Guitar Picking Styles – From Chet Atkins To Marke Knopfler
There are actually hundreds of 1000′s and possibly of acoustic guitar players around the world. It’s the most well-known musical instrument by far, because of it’s portability and the actuality that you can get a basic tune out of it in a couple of weeks.
I’m going to talk about ‘acoustic blues guitar’ due to the fact this is my primary interest and I want to discuss finger picking methods. Usually, electric guitarists use a plectrum of some form to pluck the strings in and up down motion. Naturally, there are constantly exceptions, like Mark Knopfler, who utilizes his naked fingers to play both electric and acoustic guitars.
His unusual style triggered Chet Atkins to say “I don’t know how he’s doing, but he can sure do it! ” You don’t have to follow the norm – we can make our own rules, but we have to start off somewhere. This starting point is generally focused on prior master players. In the genre of acoustic blues guitar, this signifies individuals such as Robert Johnson, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Doc Watson, Reverend Gary Davis and many others.
Naturally there are many variations in style, but pickers can be broadly divided into two categories – those who wear finger picks and individuals that don’t. We’ll disregard how many picking fingers these folks applied for now. I’ve witnessed ragtime blues performers execute competently with up to 3 finger picks on the right hand, which didn’t include the thumb! At the other end of the spectrum, some master pickers only use one, either steel or plastic.
Picks for the fingers.
I prefer a steel finger pick, as it can be bent a little so that it’s tip lines up with the contact point of a naked finger plucking a string. This means there’s no realignment necessary for the angle of attack. Plastic finger picks are usually thicker and protrude a bit more, so an realignment in picking technique is essential. This is essential if performing music which call for picks, and some that don’t, for example.
Thumb-pick vs naked thumb.
Normally, the pick gives a sharper, harder sound and amplifies substantially. Some techniques are simpler to obtain in this way, like ‘throwing’ the thumb onto the string producing a percussive sound. A substantial advantage is that it saves the thumb from getting sore. Naked finger guitarists must practice quite frequently in order to develop a thick callous so that they can play in comfort. In general, picks are easier to get between the strings, so are excellent for plucking single strings in rapid succession.
Naked fingers technique.
A bare thumb can hook behind a string, pull it away from the sound board of the guitar and let it snap back, making an accented note which can be effective in some styles of blues. In general, bare fingers are really accurate and can generate a good bouncy technique if playing ragtime music, either in the style of Scott Joplin-type piano rags or old ragtime blues in the fashion of Blind Blake. The thumb rolls and triplets featured in the latter’s guitar pieces make it quite tough to play with finger picks.
Some of the later stylists, like Chet Atkins, used strengthened finger nails. I question if many older blues guitarists employed this method, but who can say? Quite a few Texas guitarists favored a plastic thumb pick and bare fingers, usually simply employing one finger of the right hand with amazing dexterity. Blind Blake appeared to have utilized bare fingers and and some contemporary blues men recollected that he had a hole in his picking hand thumb, exactly where it was worn away by the bass strings of his guitar.
The mysterious Willie Walker, who only recorded two sides in the 20s, seemed to be a true master of the ragtime style. His tunes feature lightning fast single string runs which seem difficult if utilizing the thumb and index finger alternately striking the strings. It would seem probable that he utilized a plectrum held in between thumb and forefinger, utilizing this to alternate the bass line while plucking with one or two fingers.
There are many styles of finger picking and we can draw on the example of the fantastic guitar masters to assist us to generate our own approach as we look for the perfect blues guitar lessons.
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