Fingerstyle jazz guitarists

**johnny67** · 03-20-2014, 01:46 AM

Hello there.

Does anybody know of any fingerstyle jazz guitarists?

And thanks.

TH · 03-20-2014, 03:42 AM

Lots of them if you look through the search function of the forum under fingerstyle.
https://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/guita...-i-bother.html

A few non pickers to get you started but do look through the archives. There are so many you can find there.

Wes Montgomery
Joe Pass
Lenny Breau
Kevin Eubanks
Mick Goodrick
Laurendo Almeida
Ralph Towner
Wolfgang Muthspiel
Ben Monder
Andrew Marzotto
Stanley Jordan
John Abercrombie
for starters. Some of the above use fingerstyle as one of the techniques in their toolbox, and combine it with pick playing for different situations.

and lots of us on the forum here.
Are you a fingerstyle player?
David

**newsense** · 03-20-2014, 08:37 AM

All the above, plus Martin Taylor.

**bako** · 03-20-2014, 08:51 AM

Freddie Bryant

**mr. beaumont** · 03-20-2014, 10:01 AM

Gene Bertoncini, Lionel Loueke

**daveg** · 03-20-2014, 10:51 AM

Bill Harris
Charlie Byrd

DG

**Doctor Jeff** · 03-20-2014, 10:52 AM

Add George Van Epps, Bucky Pizzarelli, Earl Klugh, Stefan Grossman, Paco de Lucia (flamenco-style jazz), Leo Kottke, and Duck Baker (one of the best guitarists nobody's heard of). Also let's not forget Chet Atkins, Merle Travis and Tommy Emmanuel, who could jazz it up with the best of them.

George Benson of course does the Wes thumb-chord thing.

While all of the above are wonderful guitarists, I guess Joe Pass is more my model for modern chord-melody jazz. What he really plays is stride piano on the guitar--the Art Tatum of guitar.

**johnny67** · 03-20-2014, 02:14 PM

@Truthhertz. Yes i am a fingerstyle guitarist.

I have 30 years of playing with a guitar pick experience. I was mainly a rock guitarist. I don't use guitar picks anymore and haven't for around 2 years. I could not be happier with my decision.

I write my own fingerstyle songs and hope to share them with others this year, if i'm lucky. I study travis picking and classical guitar and ever some flemanco and whatever fingerpicking techniques i can find.

Thank you all for your responses. And have a great day to you all.

**Scot Tremblay** · 03-20-2014, 05:00 PM

Howard Morgen, Alan de Mause, John Stein (one of my favorite)...

Coming from a strong Classical guitar background, I'm a little confused by the term "Fingerstyle" as it applies to jazz guitar. Would it, as a descriptive term, properly apply only those who play similar to how a classical player might approach the music, thinking of bass, melody and accompaniment simultaneously or would it also include those whose style is predominately chord/melody played with fingers rather than a pick?

For example, Joe Pass (later work) and Wes Montgomery are often mentioned as notable "Fingerstylists" but there's not a lot in what they do that couldn't be done with a pick. However, take Martin Taylor and his solo guitar style, pretty hard to pull off much of that with a pick...or Earl Klugh, Lenny Breau, Chet Atkins, Charlie Byrd, Almeida....

Perhaps I'm confusing myself with things that don't really matter....quite possible. I'm open to being set straight on what constitutes a "Fingerstylist."

**randalljazz** · 03-20-2014, 05:14 PM

**Patrick2** · 03-20-2014, 05:39 PM

A lesser known one . . . but, a good one . . Russ DeFillipis.

**pkirk** · 03-20-2014, 06:27 PM

don't forget the amazing Phil deGruy

**Scot Tremblay** · 03-20-2014, 07:25 PM

Thanks randalljazz, I should have known better than trying to get a "straight" answer out of a jazz guy

...they're not keen on playing anything "Straight"...now

...Sean McGowan is another, not so well known one, I just thought of.

**fumblefingers** · 03-20-2014, 10:04 PM

Originally Posted by Scot Tremblay

Howard Morgen, Alan de Mause, John Stein (one of my favorite)...

