Playing without a pick

[gwardealy]

anyone do much of this...

I don't really 'fingerpick' like some can do. Not that I don't wish i could. But with no pick it really puts you in touch with the guitar in a different way. I don't usually do it a lot on my PRS because I can get a but rough on the guitar, and I don't want beat it up. When I know I won't get too rough, I use it. The trick is to get the same thing out o it and not be as rough. ...working on that.

 

[gwardealy]

here is the whole piece....starts out more mellow than that other clip

 

[Huggy Love]

Some guys do that well, I only do when I'm comping jazz chords behind a vocalist or pretending to be Wes Montgomery while thumbing octaves. Trying to do lead guitar rock with fingers never worked well for me, I have to go to the pick on that.

 

[xjbebop]

I do sometimes just to try to learn. Not very good at it other than strumming...yet.
Here's a bit of inspiration on the subject:
http://www.guitarplayer.com/miscellaneous/1139/jumping-into-the-fire-by-richie-kotzen/22209

 

[gwardealy]

It isnt' as precise, but i like that sometimes. Or like in this one....a combination of using the pick and not using it.

 

[CVS]

I am fairly new to using my fingers as well. I use my fingers to play chords / comp & blues type leads. I don't use my fingers much when I play the style of music that appears in your videos, but maybe I should give it a whirl. Have noticed that volume level can change pretty drastically if you switch from pick to fingers and vice versa. Maybe its just my poor finger-picking technique. In any case being able to play both ways expands musical possibilities , so I will continue to work on my finger-picking (and everything else for that matter).

 

[gwardealy]

i found this one....at about 2 minutes it switches from pick to finger. the angle of this shot is good actually. when i see what i'm doing i can be more aware of it as i play and try to improve it. i guess i use my thumb and index finger...since the pick moves to between my middle and ring finger. i must also use the nail on my index finger as a pick sometimes because it seems to be getting filed down. i like some of the sound of plucking the strings.

after that part, it goes back and forth between the pick and plucking

 

[alantig]

Not that good at it, but I've switched back and forth for years. Predominantly play with a pick, but I do play with my fingers a lot on acoustic. I've been getting three nails acryliced for several years now - seems like I always tore them up at the worst time.

 

[gush]

Sometimes I will strike one note with pick and a second with finger on double stops. As far as finger picking goes I'm not very good at it.

 

[gwardealy]

i wish i could do it like Mark Knopfler