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Old 09-19-2019, 05:59 AM
Slothead56 Slothead56 is offline
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Default Finger picks? Yes or no?

I grew up playing with four fingerpicks and a thumb pick. This started when I learned the John Denver Greatest Hits songbook in 1974. (As I recall he used plastic fingerpicks and a thumb pick as did I at the beginning.) Somewhere early, certainly before my first college gig, I switched to metal fingerpicks. Weather I was Travis picking or doing a Don McLean song, it was always picks on 4 fingers.

When I got out of college in the late 70’s and started working I stopped performing. The finger picks stayed in the case in a plastic Kodak film canister (remember those kids?). When I would play for my own enjoyment I did it sans picks....bareback, if you will.

I have noticed over the years the different way players use picks....or not. The aforementioned Mr. McLean wore fingerpicks, but no thumb pick. Others use just a thumb pick and nothing on their fingers (have seen this a lot on recent YouTube videos of true fingerstyle players). Fogelberg was entirely free of picks. Still other eschew devices and grow nails. Think James Taylor. (As a recovering nail biter this option escapes me.)

I have tried but could never get the “imbalance” that just fingerpicks or just a thumb pick provides. Not about the sound...I can’t get my fingers to pluck appropriately so it’s all four or nothing.

I recently broke out those 50+ year old fingerpicks and, after some time and practice, I’m going to begin using them again in my one time a month Happy Hour outing. I like the sound balance and expression I get from the full four pick set-up.

What’s everyone using and why? Are finger picks a thing of the past?
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Old 09-19-2019, 06:05 AM
llew llew is offline
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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!
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Old 09-19-2019, 06:10 AM
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srick srick is offline
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I think fingerpick use depends a lot on whether you are soloing or accompanying (and also, the genre of music you are playing). Fingerpicks are loud - they will cut through the mix. Without proper technique, they can distract from the vocal.

AGFer dkstott found this interesting video about modifying fingerpicks to make them sound more like flesh. Simply, you put an adhesive nosepad (for eyeglasses) slightly beneath the tip of the pick. This has worked beautifully for me, mellowing\eliminating the scraping noise just enough that I can accompany or play solo.



Then I'll have to say the obvious: it takes a long time to get good with the picks and I'm sure that many don't have the patience to become proficient.

PS - I adore 'Cling-pro picks" www.clingpropicks.com No commercial affiliation or endorsement, just a very satisfied customer.
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Old 09-19-2019, 06:16 AM
llew llew is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by srick View Post
I think fingerpick use depends a lot on whether you are soloing or accompanying (and also, the genre of music you are playing). Fingerpicks are loud - they will cut through the mix. Without proper technique, they can distract from the vocal.

AGFer dkstott found this interesting video about modifying fingerpicks to make them sound more like flesh. Simply, you put an adhesive nosepad (for eyeglasses) slightly beneath the tip of the pick. This has worked beautifully for me, mellowing\eliminating the scraping noise just enough that I can accompany or play solo.



Then I'll have to say the obvious: it takes a long time to get good with the picks and I'm sure that many don't have the patience to become proficient.

PS - I adore 'Cling-pro picks" www.clingpropicks.com No commercial affiliation or endorsement, just a very satisfied customer.
It does take time. I probably didn't give it a fair shot. Feels more like a sock over a roosters foot to me?
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Old 09-19-2019, 06:19 AM
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Originally Posted by llew View Post
It does take time. I probably didn't give it a fair shot. Feels more like a sock over a roosters foot to me?
Me too. I found it so hard to pick individual strings reliably. And honestly, I'm still working on it. I've tried just about every pick out there too.
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Old 09-19-2019, 06:20 AM
cdkrugjr cdkrugjr is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by llew View Post

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!
It's what we all used before God created the Altoids tin.
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Old 09-19-2019, 06:26 AM
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After playing for decades, I just started learning to finger pick within the last year. Whether with picks or without picks it felt so totally foreign to me that I decided to go through that process with fingerpicks, given how much trouble people who learn without them seem to have playing with them. Now I'm almost a year into it, not very good, but a lot better than I was when I started, and playing with them feels quite natural. But when I try to play without them, I feels largely clumsy and I can't generate even moderate volume. I'm not performing for anyone, just play for myself and occasionally whoever is around, but I still like to be able to hear what I'm playing well, and I can't playing with bare fingers. Maybe someday I'll try to play without them for a couple of weeks, because I'd love to be able to do this with bare fingers. But I'm not gonna try growing my nails out, so it would have to just be with the flesh of my thumb and fingers.

