What's your PRIMARY picking style?

[AllanAllen]

If I remember to take my pick out of my back pocket before I sit down I use a pick, otherwise I just use my hand. I'll strum scales and line exercises with my thumb only but when I pluck chords or actually play my fingers join in on the fun.

In my opinion, it's best to be adaptable. You probably aren't going to be the next Johnny Smith (pick only), Wes Montgomery (thumb), or Joe Pass(fingerstyle), so best to steal what you can from all of them.

[Marinero]

Classical.
Play live . . . Marinero

[BickertRules]

I have two primary picking methods; both are a little more specific than “fingerstyle” or “plectrum”.

For solo guitar, I use a fingerstyle approach, but have settled on a no-nails approach with a hand position more like a lutenist than a classical guitarist. I use this for any type of polyphonic classical music and jazz and pop solo guitar and was introduced to this approach in the way I use it now by Rob MacKillop.

Technique | rmclassicalguitar

For single line work, monophonic classical pieces (violin, flute, etc) and ensemble jazz and pop, I use a pick - a fairly stiff rounded triangle “mandolin” shape - held at a slight angle to the plane of the string. I use what is called “economy” picking, downstrokes when changing strings towards the earth, upstrokes when moving towards the sky, alternate picking for notes on the same string. I was most influenced in the approach by Jimmy Bruno’s book “The Art of Picking”.

https://www.amazon.com/Mel-Bay-Picki.../dp/0786672196

[orri]

primarily I use thumb for single lines and fingerstyle for chords.

I also often use pick for both chords and singles lines (more speed) and thumb for chords but I rarely do single lines with the "non-thumb" fingers like classical guitarists.

[Marinero]

So, what a difference a day makes! Since I play in several genres(Classical/Jazz/R@B), I'm finding that as I've recently increased my play time on my Gibson, it's ruining my nails for Classical Guitar so I'm back to the pick. Also, my Gibson is a "skinny neck" and I have large, plumbers hands so the spacing of the strings is not comfortable unless I play strictly on the tips of my nails which produces a weak, thin sound.
Marinero

[grahambop]

I like using fingers. Not mine, somebody else’s.

[Marinero]

I like using fingers. Not mine, somebody else’s.

Hi, G,
Been working in the garden again?
Marinero

[grahambop]

I only use the best, i.e. mummified pharaonic digits from the 18th Dynasty.

Expensive, but worth it for the tonal difference.

[Marinero]

I only use the best, i.e. mummified pharaonic digits from the 18th Dynasty.

Expensive, but worth it for the tonal difference.

Hi, G,
Is that what you told the police???????
Marinero

[grahambop]

I gave them the finger and they went away.

[Marinero]

I gave them the finger and they went away.

Hmmm . . . that's a hard one to top . . . double entendre to boot!
Marinero

[ledocs]

I am mostly using the Black Mountain hybrid thumb pick now, having played fingerstyle with a thumbpick in my youth, then hybrid for most of my life, probably about 55 years of playing. But as the person who introduced this topic said, having use of the index finger on the right hand for plucking makes a huge difference. The Black Mountain pick is pretty good, not ideal. I had tried similar systems before, Dunlop Bumblebees (awful) and a strap contraption from a guy with a company called "Strum & Comfort." The Black Mountain pick uses a spring. It's pretty stable, not completely stable. I can't make it work very well for strumming yet, maybe there's a way to do it by adjusting the hand angle, but I have not figured it out, and I'm not yet as good at using the flatpick as I am with a real flatpick held with thumb and index. But I have the feeling that I can probably get as good, I've been doing this for six months or so. I think it works really well generally for the walking bass plus chords style, pure thumb would be better (see, among others, Adam Rafferty), but I'm OK with the tone of the flatpick, and there are things one can do in the bass more easily with a pick, it's too late for me to become Wes Montgomery, and I'm not sure even Wes could do some of the things I do in the bass with the pick. I've been using the same Black Mountain pick for quite a while, several months, and I think the spring is wearing out. Yesterday, something flipped or clicked while I was practicing. I started with their standard pick, then switched to the jazz pick. Their flatpicks are nice, 1.5 mm, I like them.

So I'm interested to know what crossover pick you are using. I thought I had tried everything and found the best, though not ideal solution.

At this stage, I'm not giving up on hybrid picking entirely, for that I use a sarod pick with a thumb dimple, John Pearse, the brand is a boutique brand, it's pretty thick, I would use that technique for parts that involved strumming that I don't want to do, or cannot do, with my fingers. And if I wanted to play really fast lines, I would probably still stick with a standard pick, but for most of what I actually play now, I prefer to use the crossover thumb pick and am trying to master that.

[Marcel_A]

It depends on the guitar.

[KingKong]

Pick where ever possible, hybrid when its chords that need u to miss out a string. Reason? Because I'm sh1t at playing such chords as the books tell u, I.e. by muting the missed out string. I find it easier to completely avoid that string than to hit it but mute it.

[TheGrandWazoo]

I like to use small cucumbers with lots of dill, but not too much. I don't want to crowd the jar. I might add some pearl onions, but mostly that's just for looks.

[Litterick]

This week, I have mostly been playing clawhammer.

[jackalGreen]

I'm really just a beginner. I used metal picks and a bunch of the thinner Fender picks thirty years ago, razor blades, coins, and all kinds of stuff as a young teenager, but now I swap between a Dunlop Gator-grip 2mm and pure finger/thumb. Most often a kind of hybrid style, for playing chords or even octaves where I haven't developed the ability to easily mute strings at the fretboard, so push a lower note with the pick and grab upper strings with the fingers.

Kind of a fake hybrid style, I guess.

I feel I have more control with pure finger/thumb, given that my precision isn't what it could be just using a pick....on the Ibanez AF55 archtop, having a lot of unintended strings ringing out is very undesirable, even or especially unplugged.

So, yes, working with the fingers or just the thumb gives me more control at where I'm at, but for playing things like Grant Green head arrangements, or Bird tunes, or Pat Martino things, I still use the pick. Just regular alternate/economy picking technique, not especially disciplined pick technique, but almost adequate.

Compromises, for me, but that's where I'm at.

[SethB]

Coming from playing a 4-string plectrum banjo for many years, I naturally started to use a pick when I added a tenor guitar [also tuned CGBD] to my gear. Although I do play some tunes in chord melody, my main function on band gigs is to comp behind a vocalist; it's more rhythm than melody for that. So I was using a pick (Dunlop nylon .38 or .46) out of habit more than anything else.

Ironically, when I practiced at home I used a flattop Yamaha acoustic and would just play with my thumb in order not to disturb my family (shades of Wes Montgomery?). It never occurred to me to play with the thumb in performance -- I figured I could never get the volume I needed.

But after watching a number of clips on this forum, I was struck by how many folks were playing with their fingers. Duh!! I also realized that when I played my electric archtop, I could get whatever volume I wanted with the twist of a dial!

Although I still favor a pick for uptempo tunes or swing numbers, I've switched to my thumb for ballads. It's amazing what a softer, smoother tone it produces, and it's just right for those romantic songs. So thanks to all for opening my mind and my ears! SETH

[P.J.]

Another all finger style player. I wish I was versatile enough to play hybrid or with a pick, but I just can't. Like tying your shoes with gloves on.

Mittens are way harder!

[Mick-7]

My primary picking style? I believe it's called fumbling... not sure what the technical term is for it.