Short Description: Classical guitarists don’t use picks, they use their fingers instead. Folk and Rock artists also love to fingerpick. It gives them unmatched freedom and versatility while playing a guitar. Read this article and you’ll learn how to fingerpick.

How many picks do you use when you fingerpick? Well when you fingerpick, you are using all five fingers as picks and instead of one you actually have five picks at your disposal. So, you can play more than one string at the same time. This is the benefit of fingerpicking.

They have given, so to say, each finger an alphabet. Thumb is referred to as P while index finger is called I. M, A and C are used to denote middle finger, ring finger and little finger in that order. If you find this very difficult to remember, just recall “Poor Idiots’ Memories Are Crap”.

Before you begin to fingerpick be sure you know the position of the strings in your guitar (E-A-D-G-B-E). The thinnest string is the first or high E string and the thickest is the sixth or low E string. Thus high E is the lowermost and low E is the uppermost string in your guitar. In between, from bottom to top, lie the four strings B-G-D-A.

Sling your right arm gently over the body of the guitar such that the fingers hang loosely over the sound hole. Place your thumb on low E and gently curl the other fingers. Your little finger will be hardly of any use. It is usually too small and weak for plucking strings. Now place your index finger on G, middle finger on B and the ring finger on high E.

Now use your thumb to pick strings low E, A and D downwards. If you feel it’d help, you may bend the thumb a little but pick the strings with fleshy part of your thumb only. After you’ve got a feel of strings E, A and D, start picking G, B and high E downwards with fingers poised over them. When you are sufficiently confident, start picking the strings upward.

There are certain important things to remember when you fingerpick. Never straighten your fingers - always keep them curled, and, as soon as you have picked a string, let it return to its original position. Use your fingers only while fingerpicking, try to keep the palm as still as possible. And if you find the strings ringing softly, try to pick harder for a louder sound.

Some players keep their pinkie free while some others plant it near the bridge for additional support. I have nothing specific to tell you in this matter. Do what suits you best.

It isn’t really a bad idea to grow nails on your picking hand. It gives a brighter sound.