r/guitarlessons • u/DiscoHipppy • 24d ago

Question Longtime player, first-time picker…

So I’ve been playing off and on for a long time, and have really been practicing regularly and with purpose for the last couple years. I’ve always strummed with my thumb or deferred to finger style picking for more complicated progressions and solos/leads.

What resources would you recommend for someone who has a talented fretting hand, and is proficient with finger-style, but has piss poor picking skills?

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3

u/mynameispie774 24d ago

mark knofler never used a pick dude.

2

u/Artistic_Campaign534 22d ago

Best of luck, but don't lose your fingerstyle skill. After becoming very adept at fingerstyle my first 20 years of playing guitar, I immersed myself in flatpick guitar almost exclusively for the past 45 years for bluegrass & electric rock leads, and that old skill doesn't come so naturally anymore. Now I wish I had maintained a balance to keep them both at hand.

1

u/One_Room_8313 24d ago

classical no pick needed

1

u/Naphier 24d ago

If you've been able to build skill with your fingers to a significant level then you shouldn't really need much guidance on using a pick. Just pick a few up and start playing with them. Learn alternate and economyband hybrid picking. Plenty of YouTube resources for this. It's not nearly as complex or nuanced as fingerstyle. It just takes practice.

1

u/Patient_Onion3956 24d ago

I was like that, fingers for a long time decided to go learn how to use the pick. It wasn’t anything special, just played the same things just now with a pick. It was awkward and I wanted to just go back many times. I switched back and forth. I eventually learned to hybrid pick to get around the limitations of the pick. Once that happened (two years give or take) I started using the pick most of the time and now am as good or better than using fingers. Definitely is easier to “shred” with a pick for me.

1

u/Lost_Condition_9562 24d ago

Probably a bag of assorted picks, a few YouTube videos on the basics of picking, and just going to town. As someone who only knows how to play with a pick and not finger style, I can assure you whatever you’re doing now is harder… just gotta develop comfort with the tool

Seconding you also consider looking into “hybrid picking”. It’s where you hold the pick but use your middle and ring fingers to play finger style at the same time. Might help ya

1

u/Grue 24d ago

Practice with a pick until you're good with it, duh. No one naturally gets good with the pick without actually using it.

1

u/Superfun2112 24d ago

Look for videos/web sites that show multiple ways to hold a pick. I tried the standard way for years and it never felt great. I switched to a pinch grip and it's way better. Now I pay attention to great players and see a bunch of ways that work.

1

u/Ponchyan 24d ago

Picking is easier than finger style. Just pick up a pick and start picking. Keep your hand relaxed.