An old guy I play with sometimes (well he's heaps older than me anyway) stated the other night that players are usually fingerpickers or strummers, and don't tend to be both. I must say that I strummed before I picked but now I seem to spend all my time picking and my strumming has gone backward as a result.
I remember before I played guitar always looking at players fingerpicking and thinking "that's REAL playing". I don't think that now, both styles are absolutely legitimate and personally I think a well rounded player can do a range of styles.
What do y'all think? (That was in my best Southern accent as well!)
Strumming vs Fingerpicking
That is an interesting topic, Tovo. I think one will play what he is comfortable with and less of what he is not. I prefer fingerpicking myself but I realized the point you are posting here and I am trying to move into picking songs like old man and over the hills and far away. I am also working on Sweet home Alabama that I find very lively, the intro is a challenge as you have to pick up and down quickly (and I am not 
) I think it is important not to limit ourself to one style.
Marc
) I think it is important not to limit ourself to one style.Marc
I think if you can finger pick the rhythm AND melody, you can play a whole song from start to finish and it will be interesting the whole way. But if you strum the whole song, then you have to add the melody part with your voice or another instrument. Otherwise the strumming would get repetitious and un-interesting quickly. But you can make some VERY compelling music both ways. I want to do both.
Here's a great example of a solo strumming song. The strumming isn't really all that complicated (drop D tuning AND tuned down 1/2 step). But the creativity involved in rearranging a Heads tune like that, make it absolutely riveting. And I know a bunch of songs like that.
[video][/video]
And if you mix both styles, it makes the song even more interesting. Since you ask the question, I'm beginning to see, that if you don't learn at least some of both, then you really limiting your range. Good post!
Here's a great example of a solo strumming song. The strumming isn't really all that complicated (drop D tuning AND tuned down 1/2 step). But the creativity involved in rearranging a Heads tune like that, make it absolutely riveting. And I know a bunch of songs like that.
[video][/video]
And if you mix both styles, it makes the song even more interesting. Since you ask the question, I'm beginning to see, that if you don't learn at least some of both, then you really limiting your range. Good post!
Hey that was a very nice version of a great song Wilson, thanks for posting that. The Exies eh? I've just done a little research and will be checking out the album that song appears on "A Modern Way of Living with the Truth" which is a cool album name if nothing else! Cheers mate.
Good topic, Tony! I am primarily a fingerpicker but I love the strumming songs too. I make a point to practice several strumming songs that I like. A few of the strumming songs I like are; The Eagles -'Lyin Eyes' and 'Take It Easy', Cat Stevens - 'Peace Train', and Don McLean's - 'American Pie'. There are several others that I rotate in that I like to practice also.
Bill
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cosmicmechanic
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I find that it's not rare for acoustic guitar players to absolutely need a pick in order to play.
That limitation seems odd to me. I also try fingerpicking most songs, or at least using the "invisible pick".
That limitation seems odd to me. I also try fingerpicking most songs, or at least using the "invisible pick".
The answer to this interesting question is what kind of music do you want to play? To me, strumming is dramatically easier that fingerpicking. I'm not including true fingerstyle playing, like what Neil plays, because that is orders of magnitude more difficult than either fingerpicking and especially strumming.
I love to do Travis, or pattern picking. I love the sound and the types of songs that benefit from that style of playing ie. Gordie, John Denver, Simon & Garfunkel, Peter Paul & Mary, Croce, Chapin and so many of the great, old folk artists. Learning different patterns is challenging, fun and very rewarding when you can smoothly change chords and maintain the pattern.
And I believe any strummer can learn basic fingerpicking. Doc Watson, a guitar pioneer, played primarily with his thumb and index finger only! But I'm trying to teach my renegade ring finger to play nice with his other siblings and it's not as easy as it looks. I still cheat back to thumb and two fingers.
If anyone hasn't tried it it is well worth the effort. It adds a whole new dimension to your guitar playing and greatly increases your chances to pick up girls! Oh wait, that was 40 years ago, sorry, lost my head for a second. LOL! :laugh:
I love to do Travis, or pattern picking. I love the sound and the types of songs that benefit from that style of playing ie. Gordie, John Denver, Simon & Garfunkel, Peter Paul & Mary, Croce, Chapin and so many of the great, old folk artists. Learning different patterns is challenging, fun and very rewarding when you can smoothly change chords and maintain the pattern.
And I believe any strummer can learn basic fingerpicking. Doc Watson, a guitar pioneer, played primarily with his thumb and index finger only! But I'm trying to teach my renegade ring finger to play nice with his other siblings and it's not as easy as it looks. I still cheat back to thumb and two fingers.
If anyone hasn't tried it it is well worth the effort. It adds a whole new dimension to your guitar playing and greatly increases your chances to pick up girls! Oh wait, that was 40 years ago, sorry, lost my head for a second. LOL! :laugh:
Bear mate picking up girls can't be easy when you are 9 feet tall, covered in hair and sleep half the year!
Anyway, it's interesting that most of the videos posted for review here are fingerpicking numbers. It seems to me that unless you are going to add some vocals most of us feel that the fingerpicking numbers are the ones that stand best alone. (I'm happy to be corrected it's just my observation) I think Wilson said that strumming tunes can get a bit repetitious unless accompanied. I think he's probably right and probably that's why the campfire tunes are popular with a crowd.
I've spent a couple of weeks on 2 picking tunes and my strumming now officially sucks. Such is life.
Anyway, it's interesting that most of the videos posted for review here are fingerpicking numbers. It seems to me that unless you are going to add some vocals most of us feel that the fingerpicking numbers are the ones that stand best alone. (I'm happy to be corrected it's just my observation) I think Wilson said that strumming tunes can get a bit repetitious unless accompanied. I think he's probably right and probably that's why the campfire tunes are popular with a crowd.
I've spent a couple of weeks on 2 picking tunes and my strumming now officially sucks. Such is life.
Bear mate picking up girls can't be easy when you are 9 feet tall, covered in hair and sleep half the year!
Anyway, it's interesting that most of the videos posted for review here are fingerpicking numbers. It seems to me that unless you are going to add some vocals most of us feel that the fingerpicking numbers are the ones that stand best alone. (I'm happy to be corrected it's just my observation) I think Wilson said that strumming tunes can get a bit repetitious unless accompanied. I think he's probably right and probably that's why the campfire tunes are popular with a crowd.
I've spent a couple of weeks on 2 picking tunes and my strumming now officially sucks. Such is life.
Anyway, it's interesting that most of the videos posted for review here are fingerpicking numbers. It seems to me that unless you are going to add some vocals most of us feel that the fingerpicking numbers are the ones that stand best alone. (I'm happy to be corrected it's just my observation) I think Wilson said that strumming tunes can get a bit repetitious unless accompanied. I think he's probably right and probably that's why the campfire tunes are popular with a crowd.
I've spent a couple of weeks on 2 picking tunes and my strumming now officially sucks. Such is life.
I'm definitely turning into a finger picker. It's is better than my strumming - especially as I've had to go back to kindergarten and learn how to use a pick properly. My strumming is improving though. I also find that when I strumming I generally just use my thumb, mostly because it's quieter. I only strum with a pick when my partner is far away - or else my small apartment gets too noisy. I'm moving in to a new place early next year. I'll have my own room and will be able to close the door and sing (badly) and play as loudly as I'd like. It will be GREAT!
I am trying to mix it up a bit though so I don't get too lopsided.
I am trying to mix it up a bit though so I don't get too lopsided.