Quote:
Originally Posted by kmckenna45
I've struggled with using a thumbtack for finger style guitar for years. All the better players use them and recommend them - but I can never find one that's comfortable, and will stay on without moving.
What tips and tricks do you know about how to select a proper thumb pick, and maybe make it more comfortable?
I've found the Zooskie L-10 to be closest to useful for me. But it's too thick for strumming.
Also - the Herco thumbpick is the standard for having a thumbtack that can be used for strumming and/or picking. But - I haven't been able to find one that has flexibility for strumming while staying in play while finger picking.
Any recommendations?
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I wonder if you have a playing concept a little bit off here?
I have been playing with a thumb pick for well over 20 years on guitar, banjo and dobro and never “strummed”. Downstrokes, yes, but not down, up, down, up strumming. If you watch the early country/bluegrass players then it was the same (Carter, Flatt, Munroe, Stanley) the thumb pick provides down strokes and the finger(s), usually with pick(s) on, the upstrokes.
Trying to “strum” with a thumb pick is, as you have found, not going to be easy.
Other thumb pick playing styles include Travis picking and fingerstyle – again, the thumb pick is used for downstrokes and the fingers for upstrokes. The Herco pick is a sort of hybrid thumb pick - but not that popular for "regular" thumb pick users.