Bare-handed Electric, anyone?

[Mandobart]

Toy Caldwell of Marshall Tucker.

[Bob Womack]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

Toy Caldwell of Marshall Tucker.

Thumb-picker.

Bob

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

. . . There are very few players who I've seen who play fluently without using a pick, and I'm aware that it very much keys into the style of music being played. . . .

If you say so. Maybe. But —

Not saying I'm a great player, but I hate flatpicks. Hard to aim, easy to drop. So I play bare when I'm by myself and use fingerpicks when I'm playing with others and sometimes when I'm playing solo for an audience.

Lots more control. You don't have to aim your fingers. They're already either right there or only a string away. Faster, more accurate, and you can put more expression into it.

I've tried palming and hybrid picking a few times, but it's too much to think about. I'd rather just turn of my brain and play.

Can't think of a style it's not good for. I play acoustic and electric guitar — blues, folk, country/western, R&B, garage rock. Spent more than three years in an African soukous band (think Diblo Dibala or Kanda Bongo Man) and played with a Ghanan for a while.

Below is me demonstrating several faces of electric fingerpicking:

- Clean electric on "Staggerlee," "Delta-bound," "Cora, Cora," and "This Is the Road."
- Overdriven electric on "Sorry For Me."
- Electric country blues on "Bide a Wee Inn" and "Ain't She a Caution."
- Electric slide on "Sterno Sunrise" and "Raining All Aound the World."

Scroll down to find the tunes here: www.thefullertons.net/dreadnot

And of course, you can't do Travis picking, Delta, or classical with a flatpick. Can't think of any style fingerpicking isn't good for.

[Bob Womack]

Most of this was done bare-handed:


The Smile in Her Eyes


Bob

[GoPappy]

There's a young guy named Jared James Nichols that tears it up with his thumb and fingers. Check him out on YouTube. He has no trouble with speed, tone or expression.

[rockabilly69]

I rarely use a pick playing electric leads, and I also play most rhythm without a pick. I use a pick a lot in my acoustic gigs though because the heavier strings break my nails on my right hand.

I use a lot of open strings against the the bass notes in my electric rhythm playing for a fat sound, and I can't do that the same way with a pick.

I am using my fingers on both tracks here...

[Charlie Bernstein]

And here's a nice example: Canned Heat

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by rockabilly69

I rarely use a pick playing electric leads, and I also play most rhythm without a pick. I use a pick a lot in my acoustic gigs though because the heavier strings break my nails on my right hand. . . .

My solution: Short nails (as in post 22). I have a clipper in my gig bag so I'm never without one.

And voila! No broken nails!

[Bowie]

I've played electric with fingers for many years. I found it allows for a level of expression you can't get with a pick (though I do use a pick sometimes). I played that way for 20 years before owning an acoustic.

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by Charlie Bernstein

My solution: Short nails (as in post 22). I have a clipper in my gig bag so I'm never without one.

And voila! No broken nails!

I break them no matter how short they are. So no voila for me If they get too bad (bruises under the remaining nail), I switch to only using the flesh side of my fingers until all healed. I do about 250 gigs a year so you can imagine I've learned the work arounds.

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by Charlie Bernstein

My solution: Short nails (as in post 22). I have a clipper in my gig bag so I'm never without one.

And voila! No broken nails!

I break them no matter how short they are. So no voila for me If they get too bad (bruises under the remaining nail), I switch to only using the flesh side of my fingers until all healed. I do about 200 gigs a year so you can imagine I've learned the work arounds.

[Nymuso]

Do it all the time. With the highs rolled off its great for Jazz and Standards .

[jseth]

Check out a young player named Matteo Mancuso - he's all over the 'net. Plays incredibly fast without a pick; in one little "interview" clip with Rick Beato (and someone else), they have Matteo play with a flatpick, and then without... his comments on the two styles are quite interesting.

He is a wonderful player in a lot of various styles, not just for speed, but his phrasing and tone is a treat to hear!

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by rockabilly69

I break them no matter how short they are. So no voila for me If they get too bad (bruises under the remaining nail), I switch to only using the flesh side of my fingers until all healed. I do about 250 gigs a year so you can imagine I've learned the work arounds.

Yeah, I only use the flesh, never the nails. When they get long enough to interfere, I cut 'em back.

But I have a friend who plays with his nails. He gets them treated with some acrylic coating so they don't break. Sounds crazy to me, but he's a terrific player, so.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by Charlie Bernstein

Yeah, I only use the flesh, never the nails. When they get long enough to interfere, I cut 'em back.

But I have a friend who plays with his nails. He gets them treated with some acrylic coating so they don't break. Sounds crazy to me, but he's a terrific player, so.

Some of my buddies who play clawhammer banjo have acrylic nails put on the right hand index and middle fingers at the local nail salon.