Finger picking is a simple skill that can greatly improve your playing, and it isn’t just for folk and country players! If you are usually a pick player, you may just be surprised about the different textures that become open to you.

From pop and rock songs by the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, to the most obscure country blues guitarists, you may be surprised what songs were recorded fingerstyle.

Fingerstyle playing is very different tonally from pick playing; being softer, warmer and less aggressive, but also allowing a greater deal of harmonic complexity than straight chords and riffs. In a band situation it can really work wonders, creating extra space between rhythm and lead guitars.

This video is for the novice fingerpicker – but why not start at the beginning?

Go on, put the plectrum down and try something new. You might find a bit of fingerstyle is what your guitar playing needs.

Alternate picking is said to provide more sustain and tone control, as stated by guitar legends such as Steve Morse. This type of picking pattern takes more time to learn than natural picking patterns such as directional picking. Most guitar players seek to use a hybrid of the two picking patterns instead, so the best of both worlds may be enjoyed.

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