Bare Fingers only (no picks) fingerstyle max tone quality potential?

[TBman]

I'm a flesh only player also, with an occasional nail used, but they don't last long when I do.

I guess the increased volume from picks and nails can highlight the differences in guitars.

I can hear the differences in my guitars when I play them, although in recordings the differences are hard to hear.

Here is my Martin CGDGAD tuning, no capo:



And here is my Avalon, same tuning, capo on 3:

[keenans93093]

Originally Posted by TBman

I'm a flesh only player also, with an occasional nail used, but they don't last long when I do.

I guess the increased volume from picks and nails can highlight the differences in guitars.

I can hear the differences in my guitars when I play them, although in recordings the differences are hard to hear.

Here is my Martin CGDGAD tuning, no capo:



And here is my Avalon, same tuning, capo on 3:

Wow, even with the capo and flesh only I would have guessed a Lowden or Avalon for that second bit. Amazing how different and "woody" they sound.

[keenans93093]

I usually use bare fingers also, maybe just enough nail (if I let them get that long) to catch a string or 2 without slowing me down. I think it comes down to control for me too. I play a redwood top and usually use 80/20s but most recently moved back to Elixir pb lights which give me the sparkle without the dampening that the compression from redwood gives. Also, I'm terrible at blindly picking guitars. I always pick cedar or redwood by the sound of someone else playing, then have to adjust how I play to get it to brighten up with no nails. A bit of trial and error usually.

[ssynhorst]

I note that many fingerstyle players use a thumb pick to help balance the bass strings to the more prominent trebles. I solve that issue by having a strong thumbnail and growing it out to produce the degree of balance I want. You could reinforce the thumbnail if need be but I get by having learnt to open beer cans left handed.

I do keep a silk tape and glue nail kit on hand in case of accident. - Stevo

[geewhiz]

I’m a longtime flatpick/hybrid picker but as I’ve gotten more intensely into fingerstyle over the last year or two, I’m finding that a thumpick really helps and adds a lot of flexibility and options. I just don’t get what I need out of bare thumb or bare thumb with nail for what I want to do.

But I typically have just the slightest bit of nail on my fingers, relying mostly on flesh. After a while you’ll develop light callouses the help bring out the tone.

So after all that rambling I would say that you can absolutely do it without fingerpicks.

[rmoretti49]

I, too, play fingerstyle with bare flesh. If you want to know how your different guitars really sound when doing this, put a microphone in front of them and run it through a pair of headphones. The differences will be a lot more apparent.

[JERZEY]

My nephew has pretty small fingers. He plays bare flesh. It sounds pretty good. His attack is pretty good. His volume is pretty good. Good tone all around imo. No nails.

I have very large boned fingers. My tone without nails is absolute trash. Thud like and dull with low volume. Terrible attack. I have to keep some nails or its impossible to produce any kind of tone worth listening to.

In the end I imagine this topic depends a lot on the physical properties of your fingers..

[Social Exodus]

I am a bare knuckle finger picker as well, and I truly dislike thumb and finger picks. I have learned to play each guitar I have slightly differently, even including my Taylor 12 string with good results. If you practice enough, your finger pads will get some calluses anyway which to me gives a nice, rich sound all around.

One thing I've learned after 50 years of playing guitar is this; don't overthink things, rather adapt what you already do well to whatever you are currently playing -- guitar or song wise.

[reeve21]

Bare flesh worked quite well for this fellow, not to mention pinky planting and thumb wrapping . I imagine he had some pretty good calluses.

[boneuphtoner]

Originally Posted by Lamenramen

Hi, I wonder if I am just going to one of these people who can only play fingerstyle with no picks no nails just my bare five fingers.

I have noticed though that using bare fingers the tone of various guitars seems to all sound similar (within reason). What I am saying is that using a pick I feel that is where you can hear differences in tone, but if using bare fingers it seems that the nuances of tone seem reduced. True or false?

Do I need to force myself to use a thumb pick to maximize the sound quality coming from my guitars?

I just love the sound of flesh only (I don't use a hint of nail) fingerstyle and this is what I play 95% of the time. In a way I get what you are saying and I agree to a point - however, if I were to compare my D-18 to my D-28 MD there is a noticeable difference in the tone. They are both great, but different at the same time. And then throwing in my shallower M-36 you gain immediacy of tone at the expense (not much) of depth of tone.

[mawmow]

I used to play with bare fingertips but wanted to get the nails crispy sound.
My teacher helped me change my hand posture so that my brittle nail could
survive hitting the strings.
The problem is I sometimes accidentally break my nails, though they are not that long.

So playing harder with my tips does it but the sound is not as crisp.

By the way, Dragon Skin strings appeared a bit sticky which helps make them "snap" though played with the fingertips.