Your primary/normal method of playing a guitar - - -

[TennesseeWalker]

Went back a ways on the polls here and unless I missed it, haven’t seen one lately regarding your primary method of playing a guitar.
When you take it out of it’s case, lay it across your lap, other than tuning it, how do describe what you usually do?

Flatpicking, Fingerstyle, Strumming, Lead Guitarist -
or Other/Just have your own thing going on (please include your style in the comments)

[Rev Roy]

Pretty much everything I play involves a mix of both picking and strumming. So I voted “Other/Combo.”

[rampix]

I’m voting other too. My style is mostly singer/songwriter including some finger picking, some strumming, some chord melody, some cross-picking, arpeggios, single note runs with hammer-ons and pull offs.

I guess I’m just a mess…of styles anyway. My constant is I’m almost always using the guitar to accompany my singing, so whatever style best suits the song.

[TheGITM]

Primarily, I do finger picking. I'll play songs that are simply strumming, and I can do strumming patterns with the best of them, but my interest has always been with using my fingers to create or mimic picking patterns. That was my holy grail as a 16 year old and it's what I've gravitated to all these... what... 40 years now?

[Mandobart]

I rarely strum chords. I do some bluegrass flatpicking and boom-chuck backup rhythm. Not a lot of leads, but I like to pick the melody of a bluegrass tune at speed.

I play fingerstyle (with flesh - no nails or fingerpicks) for Hawaiian Slack Key, and some folk/Americana - similar to John Prine, Guy Clark or Eric Taylor.

[Dave Hicks]

Depends on the song and instrument.

D.H.

[Mbroady]

If I'm Solo, its fingertips. If jamming, then a pick is used.

[Methos1979]

Other/combo here. Mostly strumming and fingerstyle with some hybrid in there as well.

[Rudy4]

If I'm playing by myself mostly melodic chording, weaving melody into the chordal rhythmic structure.

Like the song says, "You can't have one without the other."

[mr. beaumont]

I play mostly with a pick, often hybrid picking. Unless it's a nylon string, then it's almost always fingers-only.

[mike o]

I use them all but approach the guitar with a bass players sensibility. Always emphasizing moving bass lines.

[Silly Moustache]

Well, every time someone puts up a poll some smart Alec will say "none of the above", so congrats for having an other option!

I put other, because I play :

* Country /bluegrass flatpicking on my dreads, and 12 strings
* Something between the above and comping on my archtops,
* Fingerstyle (one thumb, one finger) on my 0,00, and l-00 styles, reso,
* and all of the above on my 000.

I'm fortunate to have accumulated a fair selection of instruments, and my justification is that I have the tools for whatever job I choose.

But thanks for asking.

[backliner]

I wham away, to hear the guitar gloriousness.
Other stuff too, but mostly I want to hear guitar, loud.

[mawmow]

I began strumming chords but banned the pic quite soon when I learned to
alternate basses and separate the bass from treble and began to play arpeggios.
Then came full fingerstyle…

[JackC1]

I love to just strum my acoustic guitars; however, just yesterday, I discovered acoustic finger style (very different than classical guitar that I've been playing). And I like it. So, now, I'm thinking acoustic gutiars can do strums and finger style just fine.