Finger picks? Yes or no?

[PHJim]

I like to play guitar with no picks. I do have my index, bird and ring fingers done with acrylic gel at Lilly's Nails. I started doing this on my bird finger for clawhammer banjo a couple of decades ago, but added the other fingers to make my guitar playing more balanced.
I play some bluegrass banjo and Autoharp as well and (almost) always use picks for these. I like a Herco blue thumb pick and National metal finger picks. I dip the part of the finger pick that goes around my finger in a liquid plastic, meant to insulate tool handles, that I get at the hardware store. This makes them more comfortable and less likely to slip off.
One of my friends gave me a couple of picks with open bills that seem easier to use, but don't seem to be available at any local music stores, so I'll have to look after them carefully.
I just googled and this is what they look like: https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=259124

[mercy]

for me its a no cause my nails are strong enough for what I play. I dont like the feel of picks and especially the sound of them, the nature of the sound and the scratchy ness especially with metal. Now if you play blues maybe that is part of the sound you want, I dont play blues.

[Mr. Paul]

I decided I liked the tone from fingerpicks/thumbpicks. I started using them always, no exceptions, and after 30 days was very comfortable after a very awkward start. With practice, one can get good balance no matter what combination you use ... 1 -4 fingerpicks, no fingerpicks, thumb pick or not.

[Earl49]

I am a bare nails fingerpicker. Fortunately mine are tough enough to work well. But if I am playing more than 60-90 minutes a day, they wear faster than they grow. In my case it is thumb and two or three fingers. My journey started using thumb plus three fingers (p, i, m, a) but ring finger has been broken a few too many times in my youth and could no longer keep up. So most of my repertoire was reworked for thumb and two fingers (p, i, m). Basic patterns can still be picked using three fingers - I can switch back and forth on the fly.

I seriously tried but could never get thumb picks or finger picks to work well. The closest was the aLaska pick previously mentioned. The only reason I can see for them is the extra acoustic volume in a group setting. I have a friend who will occasionally hand me his banjo, and inevitably hand me the little bag with his pick collection, which I never used. Personally I think his banjo sounds better with my natural nails than with his finger picks.

[raymas]

I spent years playing with bare fingers only. About 2 years ago I committed to learning how to use a thumb pick and it changed my guitar playing life. It was awkward at first, but now I can't imagine playing without one. However, I still can't get the hang of using finger picks (feel like Edward Scissorhands) but am fortunate to have nails that are up to the task.

[islandguitar]

I use Pro Pik Fingertones and a Blue Chip thumb pick. It took many years to find this combo with the right balance of tone/volume for me.....however, I started 50 years ago with Nationals....it's kind of "just what you did" in those days....didn't even think about it! LOL!
Folks didn't play acoustic with amps much back then....you had to deliver volume with strong nails, picks.....and the microphone very close!
I've fashioned my picks to my needs.........a little sanding here, a bit of bending there..........when you finally get what you need.......it's great.....and that allows for total consistency with playing.

[Cole Allen]

I feel like I have the most control and best tone with a thumb pick w/ bare fingers combo. Certain thumb picks work better for me than others. I prefer Fred Kelly Slick Pick Heavy (small version). It seems to have less attack than some of the other brands, but I can play faster with it than bare thumb. If you aren't palm muting, sometimes the open D string can be too much. With enough practice I have been able to alter my technique to get a decent balance.
With that said, if I'm playing a dread, I usually ditch the thumb pick.

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by islandguitar

I use Pro Pik Fingertones and a Blue Chip thumb pick. It took many years to find this combo with the right balance of tone/volume for me.....however, I started 50 years ago with Nationals....it's kind of "just what you did" in those days....didn't even think about it! LOL!
Folks didn't play acoustic with amps much back then....you had to deliver volume with strong nails, picks.....and the microphone very close!
I've fashioned my picks to my needs.........a little sanding here, a bit of bending there..........when you finally get what you need.......it's great.....and that allows for total consistency with playing.

Those Pro Pic fingertones are a great way to learn to use fingerpicks. I used them when I was first learning - because you can really feel the string with the meat of your finger but then get the attack of the metal part when you actually pick the string. I've since moved to the ProPik fast fingerpicks in brass. I don't use the "fast" part - I just like how they're angled, and the brass seems to result in a mellower tone than the steel or stainless or whatever their others are. But I still have the finger tones around and will pull them out from time to time, just for grins.

-Ray

[Mike_C]

I play with national NP-2's and a thumbpick.

Control is very possible - I can play classical tremolo on any string with them, as well as artificial harmonics. When you practice enough, they become completely transparent. The biggest drawback is not being able to do right hand tapping easily with them, but I might find a way to facilitate that as well.

[rmoretti49]

Originally Posted by llew

I could never get used to them...wish I could. I fingerpick bare flesh. And while that works just fine I do like the clarity that finger/thumb picks allow. Maybe I just never gave it a serious shot. I never understood a thumb pick without finger picks though. Seems the thumb would always way overpower everything else?

And yes...I do remember the Kodak film canisters. They were good for lots of things! If "56" means what I think it does we are both of the same vintage!

This is pretty much exactly describes mee, too.

[gfirob]

I have played with fingerpicks for 50 years, cannot play without them. I used to use Nationals, then Dunlops and now ACRI picks (available at Elderly and Banjo Bob's) because they have a much larger flange holding them on and do not tear up my cuticles. Metal fingerpicks give the guitar a fairly different sound, much brighter and louder, which is great if that is what you like.

I think the selection of style and size for a thumbpick is pretty important too, to each his own...

[vintage40s]

I have used it all. Started Travis picking in the '60s with bare fingers. Added thumb and finger picks. Dropped the finger picks. Stayed with thumb pick alone for decades and still do.

When Youtube came along I noticed how many good Travis pickers used a thumb pick alone. And a minority who used no thumb pick. It would be nice to dispense with the thumb pick, but the thumb's fleshy side and the low angle of attack give disappointing results.

Of flat picking, in the '60s I gave up on holding the pick while bump chucking. But with Youtube I saw Steve Goodman doing flat picking that was related to finger picking -- highly melodic cross picking, back picking. Then onto David Grier, etc. And now flat picking has become as much fun as finger picking.

[DukeX]

Don't use them. Nor nails.

[zmf]

Tried, but they keep falling off my fingers.

[6L6]

My college roommate taught me Travis picking back in 1965. He INSISTED I learn to use a plastic thumbpick and three metal fingerpicks. I am SO GLAD he made me learn how to use them!

To this day I carry a flatpick and a small plastic case that holds my plastic thumbpick and TWO 0.013 Dunlop metal fingerpicks. Over the years I found that a third fingerpick was not needed.

To this day, people think my great tone comes from the nice guitars I play. Truth is, the fingerpicks are 90% of my tone with the nice guitars making up the other 10%.

I remember vividly thinking it was impossible to play with fingerpicks. But just like learning that first "F" chord, I got onto them and never looked back.