Am I weird? (fingerpicking style)

[gutter]

I'm a novice, self-taught guitar player. I've been playing for almost 20 years on and off. I primarily play finger style acoustic guitar.

Recently I've noticed I struggle with playing bass lines in new songs, and I think I may have discovered why, but I wanted input from my fellow guitar players.

I took a close look at my right-hand technique and noticed I tend to play bass line notes by alternating between my thumb and index finger instead of using my thumb exclusively. So when I play something like Dust In The Wind I play the bass line like this:

p - i - p - i - p - i - p - i

Is this weird? I've been trying to build muscle memory to play with just my thumb, but after playing this way so long it's a hard habit to break and I'm wondering if breaking myself of this will improve my ability to pick up new songs. Playing songs I know I'm definitely faster and more accurate with my current technique.

Also, are there any rules of thumb (pun not intended) for Travis picking? When the bass line moves to the 3rd string, should you continue using the thumb or index finger? The higher up the scale the bass line goes, the stranger it feels using my thumb.

[mdshax]

I'll use the thumb all the way down to the 3rd string (G) if needed, doesn't feel weird to me. I feel like everyone has their own idiosyncrasies but the thing I would say is that your current technique could definitely make it difficult to play some of the faster, more complicated pieces with alternating bass. I'm not even sure how I'd play something like Freight Train with 16th notes picking around the melody line if I didn't use my thumb exclusively for alternating bass.

[TBman]

Usually in Travis I'm playing the bass E, then D then E then A etc all with the thumb and the index, middle and sometimes ring fingers play the g b e strings. If its something pretty quick though you might want to cheat a bit and play the D string for instance with the index finger as long as it doesn't slow you down for the next melody note.

Generally though, if it ain't broken, don't fix it.

[Guitarplayer_PR]

Originally Posted by gutter

I'm a novice, self-taught guitar player. I've been playing for almost 20 years on and off. I primarily play finger style acoustic guitar.

Recently I've noticed I struggle with playing bass lines in new songs, and I think I may have discovered why, but I wanted input from my fellow guitar players.

I took a close look at my right-hand technique and noticed I tend to play bass line notes by alternating between my thumb and index finger instead of using my thumb exclusively. So when I play something like Dust In The Wind I play the bass line like this:

p - i - p - i - p - i - p - i

Is this weird? I've been trying to build muscle memory to play with just my thumb, but after playing this way so long it's a hard habit to break and I'm wondering if breaking myself of this will improve my ability to pick up new songs. Playing songs I know I'm definitely faster and more accurate with my current technique.

Also, are there any rules of thumb (pun not intended) for Travis picking? When the bass line moves to the 3rd string, should you continue using the thumb or index finger? The higher up the scale the bass line goes, the stranger it feels using my thumb.

I did the same question way back, precisely because most of my fingerpicking was just like you're doing right now.

If you have a conflict with what Travis Picking is, just "Insert your Name Picking." And keep playing.

[sdelsolray]

The p - i (aka t - i) right hand finger combination is quite useful for several things, including scale runs, arpeggios and repeated notes. It can be used on any string or combination of strings.

[jaybones]

Well, I took some classical guitar classes in college while getting my minor in music, and when I fingerpick I use the P I M A method.

Sometimes I'll use the thumb on higher strings than the E and A, depending on the song and pattern.

Jerry Garcia was a pretty good finger picker, and he was missing his ring finger on his right hand (from a wood chopping accident when he was a child), so by the time he'd picked up the guitar he had already learned to compensate for not having it.

Also was able to play the banjo pretty well.

[mercy]

You can use any finger (thumb) for any string but as a general rule the thumb plays the bass whatever it is. Youll do better sticking to this.

[CycleBob]

At my guitar teachers urging I try to pretty much stick to thumb playing the low e, a and d strings while index, middle and ring finger take care of the g, b, and high e.

Depending on the song it's negotiable though, especially on the d string and especially if the song has a faster complicated bass (there's an arrangement of The Jackson 5 "I want you back" where I feel like you really can't be too rigid with assigned fingers for example).

A few exceptions aside though trying to stick to this has resulted in cleaner and smoother finger picking for me I think.

[SunnyDee]

Originally Posted by gutter

I'm a novice, self-taught guitar player. I've been playing for almost 20 years on and off. I primarily play finger style acoustic guitar.

Recently I've noticed I struggle with playing bass lines in new songs, and I think I may have discovered why, but I wanted input from my fellow guitar players.

I took a close look at my right-hand technique and noticed I tend to play bass line notes by alternating between my thumb and index finger instead of using my thumb exclusively. So when I play something like Dust In The Wind I play the bass line like this:

p - i - p - i - p - i - p - i

Is this weird? I've been trying to build muscle memory to play with just my thumb, but after playing this way so long it's a hard habit to break and I'm wondering if breaking myself of this will improve my ability to pick up new songs. Playing songs I know I'm definitely faster and more accurate with my current technique.

