Do You Strum or Play Fingerstyle Guitar?

[Modern Saint]

I am mostly a fingerstyle player. With my interest in Classical and Slack Key at a young age, I started fingerstyle early. This has helped when I need to play in hybrid style I can shift through all 3 methods easily.

How 'bout ya'll?

 

[Flamencology]

Yes.

 

[Pine Apple Slim]

I started out flat picking but now use a lot of hybrid and bare fingers as well. Still don't get on too well with a thumb pick although I do use one for banjo and dobro.

 

[Mark Wein]

Whichever I need to do although a finger injury when I was younger makes some fingerstyle playing difficult for me.

 

[jp_nyc]

I can play fingerstyle but rarely do. I got too used to the wide string spacing of a bass and it spoiled me.

 

[Stratguy]

I'm basically a strummer still, but I'm working on some limited fingerstyle. Right now, it's about getting the muscle memory ingrained.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Strum. Perhaps, even flog.






I know a very little basic finger style, but rarely use it.

 

[nuke_diver]

Yes but not any of it at a highly proficient level.

Makes me worried about how out classed I will be when I go to that guitar camp but I'm going to learn so it should still be good. I don't have to worry about my ego taking a hit at any rate

 

[instantsteve]

Strum.

 

[Deep Eddy]

Both. I really enjoy playing with my fingers, but finding the time to develop that skill to a higher level is challenging.

 

[Gary Blanchard]

I do a bit of both, though in a style that is my own, stumbled-upon thing. Even when I strum, I use a thumb pick and an Alaska pick on my index finger.

 

[Psychotronic]

My first teacher (when I was 8 ) was a jazz guy who was steering me towards being Wes Montgomery, so he taught me thumb-style. I eventually fired him because he refused to teach me to play with a pick. Later, I took classical lessons for several years. That allowed me to be able to translate my right hand technique to your standard folk clawhammer, etc. I've mashed all of that up over the years, so depending on the task at hand, I use a combination of pick, fingers, etc.

 

[dougpg]

I started flat picking and still do for the most part. I studied classical for 3 years in college and play chord melody jazz a little right now. I keep in shape playing Bach's Bourée',Blackbird, Babe I'm Gonna Leave You(Zeppelin),Girl From Ipanema, Night and Day and Wave. That's pretty much my whole finger style repertoire.

 

[bsman]

I strum or play with thumb-and-forefinger 99% of the time. Anything more is a real challenge -- given that I'm strongly left-handed (playing righty) and have some mighty stiff fingers on my right hand from a variety of earlier injuries.

 

[Denverdave]

Both.

When I decided to improve my playing a good number of years ago I was mainly into acoustic playing. I took a years worth of lesson from a teacher who was teaching my fingerstyle blues. It did wonders for my playing. But most all the playing I do now involves strumming on the acoustic for the most part. Though I am seriously considering spending more time on singer/songwriter stuff on the acoustic and doing some coffee house/open mic things.

 

[jaxn slim]

A bit of both, generally.

 

[tompetty]

Almost always with fingers...Both strumming and picking......

I find that as I'm getting older,and prehaps more comfortable that I enjoy the feel of the guitar more without a pick...

 

[Tig]

Both, depending on the music's needs. I rarely strum with a pick, however.

 

[Modern Saint]

Both, depending on the music's needs. I rarely strum with a pick, however.

Ditto on the pick. Actually working on using a thumbpick though just to try something different.