After playing electric for a little over a year now, I bought my first acoustic guitar last week, so I decided I need to learn how to play fingerstyle. Number one: Playing with a pick came very naturally to me, and has always felt extremely comfortable. So far, playing with my fingers is like trying to eat jello with chopsticks. This will get easier with time and practice I'm sure, so I'm not overly concerned, though it is frustrating feeling like I'm learning all over again. I'm currently working on Clapton's version of "Hey Hey" off of Unplugged. It's apparently a pretty easy song to learn, though it's taking me a while.
I don't know much at all about the world of fingerstyle, so my real question is this: Should I be playing with my fingertips or fingernails? Since my nails are short, I've been playing with my fingertips, but I notice that it's just not very loud at all unless I really snap the strings (which, incidentally, sounds fine for "Hey Hey" since it has that "snapping" sound about it, but I imagine it won't for other songs). I would prefer not to grow my nails out, but I guess I would if I have to.
I have limited expertise in this field... but from what I've learned, acoustics seem to respond better to fingerpicking if you tune maybe a step below standard tuning, then use a capo if you need standard again. You'll find your attack to be a bit more natural.
Or, maybe I just suck ;) :)
As far as nails, I'd always thought that growing your nails was only a neccessity for nylon string guitars.
most defenitly your fingertips nails will give you a treblish sound (unless that's the sound you want)it's just like your fretting hand when you first started your finger tips were soft but now that you've fretted constantly you have calluses on your fingertips right now your fingertips are probably soft because you haven't been playing fingerstyle for very long. you don't have to pick the strings very hard to get a loud enough of sound.
i'm working on blackbird by the beatles(in case you wanted look it up) right now medium hard plucking at stongest is needed on it. sometimes you may have to strum notes with top of your nail but not the tip. hope i helped you i don't feel like i did :P
happiness is a warm poppy
I have been concentrating my efforts toward fingerstyle.
Most of what I have learned has been from classical books and a classical instructor.
Ok here goes.
Your fingers will develop calluses and as that happens your volume and tone will both improve.
I use both the tips of my fingers and the nails and sometimes a combination bepending on what I am playing.
The nails don't have to be real long. Mine I keep even with the tips of my fingers and angled.
Let me explain the angle.
If I hold my hand up palm out and look at my nails. The nails on the fingers are shorter on the left and longer on the right.
The thumb is the opposite. Shorter towrd the hand longer on the outside.
What this does is gives the strings a sort of ramp to go accross and prevents me from snagging the string.
Even if you only use the tip of your finger to sound the string. the nails will give them more baking and make them stiffer.
Like I said as you develop calluses and technic it will sound better.
My 2 cents,
Playing with your fingernails or fingertips will always be quieter than using a pick. Playing with your nails will be louder and with practice can come reasonably close to the sound of a pick although it will still have less volume.
If your nails are relatively short they will still add volume and the single notes will be clearer, even if you are using your fingertips.
Strumming with the fingertips or nails will again always be quieter than a pick but with practice the quality of the strum will approach that of a pick.
I think eventually you will find using your fingers very freeing.
I use both a pick and my fingernails depending upon what I am playing.
Anyway good luck.
Cheers,
Max
if you need the pick sound use some thumb and finger wrap around picks (or whatever they are called) like the ones jimmy page used. This will give you the mobility of fingerpicking and the sound of a pick.
Thanks for the responses. I'm not necessarily looking for the sound of a pick, just more volume with my fingers. I guess I'll just have to wait for my fingers to get some caluses.
I'm not really into the whole finger picks thing. Kind of takes away from the whole feel of playing with your bare fingers.
If it's steel string acoustic that your playing, I would certainy recomend patiently growing the nails. It gives you a clearer tone and far more projection (i.e. not only louder, but a more "Room Filling" sound).
If you were playing classical nylon strings, I would recomend playing with fingers not nails, as the tone is quite lovely, but again, volume problems.
As for me, I mostly play classical, and I have to keep my nails short because I also play fingerstyle bass, and long nails would get shredded if I played my bass with them, so I don't have much chocie!
But I strongly recomend you grow the nails. It's annoying waiting for them to grow, and you have to keep them in good condition, but for a good steel string acoustic sound with enough volume they are very useful.
Learning the Clapton is a good idea, I would strongly recomend learning some more stuff from that album. Try "Signe", "Tears in heaven" and "Nobody Knows you When Your Down And Out". None of it's virtuoso stuff, but it's beautiful music and it sounds impressive when you play it. Most importantly though, it's an excelent introduction to fingerstyle.
Hope that helps.
Peter.
