# Fingerstyle electric



## AlexOT (10 mo ago)

There are a handful of techniques for me that require a pick; fast alternate picking, shred riffs and (complex) single note soloing.

I enjoy playing without the pick so much, it is 75% of my playing. Because of that I am getting worse at handling a pick.

Anybody here play electric fingerstyle only? Any comments on hybrid picking and where to start? Ditch the pick? 

Thank you.


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## Derek_T (10 mo ago)

AlexOT said:


> Anybody here play electric fingerstyle only? Any comments on hybrid picking and where to start? Ditch the pick?


I spent the first few years of my guitar journey without a pick. Just because my first teacher was not using one, I was doing everything fingerstyle.

I've learn to use a pick since and I'd say I'm mostly using a pick or hybrid picking now. But sometime I do enjoy just playing fingerstyle. Even for lead, I find you approach the instrument and the solo differently.

In my experience hybrid picking is quite easy to "pick" up, we're not talking Danny Gatton or Josh Smith level kind of hybrid picking of course, but the mechanic is rather straight forward. If you're used to the Mel Bay grip, you might have some slight adjustment to be comfortable with the other finger but nothing big.

After that it's just finding a couple of exercises online and some lick to transcribe and you're on your way.
Personally I used Josh Smith's solo on Sultan of Swing (Martin Miller) has most of my exercise 

On ditching the pick, it's true that pick and fretting hands coordination is something that requires a lot of work and maintenance, so I would not ditch the pick completely, plus the pick offers options you won't have just fingerstyle.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

I'm going back to a thumbpick and fingers. The best of both worlds imho. I find it to be really expressive, but I also just can't seem to manage hybrid picking. My pinky is pretty well useless.


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## Stephenlouis (Jun 24, 2019)

I play finger style 90% on the electric. I tend to use a classical style picking form, but I let the thumb use all 6 strings in rock if needed, sort of a P,I,P,M for fast stuff or P,I,M,I,M,P. You get real good with Hammers and pull offs with finger style rock in my opinion. I use a pick for rhythm a fair bit, especially with loud players or something where you need a almost cutting sound. I am trying to work with a pick now because of some speed issues/ sound with certain 60's English rock solos. I suck with it, but see the potential.

Edit, I just played, It is more P,M than P,I. as opening attack. ( I have not thought about it in a long time)


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## Sunny1433 (Nov 23, 2018)

Hey! So I've been doing this for a while (about 7 years). I don't use a pic at all with electric anymore, including playing live shows, recording etc. It's just how I play now and I've developed my own techniques. Though there's always things to work on like speed and cleaner picking. But yeah, I don't miss using a pic and I prefer this way to develop a style of my own. 

I recorded this thing a while ago. My technique's improved since then but it was interesting to look back at really see how I do certain things -


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## AlexOT (10 mo ago)

Sunny1433 said:


> Hey! So I've been doing this for a while (about 7 years). I don't use a pic at all with electric anymore, including playing live shows, recording etc. It's just how I play now and I've developed my own techniques. Though there's always things to work on like speed and cleaner picking. But yeah, I don't miss using a pic and I prefer this way to develop a style of my own.
> 
> I recorded this thing a while ago. My technique's improved since then but it was interesting to look back at really see how I do certain things -


That video gave me already some new ideas to work on. My playing is very soft and you generate a lot of force and use dynamics in a way I never tried. Your index finger does something between plucking and slapping, fantastic. Great performance, your energy and use of the fingerstyle approach made my day!!


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## BlueRocker (Jan 5, 2020)

Hubert does it the best


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## Sunny1433 (Nov 23, 2018)

AlexOT said:


> That video gave me already some new ideas to work on. My playing is very soft and you generate a lot of force and use dynamics in a way I never tried. Your index finger does something between plucking and slapping, fantastic. Great performance, your energy and use of the fingerstyle approach made my day!!


