Darryl Hattenhauer
Venerated Member
I'm weirder than Klaus Von Bulow.
Thumbpick Advise.
- Thread starter coastie99
- Start date
coastie99
Enlightened Member
YES !!!
I was born to be a thumbpicker !
Jeff very kindly sent me an assortment of thumbpicks, so I've been experimenting with several types.
Feels so natural, wish I'd tried it years ago instead of struggling with flatpicks.
I was born to be a thumbpicker !
Jeff very kindly sent me an assortment of thumbpicks, so I've been experimenting with several types.
Feels so natural, wish I'd tried it years ago instead of struggling with flatpicks.
Darryl Hattenhauer
Venerated Member
Coastie admits it: "Feels so natural, wish I'd tried it years ago...."
Darryl Hattenhauer
Venerated Member
Dred,
I do that with my 3rd finger. I just copied it over from banjo. You can play the melody and runs with the thumb, then brush down with the 3rd finger, then pluck up on the first string with the 1st finger for an effect like hitting a banjos fifth string. So the guitar's first string becomes a drone string, but you can fret it (which you rarely do on a banjo).
So the basic strum (or roll) is the same rhythm as frailing, but frailing starts the roll with the 1st finger. But here you do the frail roll in reverse. So here you would thumb for a half note, brush down with the 3rd for a quarter note, and then pluck up on the first string with the 1st finger for a quarter note. Later you can hit a series of notes with the thumb instead of the brush-and-drone sequence.
You can put a pick on backwards on your 3rd finger, but I found it awkward.
Thank you for letting me sound like I know what I'm doing.
I do that with my 3rd finger. I just copied it over from banjo. You can play the melody and runs with the thumb, then brush down with the 3rd finger, then pluck up on the first string with the 1st finger for an effect like hitting a banjos fifth string. So the guitar's first string becomes a drone string, but you can fret it (which you rarely do on a banjo).
So the basic strum (or roll) is the same rhythm as frailing, but frailing starts the roll with the 1st finger. But here you do the frail roll in reverse. So here you would thumb for a half note, brush down with the 3rd for a quarter note, and then pluck up on the first string with the 1st finger for a quarter note. Later you can hit a series of notes with the thumb instead of the brush-and-drone sequence.
You can put a pick on backwards on your 3rd finger, but I found it awkward.
Thank you for letting me sound like I know what I'm doing.
Thanks for the advice. Yeah, the backwards fingerpick doesn't work too well, I've been doing the strum with the thumbpick but still working on the downstroke with the ring finger.
Darryl Hattenhauer
Venerated Member
Do you frail those banjos? If not, there's also "fake frailing" in which the first finger plucks up. (I pluck up a lot.) In some players, I can't hear the difference.
Does anybody 3-finger pick a mando?
Does anybody 3-finger pick a mando?
People tell me I pluck up a lot too! :lol:
Actually, I have done some 3-finger picking on the mandolin but I haven't really taken it anywhere. There are some interesting possibilities there.
What I have done a fair amount of is 3-finger picking the ukulele. It works well because its the same as the top 4 strings of a guitar.
Actually, I have done some 3-finger picking on the mandolin but I haven't really taken it anywhere. There are some interesting possibilities there.
What I have done a fair amount of is 3-finger picking the ukulele. It works well because its the same as the top 4 strings of a guitar.
coastie99
Enlightened Member
I think Darryl's spent a fair bit of time doing the five finger boogie !!!!!!
Darryl Hattenhauer
Venerated Member
With my girlfriend, Rosie Palm.
West R Lee
Venerated Member
OK guys,
You've talked me into it. So for the first time in my life, I've marched down to the music store and bought a bunch of fingerpicks. I've piddled with them for a few days now and realizing they will take some getting used to (and I'm getting a little better with them), I'm not sure I like the sound compared to bare fingers. I grant you they are much louder than bare fingers, but there is a soft tone tone I get bare fingered that seems more mellow.
I'll keep working at them.
BTW, I got all Dunlop picks, metal for the fingers and plastic for the thumb. They just feel clumsy. The other thing I'm sure of is that one establishes a spacing of the hand over 30 or so years that requires some serious adjustment when going to picks.
West
You've talked me into it. So for the first time in my life, I've marched down to the music store and bought a bunch of fingerpicks. I've piddled with them for a few days now and realizing they will take some getting used to (and I'm getting a little better with them), I'm not sure I like the sound compared to bare fingers. I grant you they are much louder than bare fingers, but there is a soft tone tone I get bare fingered that seems more mellow.
I'll keep working at them.
BTW, I got all Dunlop picks, metal for the fingers and plastic for the thumb. They just feel clumsy. The other thing I'm sure of is that one establishes a spacing of the hand over 30 or so years that requires some serious adjustment when going to picks.
West
West R Lee
Venerated Member
OK guys,
You've talked me into it. So for the first time in my life, I've marched down to the music store and bought a bunch of fingerpicks. I've piddled with them for a few days now and realizing they will take some getting used to (and I'm getting a little better with them), I'm not sure I like the sound compared to bare fingers. I grant you they are much louder than bare fingers, but there is a soft tone tone I get bare fingered that seems more mellow.
I'll keep working at them.
BTW, I got all Dunlop picks, metal for the fingers and plastic for the thumb. They just feel clumsy. The other thing I'm sure of is that one establishes a spacing of the hand over 30 or so years that requires some serious adjustment when going to picks.
West
You've talked me into it. So for the first time in my life, I've marched down to the music store and bought a bunch of fingerpicks. I've piddled with them for a few days now and realizing they will take some getting used to (and I'm getting a little better with them), I'm not sure I like the sound compared to bare fingers. I grant you they are much louder than bare fingers, but there is a soft tone tone I get bare fingered that seems more mellow.
I'll keep working at them.
BTW, I got all Dunlop picks, metal for the fingers and plastic for the thumb. They just feel clumsy. The other thing I'm sure of is that one establishes a spacing of the hand over 30 or so years that requires some serious adjustment when going to picks.
West