getting full-sounding chords while fingerpicking

[Scott Bari]

A song such as Cat Stevens "Moon Shadow" part ..."and if I ever lose my hands..." where u switch from fp to bass/strumming u can try hybrid style or maybe a type of plastic thumbpick but just a barehand used in any way doesn't seem to sound full. Thanks for any suggestions- I'm a solo act

[jpd]

Scott. Cat had a very good finger stylist playing with him. Going solo is going to short change some of the sound. But a hybrid finger style, finger strum, should give you the fullest sound while concentrating on the melody line.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Scott Bari

A song such as Cat Stevens "Moon Shadow" part ..."and if I ever lose my hands..." where u switch from fp to bass/strumming u can try hybrid style or maybe a type of plastic thumbpick but just a barehand used in any way doesn't seem to sound full. Thanks for any suggestions- I'm a solo act

Hi Scott…

How do you strum now when playing finger style? I mix fingerstyle and strumming all the time, and I strum downward with the tips of the nails on fingers 2-3 and up with the back of the thumbnail.

My strumming is only slightly louder than my fingerpicking (which drives sound techs nuts at first). Techs are used to fingerstyle playing being soft and strumming loud, but after 55 years I've raised the volume of the picking and moderated the volume of the strumming. I also use very resonant guitars.

I'll embed a video I made years ago for students/friends on the topic I actually have 3 methods of strumming, and I NEVER use picks. Hope it gives you ideas (and a point of comparison).

[Pitar]

I keep the finger picking going throughout but switch up the dynamics as needed, where needed to produce the full chord sound.

The full sounding chords rendered with finger picking are done by using triple and quadruple stops, as well as closely arpeggiated chords where the notes are picked in quick succession like a flatpick would render them. Then there's the resqueado, which is a flamenco technique of brushing the strings with the backs of the fingernails of three or four fingers. I've always finger picked Moon Shadow completely through.

I believe it was Alun Davies who rendered much or all of the finger picking in Cat Stevens' songs while he strummed the rhythm parts.

[Casey86]

Here's the man himself Alun Davies playing it. Whole lot of flat picking seems to be happening, and Cat appears to do the fingerstyle with a thumb pick or even a regular pick with the other other fingers for fp.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1C7sJFXO2d0