Anyone Who Plays without a Pick

[Jacob]

Hello everyone,
Looking for some pointers on right hand position for playing without a pick.

What part of your hand do you rest on the strings? Thumb side or pinky side?

How far back or forward do you generally rest your hand?

Thanks!

[Canada Moose]

I don’t know if there’s a right or wrong way to do this; can’t explain it; picture’s worth a thousand words:

[Canada Moose]

This is a better example, because one of the benefits of playing without a pick is it’s easier to do volume swells, example at 1:30.

Also playing without a pick gives a warmer tone.

[Richard G]

Hi Jacob, unfortunately your question is extremely difficult to answer as there are so many styles of playing just using the fingers. Each of us here at AM position our hands differently when playing and I suspect it’s more about achieving a comfortable hand position together with being able to reach all strings when you need to. Outside of the classical guitar styles which often require an extended arched style hand, most of the world’s top fingerstyle players choose a position unique to themselves. Classic examples are Mark Knopfler Vs Chet Atkins Vs Jerry Reed, they’re all different.
Sorry about the diatribe but the answer in a nutshell is to anchor your hand in a way that you gives you a clear note and after some practice, you instinctively know how to strike the strings without looking.

Maybe the short answer would be to study a few top players/lessons on YouTube

Richard

[Dieter]

Hi Jacob,

in EP 318 Brian explains excellent finger style-playing with electric Guitar. Thumb, pointer- and ringfinger are only in action and most important is, to damp the not used strings with your palm.
Shortly I dried it first:

Dieter

[Jacob]

Thanks for the videos, that helps.

I seem to dampen the lower three strings with the thumb side of my palms and moving it down as needed. I just don’t want to build a habit that can cause a physical problem down the line (like having a funky wrist angle)

[sunburst]

hmmm, just play long enough without a pick and you’ll answer your own question, there are many genres so knowing how to play with and without is the best tip I can offer here.”as for what is advantageous as for bridging muting etc. that is a bit broad to answer you especially never seeing a showplay of yours.

[sunjamr]

Now days I play 80% of the time without a pick. Sometimes I use all fingers of my right hand to pick strings, like classical guitar players. But most of the time I rest my pinky on the guitar and use thumb + 3 fingers. Very rarely, I use thumb + index and middle fingers, like Mark Knopfler. Among the muting techniques I use, I find it pretty easy to pick a note with my finger, then quickly mute the string again with the same finger. A lot of bass guitar players do this.

Sunjamr Steve

[Odin]

Hi Jacob I am mostly an acoustic player but sometimes that is played through a humbucker in the sound hole to an amp for a Delta blues style I play with the heel of my right hand near the saddle rocking on and off the sixth string in muting.
Though sometimes I let the six and five and fourth ring out. Sometimes play near the neck for a soft sound.
Sometimes you are trying to express anger(smacks and pecussion) and tension then resolving it so adjust your style and playing for affect in a piece if your into blues.
Odin

[Author]

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