Hybrid Picking
There is also a
"kind" of finger picking that is done using a flat pick that I've
heard referred to as "Hybrid" picking. This is when the
guitarist holds the flat pick between the 1st finger (forefinger) and thumb,
and uses the 2nd and 3rd fingers (and sometimes even the little finger) to do
the finger picking of the other strings. This style is usually done as an
"added feature" or "variation" to the predominant flat pick
guitar work of a lead guitarists. People who use this style of picking always
use bare fingers and tend to shy away form wearing finger picks on the 2nd and
3rd fingers. This is because the guitarist must move his hand around
quickly with the flat pick lead work and with all the strumming going on, the
fast moving right hand wrist action could cause the finger picks to get caught
up in the strings. You don't want your picks to come flying off or
something like that right in the middle of things. Obviously that is NOT
GOOD! So no finger picks with this style.
I personally have
never had much need to develop this type of playing because I usually just use
finger picks when I want to do finger picking in a song. So I'm not very
good at it at all. (To be honest, I'm horrible) However, there are those who are quite
skilled at it. I just met a guy named Steve Duke, whose 63 years old and
lives in Virginia. He has
played the guitar since he was 10 and is one of the best lead guitarists I've
ever had the privilege to play with. He uses this kind of
"hybrid" picking a lot because he has always used just a flat
pick. Like Steve, some are very skilled at this style and can do some
amazing stuff. I couldn't possibly do those things with a flat pick
because I have never worked at developing that method. Also, this style
of guitar playing is usually done by "lead" guitar players who
are backed up by a band or other players. Many times this style is done
with electric guitars, although it's done on acoustic guitars as well.
Steve and I played together for about 12 hours straight, all acoustic, and the
two styles although quite different, were HOT together. Many times in
that "jam" session both of us would be raising our eyebrows and saying
"YEAH....I like that"!!! We plan to do some recording together
in the near future. (Date; 3/20/07)
I'll keep you posted.
The obvious
advantage to this kind of "hybrid picking" is you have the flat
pick ready in hand to do the things that flat picks stand out in. Like
flat pick lead work (with individual notes and scales) or of course
"Strumming." If you're doing a song that requires a lot of
strumming or lead guitar work and very little picking, this may be a good
option. If you play in a group, and you want to "add" to the
overall sound of the band with variation as a lead guitarist, I would recommend
learning this style. However, if you want your "finger picking"
to be equal in quality to your flat pick work, this style will simply never
measure up. It just can't because of its "cramped" properties!
(Discussed in the next paragraph) Again, you simply cannot beat the
plastic finger picks for a consistent, clear, clean, sound with lots of
volume. So if you do solo guitar playing, or your playing guitar for the
purpose of accompanying your singing of songs, I wouldn't bother with this
style. I'd concentrate instead on finger picking with plastic finger
picks. That's the approach I take.
Also another problem
Ive noticed with this "hybrid" style is your picking hand is always
busy being "occupied" with trying to "hold" the flat pick
between the finger and thumb. This makes for "tightness" in the
picking hand and tends to "hindering" the freedom of movement of the
"picking fingers". You can test this very point right now while
youre sitting in front of the computer monitor. Do this Take your forefinger and thumb and
hold them together tightly like you would be doing if you had a flat pick in your
hand. Now at the same time try to move
your middle and ring fingers like you would when finger picking. Next contrast that with moving your other fingers
while not holding your finger and thumb together. Which was easier? Yes, holding the flat pick that way hinders
your movement of your other fingers. In
an attempt to get away from this "problem", some guitarists just put
the flat pick down and just use their bare fingers to do the finger picking
parts of a song, and then they grab the pick again to do the other parts of the
song. The problem with that move should be obvious!
With my guitar work,
I'm usually by myself as a solo, and the guitar is accompanying my singing of
lyrics. So I tend to focus on the finger picking. For this reason I
wear finger picks in "picking songs", and when it comes to the
strumming parts in those songs, I use the finger picks to strum with. In
songs that are predominantly strumming, I take off the finger picks and just
use a flat pick.
Incidentally I did
ask Steve if he had ever tried to use finger picks. I bet you know the
answer I got. You guessed it! That's okay! We had a blast playing
anyway.