Fingerpicks & thumbpicks

[Lakewood_Lad]

Originally Posted by Nymuso

This is my approach exactly, plastic thumb and brass finger picks. Pro tip: the brass picks can come loose and sometimes the thumb pick can rotate a bit it if you dig in. After much searching and experimenting, I learned that a bit of saliva on your fingers acts as an adherent. Found this on a banjo forum and it works.

Does the brass give a different tone to the plastic? Is this deliberate, to make more of the bass on the thumb and give more of the brightness on the top strings?

It sounds interesting. I think I'll have a look at some and try them out. I certainly want to develop my playing and this is one way of doing that.

[Monts]

Originally Posted by Lakewood_Lad

Does the brass give a different tone to the plastic? Is this deliberate, to make more of the bass on the thumb and give more of the brightness on the top strings?

It sounds interesting. I think I'll have a look at some and try them out. I certainly want to develop my playing and this is one way of doing that.

Yes! Once you get your attack down with the brass picks, the clarity is excellent! i coat the contact areas of thumb picks and brass picks with Gorilla Snot. No Slips! Once you become proficient with finger and thumb picks it's almost difficult to go back!

[Lakewood_Lad]

Originally Posted by Monts

Yes! Once you get your attack down with the brass picks, the clarity is excellent! i coat the contact areas of thumb picks and brass picks with Gorilla Snot. No Slips! Once you become proficient with finger and thumb picks it's almost difficult to go back!

And I assume the pick is in addition to using the finger, not as an alternative. Or do you only use the pick and never the pad?

Sorry if the question sounds dumb but I've never used them so I just don't know.

[Gatorwampus]

I sometimes play with a flat pick, sometimes fingerpick with bare fingers, but often play with a thumb pick and finger picks, depending on the song and on my mood. I like Herco thumbpicks, medium gauge, and Dunlop brass fingerpicks .020 thickness. The brass picks can be bent and formed to suit your attack and I like them. The Herco thumb picks look like a flatpick with a loop on them and they work well for me.

[Monts]

Originally Posted by Lakewood_Lad

And I assume the pick is in addition to using the finger, not as an alternative. Or do you only use the pick and never the pad?

Sorry if the question sounds dumb but I've never used them so I just don't know.

With brass picks, you are really only using the pick.. no pad. They pretty much cover the entire picking area on your finger.

[Deliberate1]

I am a beginner too. I thought about finger/thumb picks but came to the realization that nails are much more practical for me - 'cause no matter how hard I try, I just can't lose them.
David

[Slothead56]

Started using National steel fingerpicks in 1974 when I learned to play, along with a plastic thumb pick. I’m not big into experimentation and Also play the same strings and Flat picks since I began.

Up until late 2019 I was playing with the same set of Nationals I had in 1974. Lost two of them, substituted new ones and still playing them. (I’m pick with 3 fingers and a thumb.

Yes, it takes some getting used to but, for me, they sound natural. I do tweak the angle on the index finger pick as my natural attack creates some scratching on the high G. I just bend the end with a pair of pliers.

[6L6]

My college roommate back in the 60’s was a child prodigy who was snuck in the back door of St Louis, MO blues clubs from the age of 10. His fingerstyle on guitar was flawless and incredible. He was also a phenomenal banjo player.

At the time I knew a few cowboy chords, but I begged him to teach me his Travis fingerstyle.

He said he’d only do it if I wore a plastic thumbpick and at least two metal fingerpicks. And so, that’s how I learned to use them.

50 years later my roommate is a retired captain of industry and I own a respectable fingerstyle ability on guitar. I often get compliments on the tone of the nice stash of guitars I’m lucky to own. But the truth is, 90% of my tone is those metal fingerpicks and the plastic thumbpick I use. Only 10% of my tone is the guitar.

I use 0.013 metal fingerpicks which I love because I can easily mold them to the shape of my fingertips.

Yes, it takes work to get them down, but the sonic rewards are over the top!

[Bunny64]

Originally Posted by Lakewood_Lad

I've been fingerpicking for a little while just using the fleshy parts of my fingers. It's satisfactory but I know I could do more with my nails or with picks. Sometimes I hit the strings with a bit of nail and it rings out and it can add a nice bit of variation or it can sound a bit incongruous but I'd prefer to be in control of it - choosing when and whether or not to do it, how hard etc

Should I grow my fingernails? I've never done that. I'm not a nail biter but I tend to keep them pretty short.

I've been thinking about fingerpicks. I took a brief look and saw all sorts and thicknesses, some in stainless steel, some in plastic and so on and so on.

Does anyone have any advice or experience they can offer to a beginner? What would you have liked to have known when you started using them (or your nails)?

Thanks in advance.

I am currently looking at Travis picking and also palm muting. I have longer fingernails on my right hand but can vary between flesh and nail. With regards to the thumb I either use flesh or nail depending and occasionally a thumb pick. The first one i bought was a Dunlop but i found it big awkward and unwieldy so I started using Kelly thumb picks which are a lot easier and was able to play with them. I even shortened one a little to begin with until i felt comfortable. You need to persevere and take your time until it becomes second nature. Eventually I was able to use the Dunlop too. Practice slowly and experiment with different ones. If i break a fingernail I have plastic finger picks to use til it grows back. I also use a Kelly thumb pick as a plectrum sometimes instead of a flatpick. Hope that helps.

[Grantgreen42]

Originally Posted by Lakewood_Lad

I've been fingerpicking for a little while just using the fleshy parts of my fingers. It's satisfactory but I know I could do more with my nails or with picks. Sometimes I hit the strings with a bit of nail and it rings out and it can add a nice bit of variation or it can sound a bit incongruous but I'd prefer to be in control of it - choosing when and whether or not to do it, how hard etc

Should I grow my fingernails? I've never done that. I'm not a nail biter but I tend to keep them pretty short.

I've been thinking about fingerpicks. I took a brief look and saw all sorts and thicknesses, some in stainless steel, some in plastic and so on and so on.

Does anyone have any advice or experience they can offer to a beginner? What would you have liked to have known when you started using them (or your nails)?

Thanks in advance.

Learn to use your fingers with no nails, grow nails if possible, and try all the thumb picks Alaska and Fred Kelly pics. Try them ALL and be able to play them all. Everyone is different and going through that process will help you find the answer. I've gone through that journey and like them all for various reasons.

https://youtu.be/2j7b_ZFhDIo