Coming from a strong Classical guitar background, I'm a little confused by the term "Fingerstyle" as it applies to jazz guitar. Would it, as a descriptive term, properly apply only those who play similar to how a classical player might approach the music, thinking of bass, melody and accompaniment simultaneously or would it also include those whose style is predominately chord/melody played with fingers rather than a pick?

For example, Joe Pass (later work) and Wes Montgomery are often mentioned as notable "Fingerstylists" but there's not a lot in what they do that couldn't be done with a pick. However, take Martin Taylor and his solo guitar style, pretty hard to pull off much of that with a pick...or Earl Klugh, Lenny Breau, Chet Atkins, Charlie Byrd, Almeida....

Perhaps I'm confusing myself with things that don't really matter....quite possible. I'm open to being set straight on what constitutes a "Fingerstylist."

I wouldn't get too hung up on the term. It simply means a way of playing with the thumb AND fingers. A lot of the guys mentioned above approach the technique differently too.

BTW - "Finger-style" is also used in the "acoustic guitar" world, whatever that is. "Travis picking" is the big deal.

Footnotes:
I've never heard Wes referred to as a "finger-style" player. He was a thumb player. Thumb, thumb, thumb! He even wrote a tune "The Thumb". He had a corn on his thumb. You know?

Also - Joe Pass' single lines played with fingers certainly could be played with a pick. But a great deal of his stuff could NOT be played with a pick. Maybe pick and fingers, but not pick alone.

**rictroll** · 03-20-2014, 10:28 PM

Bruce Dunlap

**Scot Tremblay** · 03-20-2014, 11:55 PM

Thanks fumblefingers. In the classical world there are not a lot of obvious differences (although there are differences) between the various ways (Schools) of "finger picking" technique, but in watching the jazz "fingerstylists" there is great diversity, in comparison anyways.

It's not something that will keep me awake until the wee hours of the morning, I was just curious about the termonology more than anything. Wondering if there was any differentiation between the guys who play thumb and a finger or two, pick and a couple fingers and the guys who play thumb and three or four fingers no pick. It would seem not so much, except for the "thumb" players

.

The thumb players always dumbfound me. As someone who has always played with thumb and three or four fingers, the thumb only right hand technique strikes me as being so limited but Wes and a couple others I've heard can do some spectacular things with that single digit...

An amazing "acoustic fingerstylist" is a friend, Michael Chapdelaine. He splits his playing time between the classical world and the flat-top steel string fingerstyle with great success. His acoustic repertoire isn't always to my taste but it's fun and I admire his ability. Give him a listen on Youtube if you feel so inclined.

**L4CESN** · 03-21-2014, 03:36 AM

Tuck Andress

**Doctor Jeff** · 03-21-2014, 08:41 AM

I just found out Tommy Emmanuel is coming to Omaha this summer, so we can look forward to a fingerpickin' good time...

**Stanford J17** · 03-22-2014, 11:08 AM

TED GREENE!!!

Francesco Buzzurro
Kenny Poole
Steven King
Craig Wagner

**ChrisDowning** · 01-22-2015, 07:53 PM

Randall - I had forgotten fingerstyle guys have to go to the nail bar to fix up their nails. And make new friends.

**Jonathan Levin** · 01-23-2015, 10:43 PM

Pat Metheny.

**ChrisDowning** · 01-24-2015, 03:35 AM

I don't think anyone who plays guitar doesn't do some fingerstyle at some time - so the list is endless. There are probably more players who don't ever use a pick because they come from a travis picking, or classical, background. Then there's a whole sub culture of thumb-pickers who use thumbpicks, who we tend to think of as Chet Atkins emulators. That whole Chet thing seems to have morphed into walking bassline style of jazz and standards. (Hugely underrated IMO for solo playing at gigs - everyone likes that Chet sound - but it doesn't have to be his repetoire).

**matt.guitarteacher** · 01-24-2015, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by ChrisDowning

I don't think anyone who plays guitar doesn't do some fingerstyle at some time - so the list is endless. There are probably more players who don't ever use a pick because they come from a travis picking, or classical, background.

There are lot of fingering possibilities and voicings that are more available if you're not strumming. Dead strings in between not having to be muted etc.