[Slothead56]

I grew up playing with four fingerpicks and a thumb pick. This started when I learned the John Denver Greatest Hits songbook in 1974. (As I recall he used plastic fingerpicks and a thumb pick as did I at the beginning.) Somewhere early, certainly before my first college gig, I switched to metal fingerpicks. Weather I was Travis picking or doing a Don McLean song, it was always picks on 4 fingers.

When I got out of college in the late 70’s and started working I stopped performing. The finger picks stayed in the case in a plastic Kodak film canister (remember those kids?). When I would play for my own enjoyment I did it sans picks....bareback, if you will.

I have noticed over the years the different way players use picks....or not. The aforementioned Mr. McLean wore fingerpicks, but no thumb pick. Others use just a thumb pick and nothing on their fingers (have seen this a lot on recent YouTube videos of true fingerstyle players). Fogelberg was entirely free of picks. Still other eschew devices and grow nails. Think James Taylor. (As a recovering nail biter this option escapes me.)

I have tried but could never get the “imbalance” that just fingerpicks or just a thumb pick provides. Not about the sound...I can’t get my fingers to pluck appropriately so it’s all four or nothing.

I recently broke out those 50+ year old fingerpicks and, after some time and practice, I’m going to begin using them again in my one time a month Happy Hour outing. I like the sound balance and expression I get from the full four pick set-up.

What’s everyone using and why? Are finger picks a thing of the past?