Hey Fingerpickers ... How many fingers?

[James_214ce]

"In classical fingerpicking the thumb is used to play the bass strings (4, 5, and 6). The index finger is used for the 3rd string.
The middle finger is used for the 2nd string. The ring finger is used for the 1st string."




https://www.guitarlessonworld.com/le...ing-technique/

[rogthefrog]

Training the pinky is extra useful if you ever play a harp guitar, because the only way to pluck the high guitar string and the low harp string at the same time is thumb + pinky, unless maybe you have hands like Shaq.

[Alex6strings]

I use all five, six if i had them.

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by Tico

Do you mean four fingers plus the thumb, or four 'fingers' including the thumb ... (which would be three fingers plus the thumb)?

Four plus the thumb.

[ryevick]

I usually don't pay too much attention to it and try to just go with what feels good and can do what I need to communicate the music/emotion I want. When I started out playing I learned using my thumb and index mostly sometimes switching to my thumb and middle. I can actually do quite a lot with just 2 and am very comfortable playing like that but if I hear a part that needs 3 or 4 I will use them and it's not a problem. I never use/used 5.

[LSemmens]

When I had guitar lessons (all 2 of them) years ago, I was taught to use all the fingers on both hands without resting any of those from my right hand on the soundboard. In the years since I can confidently say that all the fingers of my left hand get a good workout and 90% of the time the thumb and index get the work on my right hand, only because they are the ones hold the pick.
When playing BASS, however, usually I use all of my fingers as I never did become comfortable using a pick on the BASS.

[fatt-dad]

John Cephas taught me thumb plus 1 and I use my index. It's what Rev. Gary Davis did too!

f-d

[Norml]

Still pretty new to it but thumb and 2 works best for me.

[Orfeas]

Voted for 4. That's how I play constantly, except finger strum (I use thumb and index)

[frankmcr]

Merle Travis - one thumb, one finger.

He's the man.

(Plus adding fingers just confuses me.)

[lpa53]

The thumb and three. I'll have to watch myslef to see, but I can't ever think of a time that I pick a string with my pinkie.

I will note that for years I anchored my pinkie on the top but stopped when a teacher suggested that, as I knew my way around the strings, I didn't need to do it. Since I'd been sensing some pain associated with that habit, I gave it a try and within weeks found a new freedom of playing without that pivot point.

[rob2966]

Mostly I use 4 (p, i, m, a) but I also play flamenco and many of the rasgueados use the pinky as well (although usually in the outward "flicking" motion, not in a plucking motion).

Later
Rob

[Rozlynoz76]

I think for the most part I only use 3 fingers...sometimes I work in my ring finger but not often. However, I'm also a banjo player (and a HUGE Piedmont fan) so.....

In a related vein...Piedmont pickers...do you anchor your little finger? I often anchor my little finger and sometimes my ring finger because I like the control and I'm used to it from picking banjo. I know John Hurt used to do this. How common is this anchorage among guitar pickers?

[DBW]

thumb and three fingers- sometimes I use the pinky

[rstaight]

I gave this answer a while back in a similar thread.

The instruction books I have show to use the pinky on the high E string. The ring finger is for the B string, the middle finger is for the G string. The index finger is on the D string and the thumb on the A and low E strings.

Try as I might I keep channeling Doc Watson and use only my thumb and index finger.

Maybe it's because I was brought up as a flat picker.