Also, are there any rules of thumb (pun not intended) for Travis picking? When the bass line moves to the 3rd string, should you continue using the thumb or index finger? The higher up the scale the bass line goes, the stranger it feels using my thumb.

Some styles only play thumb and index for everything, and classical styles use an alternating index, middle for many notes, so I think of the fingering as a style thing, not a correct or incorrect or weird thing. If it were me, I'd just treat it that way. For example, when I first learned chords, I learned certain fingering for them, but then I started to see songs where other fingerings made more sense in other progressions. So, there's not just one way that I finger Amajor, for instance, there are 3-4 ways depending where it is in the progression. You could just learn a song or two that needs the alternating thumb to make sense and gradually incorporate that skill as well as the one you've already got.

[Llewlyn]

Originally Posted by gutter

I'm a novice, self-taught guitar player. I've been playing for almost 20 years on and off. I primarily play finger style acoustic guitar.

Recently I've noticed I struggle with playing bass lines in new songs, and I think I may have discovered why, but I wanted input from my fellow guitar players.

I took a close look at my right-hand technique and noticed I tend to play bass line notes by alternating between my thumb and index finger instead of using my thumb exclusively. So when I play something like Dust In The Wind I play the bass line like this:

p - i - p - i - p - i - p - i

Is this weird? I've been trying to build muscle memory to play with just my thumb, but after playing this way so long it's a hard habit to break and I'm wondering if breaking myself of this will improve my ability to pick up new songs. Playing songs I know I'm definitely faster and more accurate with my current technique.

Also, are there any rules of thumb (pun not intended) for Travis picking? When the bass line moves to the 3rd string, should you continue using the thumb or index finger? The higher up the scale the bass line goes, the stranger it feels using my thumb.

I'd highly recommend to get accustomed to the classic technique, i.e., thumb only to play bass lines. In my opinion, you are not using your fingers in the best way. Indeed, alternate p - i are use to phrase (I do it routinely) and this is something that you can do when play scales/improvising but not to play the bass, otherwise you lose your index finger for playing melodies.

Best of luck!

Ll.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by gutter

I'm a novice, self-taught guitar player. I've been playing for almost 20 years on and off. I primarily play finger style acoustic guitar.

Recently I've noticed I struggle with playing bass lines in new songs, and I think I may have discovered why, but I wanted input from my fellow guitar players.

I took a close look at my right-hand technique and noticed I tend to play bass line notes by alternating between my thumb and index finger instead of using my thumb exclusively. So when I play something like Dust In The Wind I play the bass line like this:

p - i - p - i - p - i - p - i

Is this weird? I've been trying to build muscle memory to play with just my thumb, but after playing this way so long it's a hard habit to break and I'm wondering if breaking myself of this will improve my ability to pick up new songs. Playing songs I know I'm definitely faster and more accurate with my current technique.

Also, are there any rules of thumb (pun not intended) for Travis picking? When the bass line moves to the 3rd string, should you continue using the thumb or index finger? The higher up the scale the bass line goes, the stranger it feels using my thumb.

The only problem with using index for this in between bass notes (beats 2 and 4) is it stops you using your index for other stuff (and leaves the thumb lazily doing nothing on 2 and 4).

It's not mandatory to use the thumb on all the bass notes, it's just conventional. The advantage is that - like strumming chords - the downstrokes establish the beat, keeping it steady. But provided you can play all you need to with your method, I don't see a problem. Especially if you've been doing it 20 years!

Elizabeth Cotten played guitar upside down, so she used her index and middle for all the bass notes, the thumb playing the tune!

Merle Travis, meanwhile, used thumb and index alone - his other 3 fingers stuck on the scratchplate. That sure ain't classical!

IOW, most players in this style teach themselves, ending up with whatever feels comfortable.

(Personally, I use thumb in the orthodox way, but then I use middle and ring for melodies, rarely the index.)

[gutter]

Thanks for all of the great feedback. The more I practice the more natural using my thumb for the bass line feels - I just find I have to concentrate to stick with it. I'm sure eventually it will feel natural.

[Pitar]

I don't apply any rules. I'll run the thumb down from the sixth to the second string in a boom-ba-da-boom-ba-da sequence as a dynamic break and then go into double-stops in a similar sequence with thumb and whatever fingers suit the run.

[macmanmatty]

I use thumb on 6th 5th and sometimes the 4th strings and a lot of times strum down while doing so. I use index on the 5th 4th and sometimes 3rd strings. (yes I play the melody that low) I use the index on the 3rd and 2nd strings and I use my ring finger on the first.