Tell me about using a thumbpick
I have never tried one, but I am curious. I am mainly a fingerstyle player at this point; I have some classical training, so my right hand is not a problem, but I am wondering if I am missing...
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Well sure, I've heard a ton of Chet Atkins - who hasn't? He was an awesome player. I just got to hear a great fingerstyle jazz player about a week ago who used a thumbpick - he sounded like Chet and...
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Chuck, try everything.I use Herco heavy thumbpicks. It's a pick whose pickingpart is really a flatpick, so at any point you can just grabit like you would a regular flatpick for some single-note runs....
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Had this discussion on another forum about thumbpicks and hand position. It seems that the more thumb-forward classsical position requires the use of a thumbpick for the Travis style. Whereas a more...
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Ikb3rd.I think Chet would have told you that Merle Travisinvented the style that Chet embellished over the years.Merle also used a thumbpick BTW.Ron
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I've always thought that fingerpicks and a thumbpick were mostly about volume, but I might be wrong. So when I fingerpick at home, which isn't often as a prefer flatpicking, I don't use picks because...
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I use a thumbpick and bare fingers - I can fingerpick, strum, and flatpick all with the thumbpick. I've tried the Hercos and hate them personally. right now I'm using Dunlops, but I want to try kelly...
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Thumbpicks are an aquired taste. Back when I bit my nails I needed fingerpicks. I still use them when I have to cut through other pickers. It is a personal preference/choice for you.With regard to...
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I read recently that Travis' son said his Dad got it from two groups of Kentucky coal miners, when he was a kid. One group was white, one black.As to self-taught, it seems to me that Travis picking...
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The thumbpicking style, i.e. using a thumb pick rather than the bare thumb, certainly didn't start with Merle Travis, who acknowledged Mose Rager as an influence on his playing. And before Rager there...
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Didn't say Travis invented the alternating thumb style; saidhe invented the style that Chet used. This involves leadlines played with the fingers WHILE alternating your bassline. Most of the old blues...
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How on earth do you guys get a reasonable balance of volume when youuse a thumbpick and bare fingers?I like the versatility it gives you (you can strum, pick out a lead solo and play independent...
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My technique is to use my fingerpads (not nails) and really dig into the strings, to make the sound spank out of the guitar. It works great for blues stuff or moderately fast picking.That and a small...
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`I use Herco heavy thumbpicks'Me too, Rusty. Couldn't really work without them. Don
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Quote:Didn't say Travis invented the alternating thumb style; said he invented the style that Chet used.Actually, Travis didn't play alternating bass very much at all. He was capable of it, and did on...
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I usually use all bare fingers, but there are definitely songs and styles which sound better with or require thumbpicks. I have tried dunlop, slick picks and John Pearse thumbpicks and I prefer the...
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Quote:Actually, Travis didn't play alternating bass very much at all. He was capable of it, and did on slow tunes, but...Tom, nice to see someone else is interested in the differences in these right...
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I started out fingerpicking with all bare fingers, using fingernails, including thumbnails.But I found I really wasn't getting the projection that I wanted.Then I started using a thumbpick and...
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Quote:How on earth do you guys get a reasonable balance of volume when youuse a thumbpick and bare fingers?Danimal, I have callouses on my fingers, which add to projection, but I guess I use a lighter...
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I use a very thin thumb pick and carefully trimed nailson my fingers. That seems to give me a good balance, andyet enough volume.Ron
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I have been studying Piedmont blues with John Cephas for the past two years. John plays with a thumbpick and a fingerpick on the index. His is basically a two finger style, as was that of Rev. Gary...
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