Strumming without a pick

[Rodgers]

Out of respect for my fifty-year-old dreadnought, plus ageing fretting hand, I am using extra light PB strings. I find that strumming with my index finger gets me close to the sound I am striving for: Dylan's early acoustic albums.
Does anyone out there share my experience, or am I just weird?

[j.blay]

Yup. I'm primarily a bare finger picker. I leave the index fingernail just enough length to strum with without catching it on a string while I'm bare finger picking.

[Larry Mal]

Sure, I've always done it, I make a crude pick out of my fingernails and thumbnail. It actually gives me an extra thing I can do because I can "flick" my fingers downward in a staccato motion.

[Ncbandit]

You are not alone. While recording a recent song I couldn't avoid the pick noise so I strummed with my index finger and by golly there was no pick clatter. Nice warm recording sound.

[Brent Hahn]

I play with a pick, but there are times when it sounds best to tuck the pick up between the thumb and index finger so it doesn't actually touch the strings. Weird but true.

[bufflehead]

For many years I used an extremely light jazz pick, sometimes as thin as .34mm, in order to get that sound, striking the strings mostly with finger and thumb with just a sliver of pick augmenting the strum. However, in the past year or two I've been bruising under the nail of my index finger when I do this while jamming, especially at jams where i'll play for several hours. This has caused me to experiment more with thick, stiff picks while trying to get the same sound as a bare-finger strum.

I haven't really succeeded in this, but I've discovered some new sounds that I'm exploring successfully. Meanwhile, it's nice to be able to play in all-day jams without injuring my finger.

[Joe Beamish]

Originally Posted by Rodgers

Out of respect for my fifty-year-old dreadnought, plus ageing fretting hand, I am using extra light PB strings. I find that strumming with my index finger gets me close to the sound I am striving for: Dylan's early acoustic albums.
Does anyone out there share my experience, or am I just weird?

You’ve had plenty of good company, including JJ Cale and Paul McCartney. Lots of great sounds come from index finger strumming.

[zmf]

Originally Posted by Rodgers

I find that strumming with my index finger gets me close to the sound I am striving for

I'm with you. I also flatpick with my index nail.

I tend to both Travis pick and flatpick on some pieces. It's fun.

[DukeX]

Yes, I'm one. I don't just use the nail though. I will also use the skin up to (and sometimes past) the first knuckle for a different, percussive sound (this will be painful if you don't have a callous). I will also use the index finger for rapid up/down strumming. I will also use it for strums while using my thumb to pick bass notes.

In short, I beat the hell out of my index on some tunes.

[rstaight]

If I am playing rythm chords I typically don't use a pick. I will use my finger nails on the down beat and my thumb nail on the up beat.

[Bob from Brooklyn]

I use a pick and also am a flesh only finger picker. Lately I've become fascinated with the style used by Rodney Crowell here:

[Goodallboy]

Whatever works for you and allows you to be satisfied, is perfect!

[Quickstep192]

I’ve had people give me grief for not using a pick, but to me, a pick sounds like a baseball card clacking against bicycle wheel spokes (if kids still do that

I use the fingernail on the downstroke; thumbnail on the upstroke thing that rstaight describes.

[pvfederico]

Originally Posted by Brooklyn Bob

I use a pick and also am a flesh only finger picker. Lately I've become fascinated with the style used by Rodney Crowell here:

What a wonderful song. Thanks for introducing me to Rodney Crowell.

[rockabilly69]

I like strumming with with my fingers and just a little bit of my fingernail mixed in instead of using a pick. Listen to the counterpoint rhythm guitar in this song that I just wrote and recorded...