Pick Vs Fingers

[TapperMike]

I always play hybrid picking cause I can't play in another way. I used to play with my fingers till they bleed and then I found out that there are two magnificent things that can make your life easier. The first is thumbpick and the second is hybrid picking with a flatpick!

 

Being a guitar hybrid picker in Greece before the Internet era was a hard thing. Now I feel like an idiot that reinvented the wheel or something like that because I never paied close attention to the Muddy Waters pictures....

 

Back when I was in my late teens. I'd developed this left hand approach to scaling diatonics using only two fingers.  I got really good at it and thought I'd figured out something new.  I'd also play all downstrokes. which made for an interesting timing effect.  I thought I ruled the world new crazy technique no one else had.   Back then guitarists of all ages used to hang out in parks.  One old guy looks at me and says... Wow never seen someone use "jango" in a rock setting.  I didn't know what he was talking about.  Then another and another commented about my technique. And finally I found out who "Django" was and how he used two fingers on the left hand and all down strokes on his solo's

 

.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZBPcXTXPEA

Edited July 10, 2014 by TapperMike

[Rudi]

Shelter,

 

If you were using flamenco techniques on string strung guitar I would expect serious fingernail damage. Classical would be less serious, but would really be better with nylon strings.

 

Yes Bert used a thumbpick I think but you spoke about fingers bleeding.

 

Maybe I misunderstood. Did your fingers bleed because of shattered nails?

[MoeJo110]

I prefer picks personally, but I do use fingers ocasionally if it's appropriate. I feel like using a pick flows better for me, since strumming with it comes naturally to me.

[sarahmiller]

I use both too. It totally depends on the music. I personally like using fingerplaying than using a pick. 

[Space]

Finger picking can be a little harder than with a pick. As for sound, there is no "best" sound. Think of sound as a color.. just pick the best color for the job.

 

Meaning this, finger picking tends to have less attack therefore will seem a little less bright. Some songs, that may be perfect for, but other songs that may cause you to lose too much focus from the guitar by other instruments. Some songs, a pick will make the guitar compete against the vocals for "front stage".