Fingerpicking techniques.

Is picking with just your thumb and index finger or you thumb, index, middle, and ring better? Or does it make a difference at all?

Use as many fingers as you can keep track of.

good to use thumb, index, middle, ring at first, and try some pinky too when you want to do arpeggios out the ass with one note per string, try for rhythmic flow up and down strings with the plucking, and then you just have to slightly change maybe only one fret on left hand and it sound 1000 times mroe complicated than it is when you're just slightly changing things and whuipping around...

it's also good to have those "first 4" fingers as a "base", so use the thumb to hit the lowest sounding string in that particular arrangement, so if on 3rd largest string, with thumb based there, and go on up through 4 fingers, then when moving back to lower strings, give the th7umb a new base...simple as that...go wild...

I also like to hold my hand so it hangs down like a classical guitarist. At one point I even han the long nails on my right hand, but it was to difficult to tap, and I can fingerpick fine without 'em.

I learned some fingerpicking technique when I went back to classical guitar, but usually I just go with what seems logical and comfortable. Sometimes I pick the lower strings with my fingers rather than just my thumb coz its easier to do when playing at speed.

It takes ALOT of practise that's for sure.
First time I looked at fingerpick style songs I went *Woaaa, wtf*. Don't panic it will all come in time. The trick is to start with the most beginnertype stuff. Don't start with twisting your fingers in some kind of albert lee/chet atkins/ kinda hillbilly hightempo fingerpickinglicks. It will help you nothing when you wanna just learn the basics. I'll post some links (to wholenote, not gt, excuse me :)) that were helpfull to me and still make a good warmup now.
http://www.wholenote.com/cgi-bin/page_view.pl?l=1605&p=1&a=0 Romanaza
http://www.wholenote.com/cgi-bin/page_view.pl?l=135&p=1&a=0 Tarrega study
To name a few. When you get them down fluently try stuff like Classical Gas from Mason Williams. Don't get discouraged because Classical Gas uses yet another combination of fingerpicking combined with several notes on one or two strings and legato and...
There are alot of fingerstyle guitarist out there (Ron thal with the song Limberneck, he friggin amazed me with that song). Check out Terry Couch on the gt host website. He's a real killer in fingerstyle and you'll get to know lots of new guitarists too.

EDIT : f*ck, once again I got a little dragged away and answered to stuff not even asked :/ Anyway, you'll find all the info you need on those sites mentioned above.

EDIT 2 : My bad ! I forgot Benoit Nadeau from the GT host section! :) He has some awesome fingerpickworkouts too !

[Edited by Gulder on 08-15-2002 at 12:36 PM]

Gulder, Romanza was one of the first songs I learned while learning to finger pick. I think its so easy and yet so nice sounding, its a great one for starting off.

I learned by myself how to fingerpick. I also learned Romanza, really good to start with. I wanted to include it in my section but never got around. In fact when I learned it someone told me that it was called "Les jeux interdits" and people gave it many other names such as Spanish Ballad and so on.

I never pick with my pinky. If you can do it, good for you, I haven't seen a lot of guitarist do that.

And yes Terry Couch's section is a really good place to learn some wicked fingerpicking. Don't know how the uy does it so easely. Practice probably :)

I have learnt finger picking with the same song.
Right now, when I finger pick, I use it more in a Knopfler style, thumb/pick and index to get some percussive sounds. Also, I have some weird technique that involves playing an adjacent string with a finger rather than just sweeping it with the pick. I guess I have picked that up playing some country tunes.

Fingerpicking generally is the 3 bass strings are picked by the thumb(p), and the 3 treble strings are picked by index(i), middle(m) and ring finger(a). The thumb and index fnger is pretty crappy technique but if it works for you, all the better. The most relaxed posture is to have the hand so that the front(part opposite your palm) just out of view facing away.

Personally, Ive always found fingerpicking easier, even before I learnt classical guitar. Felt more natural.

A good way to get a nice clean sound instead of dull sound with your thumb is to try hit the note with the corner of your thumb so your nail hits, sounds alot better =)

I find the best sound (on a classical guitar) is to pick the string so both the flesh of the finger/thumb and the nail catches the string. Otherwise, if your nails are to long it sounds like your using a pick.

I learned how to finger pick from jewel :D.

I bought the tab book from her first album but never got around playing any of it. I should hit the books more often.

It really isn't worth getting around to her stuff is very easy.