# Question for thumb pickers



## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

I have always been a flat picker that uses some of the fingers on my right hand for a nashville style. But lately I've got the yearning to learn an alternate bass thumb style like Chet atkins or Merle Travis. Its quite a challenge for me as my right hand is alot of work to get accurate. Most everything comes natural to me on my left hand (probably because I'm left handed in everything I do but guitar) but that right hand I have to really concentrate on.
Pretty much all the alternate bass thumb pickers I see use a thumb pick. Tradtional thumb picks for me are just not workable. So I ordered some hybrid style picks. I have the Herco and Fred Kelly bumblebee in various guages to try out. Although they are better its still an awkward feel and if I try going from thumb style to flat pick style the flat picking suffers. Or even going from thumbpicking to a strum rythm the thumbpicks are clumbsy.
So for any of you experienced thumb pickers out there, do you know if I'd have any challenges trying to learn an alternate bass thumbstyle with a flat pick? Or should I perservere and try to get used to a thumb pick?


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

hmm guess I spoke too soon. been working with the thumb picks all afternoon and it looks like the Fred Kelly bumble bee, heavy gauge is going to work beautifully. I've been able to do everything I can with a flat pick (took getting used to) and am able to fingerpick.


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## fredyfreeloader (Dec 11, 2010)

Well so much for my 2 hr. vid on the fine art of thumb and finger picking, I guess I'll just put it back with the rest of them in the cabinet under the sink in the bathroom.


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## whammybar (May 7, 2008)

Yeah thumb picks and flat picks are as different a beast as can be imagined. I tried those fancy Herco etc etc and came back to a big old National. It's good to hear you found one you like. The tone of the thumb pick will change over time as thumb picks get naturally sharpened where they hit the strings (you'll notice as you pick that the thumb pick actually hits the strings at a bit of an odd angle which is what sharpens it). You may like this or not. I file all of my new thumb pics down a bit to simulate natural wear as the sound is clearer when they are worn in a bit as opposed to the kind of 'thud' they sound like new.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

I used to use the Herco hybrid picks so that I could alternate between flat and fingerpicking, but now I just use my naked thumb - it's much harder to lose ;-) - and I fingerpick almost exclusively. I tried growing my thumbnail for a bit, but I found that I would always catch it on things so I abandoned the effort. When I did use the Herco picks, I found that I liked them best when they were worn down to almost nothing. I think that if you pick something (so to speak) and stick with it, you'll be fine.


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