Hyprid Pickers... who uses the pinky?

Niallseroreilly

Curious as ive started this technique, anyone successfully use the pinky finger?

octatonic

I do.

Niallseroreilly

@octatonic for chords and 'fingerpicked' chords? Do you use the pick for the bass note on the chord or hold the pick but use the tip of the thumb? 

octatonic

I use the pinky like any other finger- I use it for chords, or arpeggios, or single note runs.

I use the pick, not my thumb.
I can interchange pretty easily between flat picking and alternate- I've been doing it for 30 years now so it is pretty seamless.

Niallseroreilly

Cheers @octatonic ;

Winny_Pooh

I'm still crap at it but yes, I have to use the pinky, otherwise you're limited to the note chords haha which is pretty useless if you end up doing alternating bass and doublestops all night.

octatonic

Niallseroreilly said:

Cheers @octatonic ;

No worries.
Learn to play scales and modes with hybrid, like you would with alternate picking.

Sassafras

Not very often. Only on some arpeggios.

viz

Yes, holding plectrum between thumb and pointer, then using middle, rink and pinky for plucked chords or spread arpeggii or melodies, whenever I want a softer attack or more simultaneous pluck than I'd get if I used the plectrum. 

richardhomer

No - it's unnatural and deviant.

In a thousand years evolution will have got rid of it....

Dominic

Apparently in the " Norfolk Style " all SIX fingers are used !

john_gregson

Yup, I do. I hybrid pick most things and that finger sees a fair bit of combat.
If you're interested in developing it (as the angle of the hand and the size of the finger does make it tricky to start using confidently and smoothly) Brett Garsed has some really nice musical examples in his Rock Guitar Improvisation DVD.

Niallseroreilly

Do you find you use it for everything or just sparingly? @octatonic @Winny_Pooh ;@viz @john_gregson ;

viz

Niallseroreilly said:

Do you find you use it for everything or just sparingly? @octatonic @Winny_Pooh ;@viz @john_gregson ;

In between - and more on my nylon strung than on my electric, though I do use it often when doing chordal work

octatonic

It is pretty much constant for me.

john_gregson

It's not normally used deliberately (as I prefer the tone with the other fingers) but necessity really for the top note in chords or arpeggios. If I'm purely finger-picking it doesn't get used as much. But it helps keep my hand position constant so helpful when playing more complex stuff, I find!

Sassafras

Just noticed I use it more on acoustic guitar.

Luminous

In general no but for some arpeggios, but when i'm using flamenco technique all the time..

carlos

Yes. Kind of essential if you're doing bass note with pick + triad with other fingers (think slash chords). Four strings seem to me the max that can sound at same time without sounding too muddy at least on electric.