Pick or fingers

I am working my way through the guitar fundamentals course and I'm finding it easier to learn without a pick. I feel I have much more control using just my fingers. Am I setting myself up for failure later by not learning to get used to one?

I had the same issue when I started. What I used to do if I was having trouble keeping up in the lesson is use my fingers as your doing, but then try the pick after. Get the thinnest you can find and it will be easier on the upstrokes and slow your tempo down so you don't get hung up as easy. You really should get used to a pick, although Anders teaches a finger strumming technique in Acoustic Level 1 but that's later on for you.

Moe

P.S. I once read a story that Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top used a Mexican Peso cut in half as a pick. That's what gave him that unique grungy sound. Don't know if it's true, but I could see him doing that.

Originally Posted by: mjgodin

I had the same issue when I started. What I used to do if I was having trouble keeping up in the lesson is use my fingers as your doing, but then try the pick after. Get the thinnest you can find and it will be easier on the upstrokes and slow your tempo down so you don't get hung up as easy. You really should get used to a pick, although Anders teaches a finger strumming technique in Acoustic Level 1 but that's later on for you.

Moe

P.S. I once read a story that Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top used a Mexican Peso cut in half as a pick. That's what gave him that unique grungy sound. Don't know if it's true, but I could see him doing that.

Brian May famously uses a sixpence (not cut in half), but every time I see one of his shelter-in-place videos, he's playing just with his fingers.

here's a guy who plays with his feet. To be fair though, it does look like he's using a pick.