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Old 05-03-2022, 07:56 AM
bluesguy63 bluesguy63 is offline
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Default Thumb and middle finger only?

So, I have found that I'm primarily only using my thumb and middle finger to fingerpick. I have really long fingers and using those two fingers seem to be a little more comfortable....Does anyone else only use thumb and middle finger?
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Old 05-03-2022, 09:24 AM
Martijn Martijn is offline
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In fingerstyle music it happens quite often that a bass note and two melody notes are played simultaneously. But that is tricky if you're only using two fingers.
Although many people don't use their ring finger and little finger, not using the index finger seems quite unusual to me.
Also, for fast fragments where you would only need to play a bass note and one melody note simultaneously, you might want to alternate between the index finger and middle finger as this probably makes it much easier to play.
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Old 05-03-2022, 09:48 AM
reeve21 reeve21 is offline
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I use first, second and third. But the second finger gets used the most. It is not a conscious thing anymore. As Roy Bookbinder says, whichever one gets there first

I see nothing wrong with thumb and one, whichever one suits you. A lot of the greats did it that way. But it might not work for all styles, as Martijn pointed out above.
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Old 05-03-2022, 10:15 AM
DCCougar DCCougar is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bluesguy63 View Post
So, I have found that I'm primarily only using my thumb and middle finger to fingerpick..... Does anyone else only use thumb and middle finger?
In large part, yes, but I include the index finger along with, at the same time, as the middle finger, at some points. I can pick with a pattern of all three independently, but.... I don't know -- it seems a little monotonous, and I don't know where to break the monotony....
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Old 05-06-2022, 06:52 AM
Howard Emerson Howard Emerson is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bluesguy63 View Post
So, I have found that I'm primarily only using my thumb and middle finger to fingerpick. I have really long fingers and using those two fingers seem to be a little more comfortable....Does anyone else only use thumb and middle finger?
No. It's very rarely going to be a preferred method, and the fact that you have long fingers really has nothing to do with it.

At the moment you're obviously satisfied with what you're able to accomplish using thumb + 1, and if you're into Doc Watson or Merle Travis you actually may be satisfied long term.

They primarily used thumb & index, and really well I might add.

My vague sense is that you're using the middle instead of the index because it's got 'more reach', obviously, but without seeing you actually play I can't form any sort of informed opinion.

You'll go on using your current technique until such time that there's a sound you want to make that can't be done with only a 2-note pinch, and then you'll have to make a decision.

If your ears don't force the issue, then nothing will.

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Old 05-07-2022, 05:36 AM
catdaddy catdaddy is offline
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When I started fingerpicking I used my thumb and middle finger. It worked and I was comfortable doing it. Later, when I started learning to play Scruggs-style banjo, I needed to use my thumb and two fingers for the rolls that are an integral part of that playing style. As I developed that thumb + 2 technique on banjo, I simply incorporated that into my guitar playing as well. In the end I'm glad I learned the thumb + 2 technique. It's a bit more versatile method and allowed me to expand and improve my playing on guitar.
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Old 05-07-2022, 05:51 AM
JonPR JonPR is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bluesguy63 View Post
So, I have found that I'm primarily only using my thumb and middle finger to fingerpick. I have really long fingers and using those two fingers seem to be a little more comfortable....Does anyone else only use thumb and middle finger?
I'm much the same. I tend to use middle and ring, but middle is my primary one. There's a whole lot of songs I can play with thumb and middle only.
For me, my right hand position when I was teaching myself just meant the middle finger was the one that reached the strings most easily - because it's longer than the index! Ring then works best in support, when a second one is needed.
The index is 3rd on the list, usually only when I need a 3rd finger, e.g. to pick chords.
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Old 05-07-2022, 12:16 PM
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The Carter scratch.

"Maybelle helped create the group's unique sound with her innovative style of guitar playing, using her thumb to play melody on the bass strings, and her index finger to fill out the rhythm. Her technique, sometimes known as the Carter Scratch."
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Old 05-07-2022, 12:23 PM
bluesguy63 bluesguy63 is offline
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Thanks for all of the replies!
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Old 05-08-2022, 11:21 AM
Mandobart Mandobart is offline
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Just my opinion - more tools are better than less tools. More knowledge is better than less. More skill is better than less. Options are better than limitations, especially self-imposed limitations.

There will always be exceptions - players who demonstrate skill well above average using methods contrary to most of the accepted methods or in spite of real or self-imposed limitations. That's what makes them exceptional. Most of us aren't exceptional.
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