on the upstrokes. I was aware of Wes and his thumb corn, but had not really considered that Joe Pass used his thumbnail in a pickstyle way.

I must say if it's good enough for Tuck Andress though, it's certainly good enough for the likes of me!

[tejastani]

I think Kevin Eubanks of the Tonight Show band uses his index finger like a pick. Jimmie Vaughn (SRV's bro) does too.

[Stackabones]

Jeff Beck!

[JimBobWay]

Joe Pass, Kenny Burrell, Tal Farlow, Barney Kessel, Howard Morgen, Jim Hall, Pat Metheney and Larry Coryell, just off the top of my head, are (or were) pick players primarily, but often play fingerstyle, sometimes switching between pick & fingers during a song. Mick Goodrick, Sam Brown, and Bill Frissell also come to mind. Mick & Sam do what you do primarily.

There are also many acoustic fingerstyle guitarists who play mostly with the fingers, but switch to a pick for fast runs, like Duck Baker & Richard Thompson. I do use my index fingernail as a pick too, but in general I use both - there are just some things that are easier to do with one or the other, for me. I've tried a variety of single-solution workarounds, but in the end I always go back to keeping a pick handy. And I thank God for Burt's Bees' Banana Hand Cream, which keeps my nails strong even during the winter! Whatever works, eh?

[Meggy]

Originally Posted by JimBobWay

Joe Pass, Kenny Burrell, Tal Farlow, Barney Kessel, Howard Morgen, Jim Hall, Pat Metheney and Larry Coryell, just off the top of my head, are (or were) pick players primarily, but often play fingerstyle, sometimes switching between pick & fingers during a song. Mick Goodrick, Sam Brown, and Bill Frissell also come to mind. Mick & Sam do what you do primarily.

There are also many acoustic fingerstyle guitarists who play mostly with the fingers, but switch to a pick for fast runs, like Duck Baker & Richard Thompson. I do use my index fingernail as a pick too, but in general I use both - there are just some things that are easier to do with one or the other, for me. I've tried a variety of single-solution workarounds, but in the end I always go back to keeping a pick handy. And I thank God for Burt's Bees' Banana Hand Cream, which keeps my nails strong even during the winter! Whatever works, eh?

Cheers for all the replies everyone! All interesting stuff I must say - it is good to know some people do the finger like a pick thing besides me. I know what you're saying about wanting a "single-solution workaround" though JimBob - in my case I find that I can switch from "index finger pickstyle" to pure fingerstyle fairly easily and seemlessly, but other things don't work so well. For example, I would like to be able to play Wes style octaves with my thumb, but the volume drops noticeably when I do this, so I tend to use my fingernail instead. Also I appreciate that some things are probably better or more natural with a pick, but I just can't seem to get on with one. We all have our limitations I guess!