Thank you so much!! It’s been a really interesting journey from playing finger style to just playing and there are days when I still fight it a bit, especially live. But there’s a lot of scope for dynamics this way, I’ve found


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## big racket (Apr 2, 2021)

we talked about this on the forum some time ago. always found it interesting to know how players morphed from using a pick to using fingers only. I started using a pick then pick and finger hybrid style and that was fine until I decided to learn 5 string banjo. at first I bought a thumbpick but incorporated the hybrid style of thumb , middle and ring fingers I used on guitar. soon I realized this wasn't how you play the 5 string. I had to train my index finger to work with the others and perfect the banjo roll. it took awhile and I found that when I played guitar { electric } I would infrequently use this banjo technique . eventually over a few years it became 50/50 and then fingers exclusively. Funny thing when I try occasionally to use a pick when playing guitar it feels awkward and foreign. What's even weirder when I use a pick playing Mando it feels quite normal.


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

I use to exclusively play with my fingers. I think it was because I could never find picks. I use to play a lot of classical style stuff, then it morphed in the funky jazz stuff. Fingers are fun. A lot if time I play with my thumb and index finger as if I was holding a pick.... but without a pick.

I have migrated to mostly a pick for now, probably make my way back again some day.

Mostly because I have too many picks to not be able to find one.


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## Skynyrds Innyrds (5 mo ago)

Sunny1433 said:


> Hey! So I've been doing this for a while (about 7 years). I don't use a pic at all with electric anymore, including playing live shows, recording etc. It's just how I play now and I've developed my own techniques. Though there's always things to work on like speed and cleaner picking. But yeah, I don't miss using a pic and I prefer this way to develop a style of my own.
> 
> I recorded this thing a while ago. My technique's improved since then but it was interesting to look back at really see how I do certain things -



That was great, thanks for posting it.


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## Skynyrds Innyrds (5 mo ago)

Richie Kotzen and Jared James Nichols are both great players who play electric with their fingers.


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## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

For a good hybrid picking book, I recommend "Hybrid picking for guitar". There's great content in there.

A guy like Richie Kotzen uses legato in conjunction with fingers. So, if you have strong legato technique, you've got a good head start. Same idea with hybrid picking.


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## nbs2005 (Mar 21, 2018)

I play without a pick most of the time, both electric and acoustic. If I'm playing completely acoustic with others, I will often add a thumbpick to get a bit more depth on the bass. Single note lines are usually plucked with index finger (though will use the thumbpick if I'm wearing it); if I need more speed I can alternate index and middle, but I don't play very fast most of the time and I'd never be at shredder speed.


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## Sunny1433 (Nov 23, 2018)

Skynyrds Innyrds said:


> That was great, thanks for posting it.


thank you for watching!


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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

I'm 100% finger-style. I gave up the pick about 25 years ago and, while I occasionally give a pick a try just for fun, I get way more connection with the guitar without a pick.
I couldn't even explain the technique very well because it's second nature at this point.

This guy is my electric guitar finger-style hero;




His timing is incredible. This is the one thing that really takes work if you want to solo without the attack a pick provides. Finger-style playing can get a bit loose.


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## Mutant_Guitar (Oct 24, 2021)

I started out playing in a way that felt most natural; with acoustic guitars I would prefer to fingerpick and I would use a pick with electric guitar. After the first few years I would gravitate towards the nylon string guitar, and my practice reflected a more classical approach. I would still play electric guitar, but not as often. It is only recently that I've developed a more delicate touch on the electric, and largely it's due to adopting hybrid picking in my playing.
I think if I have the electric guitar in-hand unplugged, I tend to fingerpick and not bother with the plectrum. But when plugged-in, I always have a plectrum. I feel like hybrid picking gives you another layer of decision making in your playing (you can break chords into voices more discretely), and it provides a good way to really differentiate textures/timbres. I've had the bonus of getting some use out of my pinky in the process.


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