pick VS hybrid VS fingers

[WoodBlues]

I'm in a bit of a struggle right now.
I've been playing electric blues for about 5 years. This brought no debate, the pick was the way to go.
There's plenty of lessons, etc...

I've now started acoustic blues, things got complicated.
I don't like the tone of the thumb flesh but there are plenty of lessons for finger picking blues, and it's convenient.
Lessons are very hard to find for hybrid picking and with a pick.
I've also tried the thumb pick and it feels very weird to play and the strumming tone, I don't really like.

Also, should I go open G or standard... Seems like everyone is doing it different but for learning it's very confusing.

Any suggestions?

[Bern]

Watch this video at around 5:45. TE explains how he changed from hybrid to thumb pick. Perhaps, it'll help you.

[Gcunplugged]

After watching TE a good bit, I broke down and switched from thumb, fingers, and nails to a thumbpick with bare fingers/nails (no picks).

It was awkward at first, and I almost gave up on it. But after about 2 months of struggle, I finally began liking it. After 3 months, I couldn't go back. It allows me to hold my hand in a more natural (to me) position, and I get a crisper attack on the bass strings as opposed to the fleshy thumb approach.

I think I bought one of every kind of thumbpick available, and finally settled in on a few keepers. For me, the only downside is when I occasionally need to strum a few beats. I tend to "rake" with the back of my fingernails on the downstroke, and don't really try to use the thumbpick to strum.

Lastly, I filed the thumbpicks down a bit to shorten the length as I found the stock length to be just too long for me.

Hope that's of some help
GC

[Skarsaune]

How do you deal with the different attack/volume when playing thumbpick and fingers?
I play either fingers or pick, but would like to transition during songs, ie, fingerpicking the intro, strum while singing, etc. Tried a thumbpick but it made the thumb notes too loud compared to the picked ones and strumming with it was no good.

[WoodBlues]

Thanks for the replies, got another question for you!

Do you play stock thumb picks or do you sand them down?

I've been having trouble with the long thumb picks since I'm coming from playing with a pick and used to hold to pick really close to my thumb flesh.
But once sanded down, the pick sounds dull.

Does Tommy play a regular Dunlop white thumb pick?

[stanron]

Pick profile can affect tone. A wide, flat shape will inhibit harmonics and sound dull. A sharp, thin shape will allow more harmonics in the note and sound brighter.

[Gcunplugged]

On steel string, I either use a Dunlop or a National in the brown/tortoise shell color. Not sure if the color really makes a difference though. On nylon string, I use a Fred Kelly yellow pick, which I think is made of Delrin. And yes, I sand some of the length off, maybe removing 1-2mm. The stock length tends to be too long for me an inhibits speed, not that I have much to start with I haven't noticed any affect on tone from the shortening though.

As for the different volume between the attack of the pick, and my fingers, I still have nails on my fingers so that helps me compensate some, but I think it was just part of the learning process to go easy on the thumb.

Lastly, here are three tunes if you're interested, the first before I switched to thumbpick, the second using thumbpick on steel, and the last using thumbpick on nylon:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWU-...Jmtvg&index=17

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujil...XJmtvg&index=7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRws...XJmtvg&index=2

One the first one, I had to do a bit of processing to clean up the bottom end, especially since I'm tuned down. The 2nd and 3rd are "raw", using only the webcam mics. Oh, and you'll notice no strumming in any of those, with the exception of an occasional "rake" in the second one. If I've got any significant strumming to do, I have to drop back to a hybrid method.

Once again, hope that is of some help,
gC