GUITAR
THE PROS AND CONS OF HYBRID PICKING | David Harsh
What is hybrid picking , and why try it ? Or why avoid it ?
Today , I ’ m going to clearly lay out some very helpful pros and cons of hybrid picking , plus I ’ ll offer a pro tip at the end that you might not be aware of that could be the deciding factor as to which way you go .
I encourage you to catch the video version of this article while it ’ s available . This way , you ’ ll see and hear everything demonstrated . You can find the video right here : www . GuitarSuccess4U . com / Hybrid .
When it comes to hybrid picking , the most important questions to ask yourself are these : what style of music do I want to play , and what sound do I want to make on the strings when I play ?
My background with guitar is as a strummer and as a fingerstylist . I ’ ve strummed with a pick for thousands and thousands of hours as a worship leader and performing songwriter .
As a fingerstylist , I ’ ve sought out workshops , residential seminars and masterclasses with some of the most accomplished fingerstyle players on the planet . Some use a thumb pick , but most rely on their fingers ( p , i , m , a and c ), and some have even gone as far as supergluing ping pong ball fragments to their picking hand fingernails for an even more crisp attack . Seriously .
I spent several years having acrylic overlays applied to my picking hand nails , but I eventually stopped because they were destroying my nail beds .
I ’ ve composed fingerstyle songs for many of my albums , and as I ’ ve discovered , fingerstyle can be a wonderful addition to a worship song arrangement as well .
So , we can strum , we can flatpick , we can incorporate fingerstyle , or we can weave all of these elements together with hybrid picking .
The basic approach to this method is to hold the pick between the thumb and index , like we ’ d expect to , but mostly to play individual notes with the pick as we use the remaining fingers to pluck the strings .
( See the video for my demonstrations .)
So , what are the pros and cons of hybrid picking ? Let ’ s start with the pros :
1 . You can use a contrasting sound with a crisper attack for the bass notes with the pick , and a more fleshy attack with the fingers .
2 . You can separate the bass notes from the higher treble notes and think in two different registers , enjoying harmony in a new way .
3 . You can move from picking individual notes to strumming full or partial chords – and back – to picking individual notes , all while holding the pick . 66 May 2024 Subscribe for Free ...