View post (Fingerpicking - thumb & 2 fingers OR thumb & 3 ??)

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Rumble Walrus
Registered User
Joined: 12/30/20
Posts: 501
Rumble Walrus
Registered User
Joined: 12/30/20
Posts: 501
06/15/2023 5:08 pm

Wow - don’t know if I’ve sat down and thought about this for a long time.


Certainly thumb, pointer, and middle.


Thumb pretty much always for bass line, down beat usually on the low E and A strings, sometimes on the D and every so often on the G string if I’m wanting that extra “oomph” that only the thumb can give to emphasize a particular note or rhythmic beat.


Pointer and middle do the heavy lifting for picking duties usually carrying the melody usually on the high E, B, and G strings.  I’ve found my pointer drifting down to the A every so often but that’s usually by mistake ;P.  Usually if there’s a chord triad, these two and the thumb take it.


Ring finger?  Melody sometimes, but usually playing a harmony note of some sort to mix with the thumb or the middle.  While finger picking I tend to “pinch” chords with the ring sometimes chiming in to add a high note on the E, B, and every so slightly often the G.  I find myself using the ring more while accompanying a vocalist or “vamping” in the background.  I’ll use pointer, middle, and ring for position friendly chord triad positions with the thumb providing bottom end.


And the pinky - I don’t have near the dexterity to actually pick with the pinky but the little guy does come in (using the fingernail) for leading the other fingers on a downward strum (Flamenco?  Perhaps?) when I need a percussive chord hit.  I’ve very rarely brought the pinky into play when pinching chords because a full 5 finger “pinch” is almost non-existent for me but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t do it.  From a taste standpoint that would usually be a bit too much, I think.


Wow again.  Long winded response.  Thanks for provoking the thought.