Was Learning To Use a Thumb Pick Difficult For You?

[JayBee1404]

Originally Posted by NotveryGood

I never could get on with a thumb pick, so I learned the "hybrid" style of picking with a regular pick and three fingers. It does make it easier to revert to strumming mid song too.

I’d love to be able to do that - the other two guitar players in my band use the ‘hybrid’ technique too, and to great effect, but I just can’t get the hang of it!

Hmmmmm...my next ‘project’?

[davidbeinct]

I’m still very much a noob and play almost entirely with bare fingers but when I have tried a thumbpick it’s been relatively easy to adjust. Fingerpicks, otoh...

[JayBee1404]

Originally Posted by davidbeinct

I’m still very much a noob and play almost entirely with bare fingers but when I have tried a thumbpick it’s been relatively easy to adjust. Fingerpicks, otoh...

Have you tried Propik Fingertones? They have a hole in the blade which permits the finger-flesh to contact the string, so you do get some ‘feel’. They sound ‘warmer’, less strident, than standard finger-picks too. I personally prefer the ‘split-wrap’ type, but the other kind is good also.

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[Silly Moustache]

I've got a great collection of hybrid, long, short, plated thumb picks. I found the best one for me was the simple transparent plastic Dunlop with a sharp point. I only really use them on Dobro, and I don't play that much nowadays.

I have similar picks for Weissenborn and National but prefer to use my fingernails. Same on guitar.

[GinL]

Originally Posted by Michael Watts

I tried it for a week or so in my teens. Absolutely hated it. Helpful for speed but that was never really my thing.

That said, many of the players I admire wear one.

Similar experience here. I started as a classical player who transitioned to steel-string fingerstyle. I bought a thumbpick because I liked what Tommy Emmanuel was doing with one, but I just could not come to terms with it. I admire Tommy's ability to switch between bare thumb, thumbpick and flatpick, but I think this mere mortal will stick to being mediocre at just one style, rather than butchering 3.

[raysachs]

The whole finger style thing was hard, but when I decided to get into it, I started with picks on my thumb and fingers. I figured it all felt like learning Chinese either way, it didn/t seem any more difficult with picks than with bare fingers. And I'd heard so many people say they'd learned with bare fingers and could never get used to finger picks or thumb picks, but I'd never heard the reverse. So I learned with picks and it worked - now I'm equally bad with picks and with bare fingers. I do play more often with bare fingers now, but some days it just seems to sound better with picks, so I still play with them some.

-Ray

[UncleJesse]

Originally Posted by Acousticado

That said, if I ever do become comfortable with one, I still like the “meaty”, softer tone of a bare thumb and don’t want to be tethered to picks in general because I like the intimacy of using most/all of my picking thumb/fingers and don’t ever want to be caught in a situation where I have the opportunity to play someone else’s guitar when I didn’t expect it and the quality of my playing is dependent on a pick when I don’t happen to have one on me. I very much like the feeling of a “naked”, all finger approach and the ability to do it on any guitar, at any time.

I WILL try a thumb pick again at some point, hopefully to stick with it to have it as an option.

You could just be like my dad who carries around thumb and finger picks in his pocket everywhere he goes!

[Wooly]

Originally Posted by Ken Carr

I am so accustomed to using a thumbpick that I am bound to it. I cannot hardly play fingerstyle without it. If I try to fingerpick without a thumbpick, my thumb accuracy is way diminished. You will get used to it.

That about sums it up for me. It's not that I had to make myself get used to it but I just fell into naturally. I couldn't imagine doing Travis or Atkins boom chick picking without one.

Golden Gates are the most comfortable, best sounding that I have found.

[PeterM]

Well, YES.

I cannot find a thumbpick that will stay on my thumb without killing the circulation.

Propicks are OK but too large.

I do like the tone...the search continues somewhat sporadically for one I can use.

[Bob Womack]

I studied just enough classical to be dangerous and thus grew my nails. I have liquid acrylic applied. Whenever I have given a thumbpick a chance it really hasn't seemed to offer any benefit over my thumbnail.

Bob

[Earl49]

Originally Posted by UncleJesse

You could just be like my dad who carries around thumb and finger picks in his pocket everywhere he goes!

I know banjo players like that. They sit astonished when I fingerpick their instrument without the offered fingerpicks and thumb pick. They act as if it isn't even possible to play without the picks. [Yes, I just publicly confessed to sometimes playing a banjo! ]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

.....Whenever I have given a thumbpick a chance it really hasn't seemed to offer any benefit over my thumbnail.

Having fingerpicked since the early 80's I have never been able to adapt to a thumb pick or finger picks. Lord knows, I've tried. There is a box around here with several varieties of each but I could never really adapt. Fortunately I am blessed with strong nails that can grow fast enough to allow 60-90 minutes of daily play without wearing away too much.

[emtsteve]

I can't get the hang. Use my bare thumb or hybrid with a regular pick.

[leew3]

I've tried numerous thumb picks but have not found them to be an improvement for me. I'll keep at it but will likely continue to go with just my thumb or hybrid picking with a flat pick.

[reeve21]

I've tried. Feels like I have a shovel taped on the end of my thumb. I gave up after a week or 2, maybe I'm just lazy. Was worried it would inhibit palm muting, but I've learned how to do that without one.

[macmanmatty]

It took me about 6 months of practice using only thumb / finger picks when playing; to fully get used to a thumb pick. Since I don't grow my nails out like Chet Atkins I have to use finger picks with one too. I used one on and off for years but could never get used to it. Till the sound lady who ran the open mic told me you need to make your guitar louder if you want people to hear you, and using finger picks and a thumb pick was the only way I could do that. Now it feels weirder not to use them when playing. My fingers just feel naked without them on . My take is learn to use them they improve accuracy, loudness and tone ten fold. Also Travis style with a palm muted bass will next to impossible with out a thumb pick. I use a national large white plastic thumb-pick and dunlop metal finger-picks.