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Guitar finger-picking originated in the early 1900s as blues guitarists attempted to emulate the popular ragtime piano players of the day. Ragtime piano pieces had complex moving bass patterns and right-hand runs and fills. This couldn't be accomplished with strumming or flat-picking single notes, so these guitarists began to use the thumb to pick out bass notes and the other fingers to pick out melody lines and fills. Notable early exponents of this bluesy picking style were artists like Big Bill Broonzy and Mississippi John Hurt.
In the 1940s and '50s, the style was further developed by emerging country & western artists including Merle Travis, Ike Everly and Chet Atkins. Travis became so influential that his thumb-and-finger style of picking became widely known as "Travis picking." Coincidentally, Ike Everly's sons, the famed Everly Brothers, became internationally famous recording artists and Chet Atkins lent his formidable picking talents to many of their hits.
In the 1960s, Roger McGuinn of the Byrds married his banjo-picking style with the jangly sound of his 12-string Rickenbacker and helped create a folk-rock movement that remains vibrant. In his wake came hugely popular finger-picking singer-songwriters including James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot and John Denver.
Although songs featuring finger-picked acoustic guitars no longer dominate the charts like they once did, the form is still very much alive and well and continues to be in demand in folk clubs and at folk festivals all over the world. -
Although finger-style guitar playing covers a lot of stylistic ground, the term "finger-picking" is usually used to describe the style utilized mainly by folk, country and blues musicians often using steel-strung, acoustic guitars. Finger-picking is often referred to as "thumb-picking", since it's the thumb that supplies the steady rhythm by playing bass patterns on the low strings, while the top three strings are picked by the index and middle fingers to play complementary melody and harmony lines.
Classical and flamenco guitarists also favor finger-style playing, but with different techniques due to the style of music as well as the fact that they use nylon-strung instruments. These impart a very different sound and feel to their steel-strung counterparts. Flamenco players tend to use an interesting combination of thumb-picking and finger strumming in their dynamic approach.
In Hawaiian music, tuned-down guitars known as slack-key guitars have long been played in a finger-picking style, and in Celtic music, many guitarists favor the finger-style approach in conjunction with a variety of open tunings. Mix in country music pickers wielding solid-bodied electric guitars and jazz players picking on semi-acoustic electrics, and it's clear that finger-picking plays a major part in a multitude of genres. -
Although there are variations depending on the style of music (and the personal style of the guitarist), the basic rule of finger-picking is that the thumb plays the bottom three (low) strings and the fingers pick the top three (high) strings. Depending on personal preference, the strings are picked either with the bare fingers, fingernails or with plastic or metal fingerpicks worn on the ends of the fingers and thumb.
When playing a finger-picking sequence, the thumb picks in a downward motion while the fingers pick in an upward motion. (An exception is the clawhammer style of picking, in which all of the strokes are made in a downward fashion--although this technique is usually associated with banjo players rather than guitarists.)
Ideally, the fingers should remain in position over the same string throughout. This economy of movement helps to keep the hand steady and facilitates a smoother, more consistent picking motion. The thumb will alternate between the three bass strings depending upon the chord being played, giving a little movement to the rhythm.
The pinkie finger is not generally used in finger-picking, since it doesn't have sufficient strength to be of much use. Some players like to use it to steady the picking hand by resting the tip of it against the guitar body, around the pickguard or the bridge area. This can help stop the picking hand from floating around, which can help accuracy in the picking of the strings. Others find that this restricts the movement of the other fingers and so hampers the finger-picking motion. It's a good idea to try both techniques and find which one works best for you. -
To learn to finger-pick, you first have to learn to perfect a basic roll. This is basically a pattern or sequence of notes picked out by the fingers on different strings, and in a certain order. These patterns can be quite complex, but learning a very basic one first, and getting comfortable with it should inspire confidence. After all, even simple finger-picking patterns are pleasing to the ear. Then, you can experiment a little by trying more elaborate patterns.
Using the low E string as the starting point, each string is designated a number 1 through 6. So, the low E is 1, A is 2, D is 3 and so on, until the high E string, which is 6. In this simple 456 roll, you'll use the thumb to pick string number 4; your index finger will pick number 5, and the middle finger picks number 6.
Hold down a simple D chord and place the thumbnail (or thumbpick, if you're using one) on the string number 4, the index finger on the fifth string and the middle finger on the sixth string. Now, pick each one in order 456 and repeat until you can play it over and over consistently without errors. It's important to try to keep the hand fairly motionless and let the fingers move from the second knuckle. This economy of movement will help the consistency and accuracy of the picking motion.
When you can play this simple roll with ease, try adding a fourth pick using the middle finger again on the fitth string, so that instead of 456 it becomes 4565. It's only a slight variation, and it will feel a little awkward at first. But with perseverance, you'll soon look to broaden your horizons with more complex patterns. -
Repetition is the key. As tempting as it is to try to play these simple patterns quickly, it's a sure way to get discouraged. It's best to play them slowly and deliberately, over and over, until you can play them smoothly. Only when you get to this point should you try to speed up the exercise and experiment with playing them at different tempos.
Muscle memory plays a big part in this, and after a while, you'll find yourself playing without thinking about what you're doing.
This takes considerable time and patience, but it's a very rewarding musical place to be.
