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Date: Mon, 5 Jul 2004 22:20:15 EDT

Greetings David,

Ok, hope that you can help me. I am getting pretty good at fingerpicking, but I am torn between using finger picks and my bare fingers, which do not produce any volume. It would be so much easier just to pick up the guitar and play! I use a thumb pick and an
Alaska pick, which is OK. But I have seen some great artists use only their fingers and make the instrument sound great. Would like some advice on this.

Now, this is a subjective topic...and, each individual artist will have their own tastes and styles...the medium is critical to the tonal quality...as you obviously already know: fingerpicks offer metallic transients along with a powerful punch. Additionally, fingerpicks allow you more dynamics...from dark to light (loud to soft)...you don't have to concern yourself about repairing fingernails...and, overall, it's a powerful medium that allows amazing versatility in tonal range.

Fingernails is a softer medium...one that gives you a nice pleasant tone...only less dynamics than fingerpicks....a great medium just the same...and one that is very common amongst classical guitarists and ragtime guitarists. Lots of clarity and definition in the tone is offered by fingernails...

Flesh of fingers is also another medium that works well...I've heard some really great fingerstylists that use the flesh of the fingers...especially within blues guitar mediums...it offers a softer tone with less clarity...great for the Mississippi Delta Blues idioms...nice fat sound...

In deciding which medium to pursue, my suggestion would be to experiment with all of these mediums to find the one that fits you best...in my case, I've found that both fingernails and fingerpicks work well. I use either depending on the articulation called for by the song being performed. Most of the time I use fingerpicks for the type of sound I'm looking for...listen to early Hot Tuna "Burgars"...find the cut: "The Water Song"...and, you've found the sound that appeals to me most with fingerstyle guitar. Another good album, that exemplifies exactly the sound I'm looking for with metal fingerpicks, is Leo Kottke's "6 & 12-String Guitar" with the Armadillo cover...I use fingernails when I'm looking for a less metallic tone with softer dynamics...

Be sure to research the above, and let me know what you think...Mickey


David