HomePage	Guitar Links
Guitar Lessons	Music Education

 

Flatpicking Techniques       From the book" Learning the Guitar" by Bob Fetherolf

Flatpicks come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and thickness to suit every angle, real or imagined. Generally, thick flatpicks tend to produce a short, dull tone; thin picks produce a slapping, twangy effect. According to some players, you can pick faster with a hard, thick pick, because the pick does not need time to resume its shape after striking the string. The flatpick is normally held between the thumb and index finger in a firm but relaxed manner. Some players pick from the wrist, others insist that the wrist should be held rigid and all picking motion should originate from the elbow.                                                                                          *  A relatively new concept has emerged called "circle picking" which differs entirely from the previous two examples in that the thumb and index finger move completely independently from the wrist or elbow in a semi-circular fashion. Some well known jazz guitarists claim this technique, once mastered, allows one to play with enhanced speed and dexterity for long periods of time. These are points of view the student should experiment with to determine his own preference in the matter. Some players seek some sort of support for the picking hand. Preferences range from planting one or more of the unused fingers on the body of pickguard of the guitar and holding that position throughout, to letting the unused fingers curl and lightly touch the body or pickguard, to all fingers moving while the picking motion occurs. Still other players rest the heel of the hand against a portion of the strings for support.                                                                                                                             *  Basically there are two picking motions you can make when using a flatpick; a downstroke and an upstroke. Picking a passage using all downstrokes tends to lend emphasis to the notes; picking with alternate down-up strokes results in a more flowing sound; also you can pick faster when using this technique. However, there may be times when you might want to hear a whole flock of consecutive upstrokes, for example. Let your intuition guide you. The main thing with picking is to experiment constantly, with an open mind, letting your ear and taste determine your decisions. Good Luck !!