Play with or without a pick?

[djphelan01]

How many of you guys play without any type of pick?

I recently started to play without a pick and I like it. Everything seems better except the volume. It started on the acoustics and now I play the electrics without a pick.

[ACK75]

I just recentlt began playing without a pick. I love it...nothing between your fingers and the strings. I feel so connected! lol! I just adjusted my amp settings a bit to make-up for the loss of the sharper attack/volume you get with a pick and it has worked out great.

[ac15]

I played without a pick for years, but now I use an approach that gives me the best of both worlds: I use a Herco thumbpick, so that I can effortlessly switch between pure fingerstyle or flatpicking without changing anything.

[marshman]

I play pickless, mostly with the meat of my fingers/thumb, and try to keep a bit of fingernail on my index finger for occasional pseudo-picking. After 5 years, I'm just about as good as I was after 15 years with a pick, and I never have to worry about dropping them or finding one in my pocket (though I still tend to carry one, it's like a badge of guitaristness).

I used a pick a month ago for the first time in about a year and broke a string within 4 minutes.

It's only a problem playing purely acoustic with other flat-pickers, the volume drop is really noticeable, though decent pickers will notice and back off to compensate.

[KCLefty]

I like playing "without" a pick more than with. You can really get more sound out of the guitar with all five finger going at it.

For the last couple of years I've been working on hybrid picking also. Not quite there yet but getting better at it.

[stantheman]

All of my heroes are pickless players.
A. Snooks Eaglin
B. Wes Montgomery
C. Jeff Beck
D. Albert Collins
E. Albert King
F. Gatemouth Brown

Anyways, back in late '92 I came to the realization that I was terrible with a pick; I had been strugglin' with one since '66 - kinda stubborn, kinda dumb too.

Everything changed almost instantly.

I'll never EVER go back to using one because I'd lose my indentification.

[Al Watsky]

I do both.
Well.
Have a background in classical and flamenco.
The guitar can be played with out a pick.
Its a fact !

[OM 21]

Another pickless picker here. The only time I use one is when jamming with other acoustics and I need to be heard.

[nasonm]

I started playing with my fingers early on when I couldn't keep from losing my picks. Now I feel weird using a pick.

[Brandon mac]

i play with a pick and use my remaining fingers also. when playing slide its just the fingers.

[EdgarHF]

I am an ex-bass player and have been playing without a pick. I have recently started using a pick in order to be able to do both.

[Tidepoolbay]

Originally Posted by djphelan01

How many of you guys play without any type of pick?

I recently started to play without a pick and I like it. Everything seems better except the volume. It started on the acoustics and now I play the electrics without a pick.

I play without a pick a lot. It gives a whole differant tone to the playing.
I also use Fender heavy jazz picks and teh rest of my fingers like banjo rolling when I do use a pick.

[BuddyLee]

I play either with finger picks on my index and middle + thumb pick, hybrid with my regular pick and a finger pick on my middle, regular guitar pick, and also no pick.

It depends on what I am playing. I started out on Dobro so my right hand technique is much better than my left hand fretwork.

[Luther Perkins]

When I use a pick I use a standard Fender heavy, but more and more often I find myself playing with just my fingers.............

I whish I could do all my playing with just fingers, but a lot of stuff seems to require I use a pick......... and I sure ain't no Mark knopfler......

[Bozo Bus]

Both - I use the little Dunlop Jazz picks with the pointy end. Been using it for years, and have gotten to the point to where it almost appears as a magic trick... now you see it, now you don't. Really easy to palm and still use all five fingers to pick.

[stxrus]

i bounced back and forth for years and finally gave in and use a pick almost exclusively now. it's just better for me

steve

[Eric Karonen]

I've said it before, but the older I get, the less I need of props. Just give me a decent acoustic, and really, I don't need nails, just good skin on my fingers.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Guitar, never. Mando, always.

On mando, just can't get my fingers between those teeny-tiny strings!

On guitar, I'm with Eric: fingers, not nails - for acoustic and electric.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by djphelan01

I recently started to play without a pick and I like it. Everything seems better except the volume. It started on the acoustics and now I play the electrics without a pick.

PS - I sit corrected. I don't pull up with my nails, but on acoustic, when I want to get loud, I pound down with my nails - make a semi-fist and wham the strings.

It's as loud as I ever need to get.

[yark14]

I fingerpick when playing acoustic. On electric it depends, sometimes I use one and sometimes I don't.

[mr newhaven]

i agree with a previous poster who said he uses thumbpicks...

i want to learn to play more without a pick...it feels more natural plus if you can play with one you can play without one!

i dont want to be in a position where i need an "accessory" just to play guitar...

playing guitar should come from the fingers in my opinion...whether or not you have a pick in those fingers is your option but i like the idea of no pick!

thumb picks take a bit of getting used to but if you can handle it...its really the best of both worlds

[Dave Hopping]

Pickless:
Mark Knopfler
Picks:
Paul McCartney

It's all good.

