Fingerpicks

Cellie

Hey guys,

This is my first post on these forums, so hi. ? This topic might have seen it's rounds already but I don't seem to find anything related.

I'm really into my instrumental acoustic playing and have learnt a couple of songs from players like Don Ross, Andy Mckee etc.

I recently decided to get around to learning Klimbim by Don Ross. The only problem I have is the picking. As far as I can tell he grew his nails to accommodate the type of playing required for the song. I also read somewhere that he actually cuts up ping pong balls and sticks them to his nails.

Would these - http://www.jimdunlop.com/index.php?page=products/pip&id=47&pmh=products/picks - be what I'm looking at getting? Or could someone suggest something else?

Thanks!

AlanRatcliffe

Hi Cellie and welcome to the forum.

It's all a matter of personal preference, but you'd have to try them to decide for yourself. A lot of players use only fingers, some use nails (I do, but they can be hell to keep in playing condition). A lot of players use a thumbpick and fingers, but very few use fingerpicks too. There is also something called hybrid picking, which is using plectrum and three fingers.

Personally I don't get along with thumb or fingerpicks (or plectra for that matter) - I like the tone and the feel of the strings given by fingernails/fingers and thumb. I also don't grow my thumb nail, preferring the tone and volume without - which also goes to show how it's all a matter of taste.

Cellie

Thanks Alan.

The strumming in this one is quite frantic at places which is why having some sort of sharpened attack on the strings would help. I guess I could give a thumb-pick another shot although it kind of feels a bit clumsy.

Bob-Dubery

I'd imagine those are meant for lap steel or banjo players. There's no reason why you may not use them with a steel string guitar, but there would be a considerable change in tone.

I can't see why a piece would require the use of nails or the growing of nails. What nails will do is give you a different tone. Some guys play with nails kept short, others grow them to suit. Neither method rules out a particular style or technique.

Using a thumb pick (or cultivating your thumb nail) will give you a different balance between the bass notes and the notes played with your fingers.

What WILL give you access to extra techniques is using the thumb pick with the index finger underneath it (a la Chet Atkins) or using a conventional flat pick with the remaining 2 or (if you can manage it) 3 fingers. Both of those will give you the option of an upstroke where a thumb alone has only a downpick.

Keira-WitherKay

hello Cellie...welcome to the forum.... and yeah +1 to what alan said it's all personal preferance......... and especially fingerpickers all have our wierd and wonderful ways of doing the same job.... i would be influenced by what other finger pickers did...... but i believe we all have our own style so maybe don't put too much emphasis on learning other people's songs that precisely ....... and rather play his melody in your own style.......

btw it does not say what part of the world you in......... and if you in jhb love to see you play sometime.......... there's few enough fingerpickers in this town ...... and you must be quite good it seems you doing challenging pieces ............ let us know when next you performing

peace and light
keira

PeteM

Cellie, I play a lot of fingerstyle and have used thumbpicks, finger picks - both plastic and metal - this in search of "the perfect tonal quality". But I've always returned to my bare fingers because I prefer the tactile action on the strings. I gave up trying to grow my nails a long time ago .
I was fortunate enough to have a year's tution with the late, great classical guitarist and teacher, David Hewitt, who taught me how to get different tones by plucking the strings in different ways to reverberate up and down or across the sound hole. By using open strokes and rest strokes and by either playing near the bridge or over the fret board. These techniques I use on electric and acoustic guitars playing across all genres of music.
By the way, Dave battled to grow his nails and he played with the pads of his fingers - and boy did he have tone?

Squonk

@ Pete

When I am in Durban I am popping in for a lesson or two. I have tried picks, growing nails etc but also use bare fingers. I saw Dave Hewitt a couple of times in the early 80's, once with Tessa Ziegler. He was more than a classical guitarist! ?

PeteM

@Squonk - Yea, he was great man - I miss him!

Cellie

Thanks for the reply's and comments guys!

@Bob - Yup, I'm leaning towards using the thumb pick with the index finger - offers a lot more control. If it doesn't fly with me though I'll go back to the tried and trusted fingers-only. ?

@Keira - Your right about the playing - if I can get close enough to it in my own style I'll be happy. I'm from P.E. and as far as I know there are even fewer of us finger pickers down here. If ever I'm in that part of the world though I'll drop a line. ?

@Pete - I'm ashamed to say I've never heard of him, but I'll be sure to look him up asap as he sounds amazing! There are so many great player's. I constantly keep discovering new ones. If you have any other recommendations you could even PM them to me.

Itching to get home to start practicing again. ?

Bob-Dubery

Cellie wrote: Thanks for the reply's and comments guys!

@Bob - Yup, I'm leaning towards using the thumb pick with the index finger - offers a lot more control. If it doesn't fly with me though I'll go back to the tried and trusted fingers-only. ?

Elsewhere on this forum there's a posting from me pointing to a video of Mark Knopfler playing with Chet Atkins. You get a good look at Atkin's right hand technique - he plays with a thumbpick and sometimes brings the index finger under that to approximate a thumb and finger-held flat pick. There's some good close ups, so you can see how he switches between the two styles (and also see his neat and well-cared for nails ?).

Cellie

Just a quick update. I finished learning the song and I'm pretty happy with the way I've interpereted some of the parts while remaining true to the original. I actually made it through the strumming parts by using the tips of my index- and middlefinger as opposed to using my nails. It significantly reduces any buzzing and excess noise making the chords ring out clearly.

Next up I'll be tackling "Ouray" by Andy Mckee. ?