Pick or pluck?

[smp]

Question for the axe men in the crowd...

Pick or pluck?

I've been learning the guitar for about a year now (classic acoustic only) and in that time I've only ever used a pick (except for when I couldn't find one 'cos I couldn't remember where I'd put it down and then found I still had it in my mouth ).

My old man got a Mark Knopfler DVD for Christmas. Knopfler has always been a guitar god to me so it was really interesting to sit down and watch how he plays. I was surprised to see he doesn't use a pick at all, just plucks/finger picks. The more I look around, the more it looks to me that people finger pick more often than not.

What do you guys do? Is it worth learning how to finger pick properly? Is it easy to finger pick on an electric compared to an acoustic or vice versa? Should I really give a toss?

-s
(completely off-topic but I'm going to buy my very first cheapie electric this month. I've been dreaming about this little J&L beauty for weeks. It might not be much but I do love its sound...)

[C00kie]

Funny you mention Mark Knopfler... He desperately wanted a red stratocaster because Hank B. Marvin of the Shadows also used that, and wanted to sound like him. He learned to play picking without a plectrum, and ended up sounding rather unique.

Its like the blind fellow (forgot his name) that plays stratocaster on his knees. Doesn't know any better and it works perfectly for him.

At the end its about style. For rock powerchords you use a pick (with Mark being an exception) and for hillbilly grasshopper style you do fingerpicking. On electric guitars the strings are closer together compared to acoustic guitars, because for pick strumming and not fingerpicking that makes some sense.

But anything goes if you are comfortable with it

[HelgeG]

Its like the blind fellow (forgot his name) that plays stratocaster on his knees. Doesn't know any better and it works perfectly for him.

That would be Jeff Healey, no?

[funkynuts]

Its like the blind fellow (forgot his name) that plays stratocaster on his knees. Doesn't know any better and it works perfectly for him.

That would be Jeff Healey, no?

Indeed it would.

Anyway, i use both fingerpicking and plectrum,just depends on what you are trying to play and what feels comfortable/gives the results you desire.

For example i would find it very difficult to play a Metallica style palm mute and power chord fest at top speed without a pick, but prefer to play the blues or more soulfull stuff without one.

Fingerstyle is my favourite as i find it gives me a more emotional connection with my instrument,but there are still instances when i reach for a plectrum (mainly 16th notes,superfast widdly lead or certain rock riffage.)

Learn how to do both well then decide which you prefer and concentrate on it.

[jens]

Funny you mention Mark Knopfler... He desperately wanted a red stratocaster because Hank B. Marvin of the Shadows also used that, and wanted to sound like him. He learned to play picking without a plectrum, and ended up sounding rather unique.

the uniqueness of Knopfler's sound comes very much with him using the little finger of his right hand to turn the volume knob up and down all the time for reducing the atack of the pick

[jens]

oh and to answer the original question:

This is very much a matter of taste.
For me it's usually plec with guitar and fingers for bass.

With a plec you have more highs than when using your fingers, also the envelope is different.

[duncanparsons]

for me it all depends on what sound I want, and the style. For lead stuff I will generally use a pick, but for comping I'll use either. Not much help here am I!!

Look at what sound you need for a piece, and play appropriately. Need a sharp sound? Use a pick. Need something more gentle? use fingers. Need to sound like Wes Montgomery? Just use your thumb.. Need to sound like Django Reinhart? Live in a caravan and burn it down...

Loop at other styles as well - for instance, you can't get an authentic Nashville sound without using the Pick'n'pluck technique. Now I can't play Nashville, but I saw Steve Howe once doing some of those kind of licks, and so developed a poormans pick'n'pluck which works OK when I need it.

All up for grabs really!

DSP

[funkynuts]

Need a sharp sound? Use a pick. Need something more gentle? use fingers.
!

DSP

Although i agree with everything else i dispute this entirely,when i want a sharper sound i use fingerstyle and "snap" the string between thumb and fingers, for a real country blues twang and a sharper attack than is possible with a plectrum.

The trick is to leave the nails on your picking hand as long as possible...Hey presto 5 picks!

[jens]

Need a sharp sound? Use a pick. Need something more gentle? use fingers.
!

DSP

Although i agree with everything else i dispute this entirely,when i want a sharper sound i use fingerstyle and "snap" the string between thumb and fingers, for a real country blues twang and a sharper attack than is possible with a plectrum.

The trick is to leave the nails on your picking hand as long as possible...Hey presto 5 picks!

that's not a contradiction -

Need a sharp sound? Use a pick. Need something more gentle? use fingers.
!
DSP

entirely true.

