country guitar/hybrid picking

Can't direct you any place but can tell you the basics of what you're looking for. "Hybrid picking" involves using both pick and fingers. The pick is held with the thumb and index fingers while the remaining fingers (middle, ring and pinky) pluck notes as well.

Usually, the pick is assigned to the bass strings (D, A and low E) while the remaining fingers are assigned as follows:

pinky - high E

ring - B string

middle - G string

But, as in most styles, this is not always what happens. Most teachers consider this an Intermediate skill set, which is why you're finding what you're finding.

I did a review a while back of a tutorial book on this topic, which you can find here:

https://www.guitarnoise.com/reviews/hybrid-picking-for-guitar/

Another thing to note that while most people associate this style of playing with country, it's used by many different folks. You'll find it in folk and jazz quite a lot. Richard Thompson is a great player in this style and he uses it is so many genres (including straight ahead rock) that you might find him of interest to watch and to listen to.

Good luck with this. One of my former students in Chicago took it upon himself to learn hybrid picking (he's a big country fan) and managed to get quite good in a relatively short period of time by working on it like crazy.

Hope this helps.

Peace

thanks very much for the quick reply, ill get looking at that article now!!

Merle Travis was a fantastic two finger player. he had a thumb pick on the thumb and a finger pick on the index.
I have not found any sites that teaches that stuff.

my hybrid picking developed out of not being very good as a finger picker; using all my fingers.
I play with a pick held the normal way, but use my middle finger to pick strings too.

Merle Travis was a fantastic two finger player. he had a thumb pick on the thumb and a finger pick on the index.
I have not found any sites that teaches that stuff.

A guess: Atkins picking (thumbpick and typically two or more fingers) superceded Travis picking. Travis picking may now be considered a subset of Atkins.

You might want to search YouTube for "chicken pickin lesson". Seems to be a lot of videos on it.

I've been working on my Travis picking for months now.
And the progress has been real slow. Someone tell me it's going to come someday . . .
or I'm going to be performing guitar explosions like Jenny B.

Seriously, how long does it take to get that down? (as in Dust in the Wind)
CorinneIsCool is my American Idol : :note1: Dust :note2:
Can all of you do that? If so, hat's off.

Ken-

Being pedantic: That is not Travis picking. It is fingerstyle -- nails and the works. As Dogbite describes, Travis picking is done with a thumbpick and only one add'l finger, usually the index. It's must easier for most players to develop speed and varied picking styles if they learn to play with two, three or four fingers in addition to the thumb.

Yes you probably will learn it, especially if you are practicing specific songs. There's a fair amount of muscle memory involved in fingerstyle. As I'm sure you already know, David has a lot of great lessons on these techniques. Going slow and steady works for most people. Maybe try taking a break from fingerstyle for a day or so once in a while. Sometimes that will actually help.

-=G

Thanks, Gnease.
Pretty much all I learn is from my DVD lessons, here, and YouTube to get some video lessons.
I was told that the Dust in the Wind arpeggio was Travis pickin. Even studied several videos on YouTube with lessons calling it that. For example: http://youtube.com/watch?v=6fqvEbkjBNQ . So now I'm confused. But makes no difference other than communicating to someone, which is what I was doing.
Anyway, thanks for the reply. And I have noticed that taking a day off from practicing seemed to help. When I went out of town for several days I came back and did a better job than I've ever done. So giving the fingers a vacation seemed to help.

Someone with a knowledge of neurology may know for sure, but I get the impression that time-off is an important part of learning neuro-muscular skills. Maybe neural connections are built or rebuilt in the process of learning, and giving them time to complete that operation helps. Anyone?

And Jerry Reed. He is a fantastic fingerstyle player. Infact, its a pleasure to watch Chet Atkins and Jerry playing a duet.

Hint - Baby's Coming Home.

I find many hybrid pickers usually avoid the use of the pinky. And unlike fingerstyle and classical the finger-string assignment is much less rigid. Practicing various licks and songs that include hybrid picking is probably the best method.

Some resources:

http://www.countryguitar.com
http://johnmcniel.com/blog/

And Jerry Reed. He is a fantastic fingerstyle player. Infact, its a pleasure to watch Chet Atkins and Jerry playing a duet.
Hint - Baby's Coming Home.
Hey! Don't be so subtle.
Links instead of hints, por favor. Baby's Coming Home

worth noting that chicken pickin is hybrid picking, put hybrid picking is not always chicken pickin...Bear that in mind when searching for lessons

agreed. chickin pickin is a technique.
hybrid picking can be many methods.
creating styles.
Chet Atkins is probably the best source for hybrid picking.
I am more of the Merle Travis camp since I could never get the hang of Atkins style.

I can torture a finger style folk tune., too. yes I can.

I would hardly call Chet Atkins a hybrid picker. A thumb pick not a plectrum.