Thumb strumming

[Silly Moustache]

I'm guessing that there are maybe four ways to strike guitar strings with your opposing digit :

1. to hold a pick
2. to play with a thumbpick
3. to pay with the thumbnail (which I frequently do)
4. to play with the flesh outside edge.

When did people first start playing guitars with picks I wonder, bearing in mind that guitars were not considered as rhythm instruments for many centuries, and possibly not until steel strings became popular on flat tops - (1920s ?)

Although Wikipedia tells me that Nick Lucas had a considerable influence in the popularity of plectra.

So, for finger (and thumb) style, this is the traditional way of playing guitars way before the plectra became popular, and yes with/without nails are both acceptable.

Strumming with just the thumb arpeggio style is a very limited way of playing an accompaniment but I've seen many people do it.

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by zmf

I doubt many folks do what I do, but I'll mention it anyway. I mainly Travis pick with just thumb and index. When I need to strum and/or hit single notes, I use my index fingernail as a flatpick, with my thumb/index held together as though I was holding a flatpick.

I keep both those fingernails long, and they're pretty tough. I can cross-pick (up and down) with it. But obviously not a the speed of a bluegrasser with a flatpick. But if you're just hitting a single-note run and following through with a strum, it works.

But if you're not primarily a fingerpicker, this style is probably useless to you.

This is what I used to do back when I was primarily a fingerstyle player in the early years although unlike the above poster I didn't keep any of my nails long. I was just never comfortable with a pick for some reason. Then over time we started to add more and more 'strumming' songs and I needed to use that technique more and more. The problem with it is that it's hard to get a really good and consistent tone that way.

One day for giggles I tried a pick again and found that suddenly I could play with a pick so I converted over. I'll still play with just the index and thumb pressed tightly together (simulating holding a pick) when the need arises like when there's a song that is mostly fingerstyle but has a section that needs a more aggressive strumming passage in it. It's not as good as a pick, not as much clarity or volume, but it gets me by.

I've tried strumming with just my thumb on occasion but the tone is just too muted and soft. Hitting the strings with the index nail on the downstroke and the thumb nail on the upstroke is a little better but not nearly as good as with an actual plectrum of some sort.

[rstaight]

Depending on my mood, I will strum with a flat pick, thumb pick, or with my nails.

When using my nails I use my finger nails on the down stroke and my thumb nail on the up stroke.

[ghostnote]

I’d have to call myself a pick user mostly, but really, you have to use your thumb and fingers at times. It’s easier to get nuances with your fingers. I don’t play fingerstyle but I do play with my fingers. I play bass with my thumb. I play a lot of electric, too, so I use a pick a lot. It’s all good…

[fpuhan]

I have never felt comfortable playing with a pick. They seem to have a mind of their own and jump out of my hands at the worst possible moment.

Early on in my playing "career" I was influenced by the sound Jerry Garcia produced, and learned I could emulate his "ringing" tone by using the hard edge of my index finger when striking the string as if I were using a pick. Since then, my "picking" is really just my thumb and finger pressed together as if I were using a pick. Sometimes I use my thumb for bass notes, or for when I want a more muted or mellow tone.

The side effect of playing my way is that I have three unused fingers on my strumming hand. At one time, I became aware that my method of playing might appear "awkward" or even offensive to classically trained guitarists. But I got over it.

Today, my wish is to play music. If the sounds I produce are appealing to me, I care not what others think of my technique. In fact, over the years of watching many professional guitarists, it seems they all have adopted their own methods suited to their personal predilections. And I think that's how it should be.

[SongwriterFan]

I use a combination of my thumb and index finger.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur5WZZ8LGjE

[Silly Moustache]

Hi again, I forgot to say hat should you want to develop your use of a flat-pick, then I'm pretty sure that I could help you via some one-to-one Zoom meetings.
It's kinda what I teach most.
PM me if interested.

[lpa53]

I'm generally a fingerstylist but do need a break now and then (so does the audience) and I do strum. When I do, I use my nails as picks. I even flat pick with my index nail backed by my thumb. This works fine for the limited amount I do. I've never used a thumb strum and, while I hesitate to say it, I see thumb strumming as a sign of a beginner. It's not versatile enough and allows little to no dynamics.