Hybrid picking using pinky?

[Jimi2]

So I’m primarily a finger picker using the thumb and first three fingers on my right hand - no pinky. But lately I’ve been doing more lead playing with a pick, and have found it really useful to have the option to hybrid pick at the same time. So my question is does anyone do this and use the pinky? I feel limited by hybrid picking and only having two fingers to pluck the high strings, but my pinky is not used to being used and doesn’t do a great job currently. Does anyone use the pinky and is it worth practicing with it?

[Russ C]

I’ve been doing that for over 40 years and while I value the technique, I’m a rubbish finger picker .. hence I won’t let go of a plectrum .. not deliberately anyway.
The pinky doesn’t like working independently so we only have 2 reasonable fingers left to use and they’re the weak ones for people who use their thumb obviously. I will acknowledge that even after studying classical I never felt right with finger technique so maybe there’s something wrong with me.

All that said, for a plectrum player it’s a really handy addition even if my experience is that it’s pretty limited.
I’d encourage you to do it but maybe not devote your career to it.

[Jimi2]

Originally Posted by Russ C

I’ve been doing that for over 40 years and while I value the technique, I’m a rubbish finger picker .. hence I won’t let go of a plectrum .. not deliberately anyway.
The pinky doesn’t like working independently so we only have 2 reasonable fingers left to use and they’re the weak ones for people who use their thumb obviously. I will acknowledge that even after studying classical I never felt right with finger technique so maybe there’s something wrong with me.

All that said, for a plectrum player it’s a really handy addition even if my experience is that it’s pretty limited.
I’d encourage you to do it but maybe not devote your career to it.

Cool, thanks for sharing your experience. Yeah, the classical guy I was studying with would be horrified, but I think I’ll try getting the pinky into action and see how it goes.

[mtdmind]

I was a classical player, but my right index finger became unresponsive. I have been using the hybrid technique for a while now. I never use my pinky.

[dhalbert]

If you play piano, the pinky is a full-service finger . And it does a lot of work on your fretting hand. I've never quite understood why it's left to languish on the picking hand.

[mtdmind]

Originally Posted by dhalbert

If you play piano, the pinky is a full-service finger . And it does a lot of work on your fretting hand. I've never quite understood why it's left to languish on the picking hand.

Have you tried using your pinky?

[pegleghowell]

I tried using my Pinky but it made my tone too Perky.

[dhalbert]

Originally Posted by mtdmind

Have you tried using your pinky?

I have, and I don't mind, but it needs more practice, and I don't use it regularly. I do come to the guitar with a lot of piano experience. Some classical guitarists who use the pinky:

http://www.charlespostlewate.com/techwork.html
http://www.stepanrak.cz/technique-stepan-rak.html

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Jimi2

So I’m primarily a finger picker using the thumb and first three fingers on my right hand - no pinky. But lately I’ve been doing more lead playing with a pick, and have found it really useful to have the option to hybrid pick at the same time. So my question is does anyone do this and use the pinky? I feel limited by hybrid picking and only having two fingers to pluck the high strings, but my pinky is not used to being used and doesn’t do a great job currently. Does anyone use the pinky and is it worth practicing with it?

Hi Jimi2

My gigging partner hybrid picks/plucks using his pinky.

[Pattern]

I use both of my pinky fingers a good bit. I’m pretty new to playing so I started with a clean slate and tons of free info on the internet and I decided a few weeks in to really make use of my pinky on my fretting hand. I have smaller hands so I can’t afford to be wasting digits; ) I use my middle, ring, and pinky a lot and have that strong accurate index finger just waiting to plant where needed.

My right hand pinky also is in the mix. I learned a few picking songs early on from tutorial videos and I just did everything exactly like they did but after a while I just wanted to use all my fingers so I did. It only took a week or so before the pinky felt natural and sounded good (at least to me lol).

I haven’t done any hybrid picking but I’m guessing having another finger available would come in handy. The pinky just seems made for the high E they’re always hanging out right there together

[Jim in TC]

A couple years ago while perusing an issue of Acoustic Guitar I saw an article about early habits that suggested that many people get into, and need right away to get out of, the habit of resting the pinky tip on the guitar top as a sort of guide. By then I had been doing that enough decades that there was no going back. And somewhere along that line I started holding a pick and picking with the remaining fingers, recently learning that this is called a hybrid style.

A more useful pinky makes some sense to me, but is not going to be in my bag of tricks.

[DukeX]

I don't hybrid pick a lot, but when I do I don't use the pinky. Don't use it for fingerstyle either.

[colins]

Hi Jimi2

When I started playing acoustics I played hybrid (pick and fingers) because I had used a pick for so many years previously when playing electric guitar. I had some acoustic guitar masterclass lessons and queried my teachers about it. They pretty much said if it works, go with it! But I eventually moved to full fingerstyle (thumb and fingers) as I dropped the electric guitar completely and played just acoustics.

A few years ago I injured my right hand and that made full fingerstyle difficult, so I moved back to hybrid again. I definitely use my pinky. I play a lot of four note chords ( maj 7s, nines, sixes etc) using my pick and three fingers. That leads into also using the pinky for fingerstyle things. I don’t have a great deal of dexterity but I think that is largely due to my injury. But I’d recommend using your pinky, after all it’s just sitting there being wasted otherwise! Might take a bit of practice, but for me at least it has been worth it.

[Jimi2]

Originally Posted by colins

Hi Jimi2

When I started playing acoustics I played hybrid (pick and fingers) because I had used a pick for so many years previously when playing electric guitar. I had some acoustic guitar masterclass lessons and queried my teachers about it. They pretty much said if it works, go with it! But I eventually moved to full fingerstyle (thumb and fingers) as I dropped the electric guitar completely and played just acoustics.

A few years ago I injured my right hand and that made full fingerstyle difficult, so I moved back to hybrid again. I definitely use my pinky. I play a lot of four note chords ( maj 7s, nines, sixes etc) using my pick and three fingers. That leads into also using the pinky for fingerstyle things. I don’t have a great deal of dexterity but I think that is largely due to my injury. But I’d recommend using your pinky, after all it’s just sitting there being wasted otherwise! Might take a bit of practice, but for me at least it has been worth it.

Thanks all. I’ll give it a try! It’s a strange sensation trying to get the pinky in the mix after 20 years of having it be useless. And if I get into it I’ll have to start putting another artificial nail on too.