Hybrid picking for beginners

Bob-Dubery · 2009-12-16T21:51:57+00:00

Hybrid picking is a right (picking/strumming) hand style that combines the flat pick with finger picking. Finger picking (very simply) uses the thumb to provide the bass notes on strings 4 to 6, and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd fingers are allocated to strings 3,2 and 1 respectively. With hybrid picking we hold the pick between thumb and forefinger, and we make use of the 2nd and 3rd fingers. Note that although this seems superficially similar to finger picking there are some significant differences. 1) We are using a pick instead of a thumb in the bass register. This gives better definition and more volume and thus a different balance between bass and treble registers. 2) Because we are using a pick we can use alternating up and down strokes. The thumb can only make down strokes. Thus we have more speed available to us. 3) We can switch over to strumming or flat picking very easily. Sure we could strum with the thumb, but we get better definition and accuracy with the pick. In short, hybrid picking combines many of the strengths of both finger picking and flat picking and overcomes some of the shortcomings. It helps us do things that we could not easily do with either technique alone. I have started experimenting with hybrid picking. There are some songs that I play or want to play that can benefit from this approach. I thought it might be fun to set out some simple examples and exercises for developing this technique. In this case we are going to apply it to the Pink Floyd song "Brain Damage". I mostly play solo, so in this case hybrid picking allows me to have the well known arpeggio for the verses but to switch to strumming with the plectrum and thus have more power to underpin the strong chorus. In the explantions that follow I am going to spend rather more time on the verse than the chorus - because the chorus is strummed and thus there is less to discuss. I am also going to err on the side of detail and possibly over simplifying. The arrangement that I have come up with is in standard tuning. I will illustrate the chords used with diagrams like this... EADGBE ------ xx0232 D The numbers indicate the fret at which you finger each string. A zero means the string is played open (IE is sounded but not fretted) and an "x" indicates that string should not be played. The diagram above represents a simple D major chord. I will split the lesson up into several posts. This will hopefully make it easier for me to focus on each step within the lesson, and may help you in the same way ? Please feel free to skip one or more steps. However I would recommend that you at least skim through each step just to be sure that you know what is covered. I recommend that you do not concern yourself with speed. Put the emphasis on steadiness and accuracy. In my experience speed comes with practice, and it is easier to build up speed than to start fast and then accquire regularity. Because the verses will use a pattern that originated in rural blues steadiness, especially in the bass register is important and your audience will notice any irregularities in your rhythm - even if your audience is just you. ?

evolucian

hehe, fair enough... maybe i'll add something later this month if thats cool with you.

I don't quite know that track... I'll have a looksee somewhere... is it a cool track?

Bob-Dubery

evolucian wrote hehe, fair enough... maybe i'll add something later this month if thats cool with you.

Well it's a free forum, but thanks for taking that courtesy ?. Fine by me, but probably better to start a new subject for whatever it is. That helps people keep things separate and split their learnings up into manageable chunks.

I don't quite know that track... I'll have a looksee somewhere... is it a cool track?

I dunno. I'm the wrong guy to ask about cool. But the thing is that it's a sort of standard piece for those who want to learn some country-ish fingerpicking. Though now I think a bit more about it it's maybe not a good one for absolute beginners because the bass line requires the use of three strings in the bar (5 4 6 4) most of the time. So maybe something with the thumb just alternating over two strings would be a better start.

I should add that personal one-on-one tuition with a real human teacher is still the best way to develop - especially at the level at which I can impart information.

evolucian

cool... but you did well with the text lesson... video would be awesome but audio is great too...

Keb Mo has a brilliant dvd where he describes the motions of alternating basslines and stuff... all fingerstyle... though with the amount of fingers he uses, hybrid would be suitable as well. Although his sound in the dvd requires the thumb with its harmonic richness.

Reason why I'd like to add something of a lesson in here is cos it would still be beginner hybrid...

Bob-Dubery

X-rated Bob wrote I dunno. I'm the wrong guy to ask about cool. But the thing is that it's a sort of standard piece for those who want to learn some country-ish fingerpicking. Though now I think a bit more about it it's maybe not a good one for absolute beginners because the bass line requires the use of three strings in the bar (5 4 6 4) most of the time. So maybe something with the thumb just alternating over two strings would be a better start.

Ack! What was I thinking of? :-[

I just played that piece and realised that, in fact, it's a simple 5 6 5 6 pattern for the bass.

Sorry. Scratch that. Do not be deterred.

Evolucian, if you want to pick up where I left off with the hybrid picking then please feel free. I don't have anything more along those lines that I could teach over the forum.

singemonkey

This is all a challenge for you to post your first video lesson, Bob ?

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