[telepath]

Originally Posted by Dave Hopping

Pickless:
Mark Knopfler
Picks:
Paul McCartney

It's all good.

;)

No picks here, well not for 99.9% of the time.

Just a couple of things I still seem to favour a pick for, but they are diminishing.

For example I like a bit of Zep.

It's kinda hard to do a truly convincing Immigrant Song intro without a pick, but I'm 85% there with meat and nail and snap.

But any of my own tunes - and most stuff I'd play in public is pick free.

It's liberating

[ACK75]

I like thumbpicks, but I like using alot of pinch harmonics and it's a ***** with thumbpicks.

I agree with the sentiment I'm seeing of not being tied down to an accessory to play guitar. It is very freeing to just be able to pick up as guitar anywhere and play it without having to hunt for a pick.

[Jellyroll]

also pickless goin on 16 or so years now, and I never looked back. better, more dynamic and unique tone, sure it's hard to do that plucky fast surf strummin dive between every verse of pipeline by the Chantays, but EVERYTHING else is easier for me! plus, it's fun bein in the minority, and freakin out your friends and family.

[ThreePlyGuy]

Picked up the bass in '68, finger style guitars from then on. As a kid thought I was cool copping licks sans pick, now who cares? I still carry picks pocket and wallet, don't know why. Thumb picked banjo for a time but they feel awkward six string, get in the way.

[Telakaster]

I play both ways. If I really want a nuanced tone I use my fingers and if I need speed I'll use a pick. I have been using the same pick for 12 years. A buddy gave me one of those fat inflexible Jim Dunlop picks that I've been carrying in my pocket for all those 12 years. It may very well take me to the promised land!

[T Prior]

Pick-less for about the last 30 years and very stubborn about it. I pick off the thumb and meat of my fingertips which means I really have to keep my FNails cut short.

but..

recently I have picked up a medium pick to lay into the SRV type tunes...I've been stubborn long enough. It's a totally different execution which is really required for these tunes and style.

The good news is the styles are totally different and there are excellent benefits for each execution.

I am primarily ( 99.999 %) a non pick player but have come to my senses that there are indeed times when the stubborn streak within me should give in to common sense. But please, never tell my wife I said that..

[Nick JD]

Without ... unless I'm playing in a band. My fingernails won't take that much punishment.

[mudshark]

thumbpick

[Ron C]

Originally Posted by ac15

I use a Herco thumbpick, so that I can effortlessly switch between pure fingerstyle or flatpicking without changing anything.

+1.

The Herco pick changed everything for me. After 30 years of switching between and during songs, the Herco pick gave me both worlds in one tool. Only caveat is that you have to like a heavy pick, since the medium and lighter ones were too thin to stay securely on my thumb. And it took a few months to really get used to it, but there was no turning back.

The next best option I found were the Fred Kelly "speed pick" and "slick pick" thumbpicks available from elderly instruments.

[Telarkaster]

No pick for me. Every time I try a guitar out in a store and the salesman asks if I need a pick I freak him out and show him the nails on my right hand.

I will only use a pick to strum cowboy chords on an acoustic steel string guitar, either 6 or 12 string, and that is only to save my nails.

[Justinvs]

Depends if I've dropped a pick in the middle of a song or not!

I play fingerstyle a lot, especially on acoustic, but tend to use a pick more often on an electric. I just like the sharper attack better. On bass, though, I use my thumb. I never could get the hang of a pick with a four string.

Justin

[TG]

Joe Bonamassa has gone fingers, apparently.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn09Xn9JF5s

I use both, but recently I've been making an effort trying to 'get' a wholly finger-style style for electric playing.
Not sure yet if it will ever be 100% fingers.

[beep.click]

Pickless, a great deal of the time. When I do use a pick, there's generally a lot of hybrid picking going on. Unless I'm trying to get some specific sound.

[smsuryan]

no picks and cut my nails super short, so its just the flesh on my 'ol missouri fingertips..edit: unless im playing a mandolin, but i only pick that thing up once every couple of months...

[bluetele54]

...but since I've been playing a ton of acoustic,I get acrylics on four fingers(thumb thru #four),and have for about 14 years...

...when I ply Telecaster,I go back and forth,depending on the style being played...

...playing electric with fingers causes me to think more chordal,and less single note lines...I'm much more patient with fingers...

[shakewithsquier]

I sorta try and use a bit of both but by-and-large i use a pleck..

I *really* wanna learn how to pick like this but I think itll be years before i can make that sort of sound:

[Bill]

Mostly without a pick, but I hold my thumb against my index finger as if I had a pick, and use my index fingernail just like a guitar pick.

[Radspin]

A pick 99 percent of the time, but once in a while I'll use my thumb and index finger. I'm a lefty who plays righty and after 41 years, I'm still trying to get my fingerpicking facility together.