https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/ive-picked-up-a-pick-and-now-i-cant-do-anything/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:52:26 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/ive-picked-up-a-pick-and-now-i-cant-do-anything/paged/2/#post-124037 Sat, 10 Sep 2005 22:31:15 +0000
I'm learning that it now requires more of a wrist movement mixed with the movements of the two fingers that hold the pick, i.e. my thumb and index finger. It reminds me of the difference between picking up rice with my fingers as opposed to using chop sticks! :-) Now I guess it is more like "target practice," a phrase used by the "Piano Guy" (on PBS). Finger picking still is more natural; I seem to never have to look at my picking hand -- my fingers just land on the right strings.

I intend to practice only flatpicking with a bit of hybrid picking on my electric since I am concentrating on the solo style with it. I will continue finger style with my acoustic without a pick. This will give me the best experience in both worlds, right?]]> Guitar Players Discussion Ezmo https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/ive-picked-up-a-pick-and-now-i-cant-do-anything/paged/2/#post-124037 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/ive-picked-up-a-pick-and-now-i-cant-do-anything/paged/2/#post-124031 Sat, 10 Sep 2005 22:14:29 +0000 Guitar Players Discussion sapho https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/ive-picked-up-a-pick-and-now-i-cant-do-anything/paged/2/#post-124031 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/ive-picked-up-a-pick-and-now-i-cant-do-anything/paged/2/#post-124009 Sat, 10 Sep 2005 20:51:28 +0000 Guitar Players Discussion MaxRumble https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/ive-picked-up-a-pick-and-now-i-cant-do-anything/paged/2/#post-124009 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/ive-picked-up-a-pick-and-now-i-cant-do-anything/paged/2/#post-123988 Sat, 10 Sep 2005 18:48:43 +0000 Those are the reasons to use fingerpicks.]]> Guitar Players Discussion Ricochet https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/ive-picked-up-a-pick-and-now-i-cant-do-anything/paged/2/#post-123988 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/ive-picked-up-a-pick-and-now-i-cant-do-anything/paged/2/#post-123972 Sat, 10 Sep 2005 16:53:43 +0000
When Wes Montgomery started gigging, other guitarists told him he'd be faster if he used a pick. So he got one, and spent three months practicing with it all day... and found that at the end of that time, he was a bad flatpicker and a bad fingerpicker. He figured he had to decide, so he went back to his thumb-style.

I disagree that flatpicks are more precise than fingers - but I will say you can learn to control a flatpick in a lot less time than controlling your fingers. Flatpicking technique can be pretty decent in a couple years; figure five years for fingerpicking control to do the same things. At the end of that time, though, you'll be able to do more than a flatpicker, even one who's good at hybrid picking - you've got so many more choices.

Take a simple figure, like a bass note followed by three treble notes. The flatpicker really has two choices at decent speed: D-U-D-U or D-D-U-D. The fingerpicker has six: PIMI, PMIM, PMAM, PAMA, PIMA, PAMI. Fingerpicking also gives you more control over the timbre - you can adjust the angle of your fingers slightly to attack with more or less of the nail.

It's true that for many guitarists, wrist speed is greater than finger speed. That's only because you've worked the wrist/foreram muscles more than the fingers. Look at any practiced musician who has right hand finger work - piano, trumpet, sax - and you'll see those fingers can move just as quickly as the wrist.]]> Guitar Players Discussion NoteBoat https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/ive-picked-up-a-pick-and-now-i-cant-do-anything/paged/2/#post-123972 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/ive-picked-up-a-pick-and-now-i-cant-do-anything/paged/2/#post-123970 Sat, 10 Sep 2005 16:28:11 +0000
Fingers can't upstroke? I am curious how you fingerpick. Besides If you are picking single notes what does it matter if you are doing upstrokes or downstrokes? The fingers also allow for picking two, three or even four non adjacent strings at a time which is not possible with a pick. You can also mix in strumming (including partial) with your thumb or index finger.

Also I believe the fingers are much more precise. Once someone has a picking pattern down cold you can do it in your sleep.

All this being said I love to play with a pick just as much as picking.

I would always fingerpick ecept for the two drawbacks that I see. I find the fingerpicking does not make for as clear tones and they have less volume.]]> Guitar Players Discussion MaxRumble https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/ive-picked-up-a-pick-and-now-i-cant-do-anything/paged/2/#post-123970 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/ive-picked-up-a-pick-and-now-i-cant-do-anything/#post-123825 Sat, 10 Sep 2005 02:30:37 +0000
For me (and most people) the speed of your wrist moving both up and down is noticibly faster than the fingers, even if you're using more than one of them on the same string. Of course, in terms of definition and consistency, the pick has a huge advantage, which makes increasing your speed easier too.]]> Guitar Players Discussion undercat https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/ive-picked-up-a-pick-and-now-i-cant-do-anything/#post-123825 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/ive-picked-up-a-pick-and-now-i-cant-do-anything/#post-123820 Sat, 10 Sep 2005 02:15:24 +0000
Geoo]]> Guitar Players Discussion geoo https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/ive-picked-up-a-pick-and-now-i-cant-do-anything/#post-123820 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/ive-picked-up-a-pick-and-now-i-cant-do-anything/#post-123774 Sat, 10 Sep 2005 00:56:11 +0000 I am with Mikespe, work on one hand at a time even if it means just picking the open strings to get the pattern down. This seems like a brilliant idea, and I will try it immediately.]]> Guitar Players Discussion Ezmo https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/ive-picked-up-a-pick-and-now-i-cant-do-anything/#post-123774 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/ive-picked-up-a-pick-and-now-i-cant-do-anything/#post-123750 Fri, 09 Sep 2005 23:34:01 +0000 I am also in agreement with MaxRumble.
A good fingerstyle player can play much faster than a flatpicker.
Why? you are using a thumb and usually 3 fingers, thats like having 4 picks all playing at the same time.]]> Guitar Players Discussion Anonymous https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/ive-picked-up-a-pick-and-now-i-cant-do-anything/#post-123750