[when i want a sharper sound i use fingerstyle and "snap" the string between thumb and fingers, for a real country blues twang and a sharper attack than is possible with a plectrum.

entirely true.


Conclusion:

With your fingers you are more flexible than with a plec...

[funkynuts]

Need a sharp sound? Use a pick. Need something more gentle? use fingers.
!

DSP

Although i agree with everything else i dispute this entirely,when i want a sharper sound i use fingerstyle and "snap" the string between thumb and fingers, for a real country blues twang and a sharper attack than is possible with a plectrum.

The trick is to leave the nails on your picking hand as long as possible...Hey presto 5 picks!

that's not a contradiction -

Need a sharp sound? Use a pick. Need something more gentle? use fingers.
!
DSP

entirely true.

[when i want a sharper sound i use fingerstyle and "snap" the string between thumb and fingers, for a real country blues twang and a sharper attack than is possible with a plectrum.

entirely true.


Conclusion:

With your fingers you are more flexible than with a plec...

Yeah i can go with that.

[Metanol]

I've been learning the guitar for about a year now (classic acoustic only) and in that time I've only ever used a pick (except for when I couldn't find one 'cos I couldn't remember where I'd put it down and then found I still had it in my mouth ).

I studied classical guitar for a while. Nylon stringed is classical, steel stringed acoustic is not. Pure classical guitar is played with finger nails only. In the beginning of lessons my teacher would check my right hands nails and file them if they were not correct.

I country music some use special figerpicks which are fastened into your thumb and fingers. So you have like extra hard nails.

When playing electric guitar I prefer plectrum. I hold plectrum like my hand is forming a fist. My thumb is resting on my index finger ( I am not quite sure if its called index finger, english is not my mother tongue) and plectrum is between them. Many time you see people people holding plectrum so that thumb and index finger form ring and plectrum is between points of finger and thumb. That is not good way to hold plectrum. I hope you can understand what I mean.

[virtual virtuoso]

Pure classical guitar is played with finger nails only.

I doubt that. _I_ learned (though I didn't _study_ classical guitar) that you play from the tip of your finger and only after that you pick (or whatever) the string with your nail.

In the beginning of lessons my teacher would check my right hands nails and file them if they were not correct.

I can remember discussing this once with a teacher. Funny thing to have short nails left and longer (but not too long) on the right hand.

I also remember that I efficiently trained the left hand's skin to become strong while soldering

tom

[TexasMusicForge]

The OP didn't mention what type of music he/she wants to play, which will have a huge impact on picking technique. Mark Knopfler-type rock, jazz comping, blues playing (check out Son Seals and Gatemouth Brown), classical, Brazilian and Chet Atkins-type country playing all sound best when playing with only your fingers. Bluegrass, folk, basic roots rock'n'roll, metal and some types of jazz all require a pick for speed and control.

A good hybrid approach is to learn to choke the pick tightly between thumb and index finger leaving just the tip of the pick showing and use the middle and ring finger as needed. I often use the pick tip and the meat of my thumb to get Billy Gibbons-style harmonic squeals and still have the other two fingers to do double stops and partial chords when playing electric. When playing acoustic, I can pick the alternating bass notes of a pattern with the pick and still use my fingers for the top end.

My hat's off to anyone who is willing to put the work and sweat into learning to *play* instead of settling for MIDI mediocrity - best of luck to you.

Regards to all,

Tio Ed
Austin, Texas
Land O' 10,000 marginally-employed guitarists

[Metanol]

Pure classical guitar is played with finger nails only.

I doubt that. _I_ learned (though I didn't _study_ classical guitar) that you play from the tip of your finger and only after that you pick (or whatever) the string with your nail.

tom

Ok. Have to remove only from my sentence. I have seen classical guitarists produce sounds from their guitars all kinds of strange ways. Scratching strings, tapping body with fingers etc.

Edit. About software. I heard guy telling about virtual model of guitar where fingers softer part, bone inside the finger, nails, all kinds things on guitar that resonate have been modelled. Heard some samples too. Very convincing. At that time it was not real time synth yet.

[virtual virtuoso]

I have seen classical guitarists produce sounds from their guitars all kinds of strange ways.

It's a bit academic anyway... as you'll get different tones depending on the way you use your fingers on the classical guitar. Emphasizing the nails will probably give you a harder, more brilliant, more 'spanish' coloured sound. Me, I don't like that personally, anyway. So you may be right. Just proves the range of possibilities, as you state

tom