Hybrid Picking is A Game-Changer for Guitarists
Hybrid picking, also known as pick-and-fingers technique, is a versatile way of combining a guitar pick and fingers to create a unique sound. This technique allows for greater flexibility, speed, and dynamic range, making it invaluable across multiple genres.
As someone who was born left-handed but learned to play right-handed—simply because my left-handed brother did the same—I naturally gravitated toward hybrid picking. I’ve often wondered if this unconventional start affected my picking hand speed, and after years of frustration with alternate picking, I found hybrid picking (along with economy picking) to be a game-changer. Frank Gambale famously referred to strict alternate picking as “slaving,” and I completely relate to that sentiment. Hybrid picking, on the other hand, feels intuitive and liberating, allowing me to express myself with greater ease.
Through my exploration of this technique, I’ve studied Gustavo Assis-Brasil’s Hybrid Picking for Guitar and Hybrid Picking Exercises: Single Note Permutations. These books offer incredible insight into both foundational concepts and advanced applications, making them excellent resources for any guitarist looking to expand their picking technique.
Here are some of the most common uses of hybrid picking:
Playing Chord-Melody Arrangements
Hybrid picking is great for playing a melody on the higher strings while maintaining a steady bass or accompaniment on the lower strings. This is often used in country, jazz, and fingerstyle guitar to create intricate chord-melody arrangements.
Example: While strumming or picking the bass notes with a pick, the fingers pluck the melody on the higher strings, creating a full-sounding solo arrangement. This technique is often used by players like Ted Greene and Tommy Emmanuel.
Country and Bluegrass Lead Playing
Hybrid picking is a hallmark of country and bluegrass styles. Guitarists use the pick to strike fast single-note runs while the fingers pluck extra notes or embellishments on adjacent strings. This allows for a mix of flatpicking speed and fingerpicking versatility.
Example: Players like Brent Mason, Albert Lee, and Danny Gatton use hybrid picking to execute fast, twangy licks by alternating between the pick for the main melody and fingers for additional notes.
Double Stops
In blues and rock, hybrid picking is often used to pluck double stops (two notes played simultaneously on different strings). The pick handles one note, while a finger plucks the other, creating a sharp and percussive sound.
Example: This is a signature move in rockabilly, country, and classic rock solos, as heard in the playing of players like Scotty Moore and Brian Setzer.
Arpeggios with Greater Range
Hybrid picking allows guitarists to play wide-ranging arpeggios that cover non-adjacent strings, something that can be difficult with just a pick. The pick handles one part of the arpeggio (usually the lower notes), while the fingers pluck notes on higher strings.
Example: Many jazz guitarists and fingerstyle players use this technique to play lush, sweeping arpeggios that wouldn’t be possible with conventional picking.
Fast Licks and Rolls
Hybrid picking is perfect for playing fast licks that require jumping between strings. The pick can play notes on one or two strings, while the fingers fill in with rapid, alternating plucks on other strings. This technique is common in country, bluegrass, and modern fusion playing.
Example: Chicken pickin’ licks and rapid country rolls are often executed with hybrid picking, giving them their distinctive snap and clarity. Here is my trio playing my fast chicken pickin’ blues called “Feedin’ Time at the Chicken Shack.”
Percussive Playing
Hybrid picking can be used to create a percussive, snappy sound by plucking strings forcefully with the fingers while picking others. This adds a sharp attack, commonly heard in funk, country, and blues.
Example: Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits famously uses hybrid picking to achieve a percussive, fingerstyle-inspired sound in rock and blues.
Open String Patterns
Hybrid picking works well with open string patterns, where the pick plays bass notes while the fingers pluck open strings. This creates a ringing, full sound often used in folk, rock, and country.
Example: Lindsey Buckingham and James Taylor frequently use hybrid picking to create fluid, flowing guitar parts that incorporate open strings.
Pedal Steel Emulation
Hybrid picking can emulate the sound of a pedal steel guitar, where the pick handles the root note while the fingers pluck higher notes. This is a common technique in country music and slide guitar.
Example: Players like Brent Mason and Jerry Donahue use hybrid picking to mimic the swooping, bending sound of a pedal steel guitar.
Playing Harmonics
Hybrid picking is also useful for playing artificial harmonics, where the pick strikes a note and the fingers lightly touch the string to produce a harmonic sound.
Example: Many electric guitarists use hybrid picking for pinch harmonics, but it can also be used for natural harmonics, especially in acoustic or fingerstyle playing.
Bass and Melody Separation
In fingerstyle and jazz, hybrid picking allows guitarists to separate the bass line and melody, where the pick is used to play the bass notes and the fingers pluck the melody or accompaniment.
Example: Jazz guitarists like Lenny Breau and Joe Pass often use hybrid picking to play independent bass lines and melodies simultaneously.
Hybrid Picking as an Alternative to Traditional Picking Techniques
For players who struggle with alternate picking—either due to natural hand tendencies or personal preference—hybrid picking can be a lifesaver. As someone who found alternate picking frustrating, I found that hybrid picking allowed me to develop smoother technique, reduce tension, and play faster with less effort. Economy picking and directional picking provided similar benefits, but hybrid picking, in particular, gave me a level of fluidity I had never experienced before.
I encourage guitarists who are frustrated with traditional picking techniques to explore hybrid picking. Whether you’re looking to add new textures, increase speed, or simply find a more comfortable way to express yourself on the instrument, hybrid picking is a fantastic option.
By incorporating hybrid picking into your students’ playing, you can help them achieve a wide range of textures and techniques that would be difficult to execute with a pick or fingers alone.
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