So, for now, and having learned this way, WITH...
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Old 09-19-2019, 06:42 AM
rmp rmp is offline
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no picks, bare fingers, can't use the thumb and finger picks, I've tried, Can't do it...
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Old 09-19-2019, 06:46 AM
Athens Athens is offline
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Default Finger Picks

I play primarily fingerstyle and have never found a pick that works for me. I often use the back of my fingers striking downward across the string and haven't found a pick yet that won't catch on the strings.

I recently tried aLaska Piks and those ALMOST worked for me, but I still decided that bareback was best.

I also think that so many of us play amp'ed nowadays that the lack of volume without finger picks isn't as much of an issue as it used to be.

Just my less then humble opinion, but I'm sticking to it.

" The finger picks stayed in the case in a plastic Kodak film canister (remember those kids?) " Remember when the used to be metal? Now you're talking OLD!
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Old 09-19-2019, 06:48 AM
musicman1951 musicman1951 is offline
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I don't care for the tone the finger picks provide over the tone of just fingers/nails.

I occasionally use a thumb pick for a few songs that seem to call for that, but I prefer just fingers. I have to admit the simplicity of always having my fingers available is an added plus.
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Old 09-19-2019, 07:23 AM
Slothead56 Slothead56 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by llew View Post
If "56" means what I think it does we are both of the same vintage!
Ha! You caught me. It does indeed refer to that “vintage”.
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Old 09-19-2019, 07:40 AM
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Mr. Jelly Mr. Jelly is offline
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I totally understand the struggle. For years and years I used a flat pick through all the different styles of music I was into. When I quit performing I dedicated myself to finger picking with finger picks. I can play more cleanly and more easily with a flat pick. But it is missing something. I have more control finger picking with bare fingers. But that is missing something. I can't do the imbalance thing. It doesn't sound right when I do it. Granted as my experience has shown I can get used to any way of doing it if I dedicate my self to that. But I like the attack sound of finger picks. There is the problem. Deciding what I like to do most. So at times I do play with a flat pick until I miss that thing with finger picking.
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Old 09-19-2019, 07:46 AM
Silly Moustache Silly Moustache is offline
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Hi, I'm mainly a flat-picker, but I keep my thumbnail and my index fingernail trimmed to fingerpick - mostly just at home.

like this :

I also picking on my National - like this :

I also play dobro so when playing with a band (doesn't happen much lately), I use propik brass picks on my index and middle and just cheap plastic thumb picks.

when I first started playing my fingernails were thin and breakable (and often too long) but now they are think and strong and I have to file them every 3-5 days.

I think the secret of keeping picking nails is to keep them as short as will enable you to hit the strings, but no longer.

So, short answer - use 'em if you wish, don't if you don't
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Old 09-19-2019, 07:52 AM
erhino41 erhino41 is offline
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I use fingernails. I could never get used to finger picks. I used flesh for the first twenty years of playing with great success. The nails just give me the attack, volume and dexterity that was always a little lacking with just flesh.

As a recovering nail biter myself I'll tell you that you can grow useable nails. I've been using nails for over two years and will always do so from here on out.

I do a lot of flat picking. When one breaks I just did a lot more of that.
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Old 09-19-2019, 07:55 AM
erhino41 erhino41 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by llew View Post
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!
Finding the right thumb pick and then developing your attack will eventually achieve balance. For me it's the difference in attack and tone. Even at the appropriate volume balance string to string, I perceive a tonal imbalance that I don't like. When i use a thumb pick I do a lot of palm muting.
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