Find Your Fingerpicking Style

[@benstokes7964]

Merle Travis used the Thumb+Index technique exclusively. Chet Atkins did thumb+two fingers, brah.

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

True, true. Doh! Sorry for the flub. Pinning your comment to clear the air. Thanks!

[@benstokes7964]

@@BluesGuitarInstitute I wasn't trying to be a know it all, but I've watched and listened to those guys, and Jerry Reed, play a lot. I play some very complex stuff with just thumb and index. One of the advantages that I'm not sure you mention of that style is that the thumb drives it a lot more than the other two, and you get some very unique feel and syncopations that you don't get with the other fingerpicking styles. I mix in strums and single string lines played alternating thumb index (like alternate picking with a flatpick). It isn't just for simple picking. I play Blues, Country, Celtic, Slack Key etc. this way and it doesn't limit me. I actually tried three and four finger picking for years, but it never felt like "me". Once I tried thumb+index it was like a light bulb went off! AHA! Everyone should experiment and find what works for them. BTW Ledward Kaapana, the great slack-key player only uses Thumb and index. Great channel btw!

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

@@benstokes7964 Thanks for the thoughtful reply and no, I didn't take it as a know it all comment, I was more embarrassed that I let that slip on camera! Sometimes no matter how many times I watch a video something gets by me :) I am constantly amazed by what Merle could do on the guitar with his style and that proves your point, it's not simple! and yep, everyone should find what works for themselves. Nice chat and thanks for pointing out the error, I mean that. Cheers!

[@johnharter4599]

so did john prine

[@dailybaglimit]

You have done a wonderful job addressing this subject. Truly the best and most informative video on the matter that a beginner finger picker could find.

[@stadlion]

Thank you so much

[@fisherman695]

Thank you for this ... was ready to quit cause the third finger just wasn’t coming along..two fingers with thumb can sound huge ...

[@blackieja]

I've just started teaching myself to use thumb and 2 fingers and I find that I make less mistakes using this method than when i use thumb and 3 fingers. But I'm still trying to find my style, I'm a 64 year young beginner. But I found your video very informative - thanks✌️🕊🇬🇧🇯🇲

[@chad4631]

Thanks for this awesome tutorial bro. The bottom line is to find the fingerpicking style that is right for you or that suits you as a guitarist/ musician. Again thanks, bro. 🎸🎵🎶🫶🏼

[@btrull6018]

Thank you for such a concise video and so well explained . As a beginner, who splits practice time between " Cowboy Chords " and strumming and finger picking this video has been extremely helpful to remove some of the fog .

[@WillBill2857]

I've been searching for a good explanation of thumb and 2 finger versus thumb and 3 finger so great to find this, I've played for decades with thumb and 3 fingers and the thin tone I get from the ring finger drives me nuts. I've been working with the thumb and 2 finger approach for a while now and it sounds much better although I can't say I've found a logic for which finger plays the b string, finding it best not to overthink it !

[@PeterJohnsonWales]

Great discussion - thanks. I learned thumb and three fingers and strangely, while I can play thumb and index without too much trouble, I find thumb and two fingers confuses the hell out of me. Pity, cos I'm a big Mississippi John Hurt fan, and the one style I can't handle is his!

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Ha! Yeah MJH is one of my favorite pickers but I mostly play thumb and three on his stuff. Maybe I need an extra finger to do what he did :)

[@richarddavis7487]

Nice video. After flatpicking for the last few decades, I'm getting back into finger picking (with three fingers). However, my go to has been my thumb and index because it just seemed a bit more natural for me and I'm a Reverend Gary Davis fan.

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Thanks, he's a fantastic picker and for me it's just amazing that he made all those sounds with two fingers, you know? Thanks for the comment!

[@monishagowda8928]

Thank you so much for this video! I had been debating for a long time to use 3 or 4 fingers since I am a beginner!! Thanks a lot for giving a direct solution!

[@stevedouglas7375]

Excellent lesson John. For years I played with thumb and three fingers and at some point I morphed into thumb and index. However, there are a few exceptions when I still use two, or three fingers. Like the title of your video states, a person should experiment and eventually they will find which style they prefer. They might even switch fingerings sometimes depending on what they're playing.

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Thanks, Steve! Agree, you'll find the need to switch at times and I really like having that home base to go back to and I think it helps beginners especially. Did you change to thumb + index to get a different sound going? I'm interested in what led you to that change.

[@stevedouglas7375]

@@BluesGuitarInstitute Well John, it happened more by accident than anything. At some point I realized I had a quick index finger that gets around quite nicely. Also, I'm extremely particular about the length of my nails and one day I cut all of them short except my index nail to save time dealing with all of that and it stuck. Also, I do in fact get a different sound because of how I like to pinch and pop (so to speak) the strings on the up stroke. I believe I get better syncopation by using my index finger. I lean more towards an economical style anyway, so it seems to work. Thanks!

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Thanks for that, Steve. Makes sense to me and good for you with that quick index finger :)

[@stevedouglas7375]

@@BluesGuitarInstitute Cool. Thanks John.

[@TheYoudhruv]

Damn I searched for this and lqnded here. Thanks for making this video. I am 3 + T player. Very happy with that.

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Glad you found me :) Tons more fingerpicking stuff on this channel. Thanks for the comment and have a great day!!

[@davewebb3847]

Helpful. I've been using three fingers, sometimes even four, as my default for many years without really thinking about which does what. I'm developing some neuropathy that's making it harder to use my ring finger (impossible to use my pinky). If I have to adapt to two-finger picking, this is a great starting point.

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Hi Dave, glad to hear that this video is helping. When I play with the thumb and two finger style, I usually dedicate the stick to index on the third string and middle on the top two. I tend to anchor my ring finger on the guitar body with that picking style whereas otherwise I don't.

[@davewebb3847]

@@BluesGuitarInstitute Hadn't thought about anchoring that way. I'll give it a try.

[@andrewbeattieRAB]

3+T is the way to go. I am legally blind, It keeps me from having to look at my picking hand.You always cut one out like 2+T for banjo picking.

[@fredward_thick5686]

How would you do alternate picking with the 3 finger method

[@cotymanery]

What song is this?

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Hey Coty, it's an original composition called Morning Cup that I teach in my membership. Cheers! John

[@Shayne_Mushin]

Where’s the tab?

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Tabs for my lessons are available for my students in my membership. But you can grab a free pack of tabs on my site blues guitar institute dot com. Cheers!

[@El_Pimpin_Shizz]

I keep trying to find videos explaining delta blues riffs. Not licks, i wanna learn how to keep and improvise a beat. Every time i find a vid it either teaches me a song or licks. I want to learn a pattern not a song so i can create my own.