Riverman
Artist / Performer
Posts: 7,345
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Post by Riverman on Dec 4, 2017 15:39:44 GMT
I've never been able to hang on to a plectrum, they just seem to want to jump out of my fingers. I regret not being able to play strummy or flatpicking stuff sometimes, but I'm glad I got into fingerpicking early on - not least because, if my teaching experience is anything to go by, the ability to learn to play alternating bass with the thumb, whilst the fingers act independently, diminishes significantly with age!
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Post by vikingblues on Dec 4, 2017 19:50:55 GMT
I played electric guitar for quite a long time and always used a plectrum. But nothing particularly happened regarding finding my voice on the instrument or developing anything of a style. Then early on in an attempt to get to grips with the blues genre better my better half suggested I use my fingers instead of a plectrum. She pointed out that there were a good few guitarists in that genre that played electric without a pick. It was a great piece of advice. For the next three years until I turned to acoustic playing I continued to shun the plectrum and the range of expression and feel I could get was boosted a great deal. A bigger advance in my playing in 3 years than the previous 10. Occasionally I would use a plectrum if a piece of playing needed a sharp attack. Generally I feel like the plectrum gets in the way of my being properly in contact with the guitar. For the acoustic guitar I find I get so much more pleasure from the tone and range of sounds in a guitar finger-picking and in the acoustic world I leave the plectrum for the mandolin family. If that teacher thinks a plectrum is compulsory or only normally teaches in that style I reckon you need to find someone else, regardless of the guy having experience etc. You need a teacher that is on the same wavelength as you or the lessons won't be worth doing. Skype lessons should increase the chance of finding the right teacher for you. Mark
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Akquarius
Cheerfully Optimistic
Posts: 2,507
My main instrument is: Towet Fingerpicker, Dreizehnter SJ15 "Akquarius"
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Post by Akquarius on Dec 4, 2017 21:00:45 GMT
what's faster: your fingers or your wrist? pick playing is wrist playing, while fingerstyle is finger playing. and it's always one pick against the max of 5 fingers you can use, the exception being hybrid picking. I wish I could do both. However, I got stuck with fingerstyle. I just offers more possibilities. and I have a slow wrist
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Post by bitey on Dec 21, 2017 12:31:10 GMT
I rarely use a plec these days except occasionally when strumming - otherwise it's fingers plus occasional thumb pick
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