Using a Flat Pick?

It is true that there are things that can be done with a flat pick that finger picks seem to hinder.  For example, this is true when it comes to strumming the guitar.  It is generally much smoother to strum with a flat pick than with finger picks but again, strumming can be done very effectively with finger picks too.  The experience mentioned in above article about the man at the coffee house who was finger picking and strumming the Martin D35, 12 string, is a good example of this.  REMEMBER that variation is good!  So please learn to strum with finger picks as well as with a flat pick.  Again you should learn to do both.  But learn to use a flat pick for other guitar work too.   

For example, in addition to scales and other lead guitar composition, you can also do "Travis picking" using a flat pick.  This will also help add variation to your flat pick guitar work.  Basically this is done this way.  When you're hitting the bass notes, you're using a downward motion of the pick, and when hitting the treble notes you're coming up with the pick on the strings.  You alternate back and forth between the bass and treble notes just as you do with finger picking patterns.  However instead of using finger picks on each finger you use just the one flat pick with the up and down motion - going back and forth, up and down.  Your effort here is to do the same "Travis" picking patterns found on this site.  I'll be discussing this in later articles.  

For an example of this kind of flat pick work consider my song "Now is Now", (download 2 minute mp3 sample @ 80kbps; 1,180KB) the last track on my Goose Lake CD.  You’ll hear the12 string guitar being played like this in the background of the chorus sections of the song.  It is repeated twice in the above download.  This style comes easier to those who already know how to finger pick using finger picks, because it's an easy transfer to the flat pick from finger picks.  However, it is very difficult to learn this style if you haven't any finger picking skills at all.  The problem with this method, even for a skilled player is accuracy in pick placement, especially in faster tempos.  With this method you have no "picking anchor," because you need to be moving your hand back and forth.  With all the picking hand movement, even the best guitarists tend to be sloppy as speed builds.  Using a 12 string and playing open chords, it can sound fairly good as a back up.  In slow tempo songs this can be done very effectively on a six string too, but this style simply has natural limits.  So it is good to learn to do but it’s not something that should be considered a replacement for leaning to finger pick.

Ask yourself - how much talent does it really take to strum the guitar with a flat pick anyway?  It seems like everyone can do that!  Of course some artists are outstanding at strumming and that is great!  However, it's sad to say, too many people simply strum the guitar using a flat pick and that's ALL THEY DO!  To me - that is boring!  I believe that people do this because that's all they know how to do.  That doesn't have to be true of you!  Not with this web site available to you!  Remember, what we said earlier;”Variety is the spice of life and it also adds life to music."   Please remember that!  Please learn how to finger pick!  And learn to do it well!  It will add LIFE to your music.