What is hybrid picking? The Basics
Utilizing both the pick and fingers simultaneously to play the strings on a guitar.
Hybrid picking is basically playing a guitar with a guitar pick and your fingers at the same time, which can involve a thumb pick or a regular guitar pick. While there are several different methods and approaches to hybrid picking, the term encompasses all of them.
What exactly is hybrid picking?
Hybrid picking, as the name suggests, involves a hybrid approach to strumming and picking strings on the guitar, utilizing both a guitar pick and fingers at the same time.
While conventional playing styles typically rely on one or the other, hybrid picking combines the two approaches, allowing you to play more strings at the same time and with different dynamics.
This technique is particularly useful for intricate and complex arpeggiated patterns that require you pick a lot of strings quickly.
It's hard to find a picture of hybrid picking specifically. But it would look something like this, just with a pick being held at the same time, between the thumb and pointer finger.
How it Works
To implement, guitarists typically hold the pick between the thumb and index finger as they would with traditional picking. The remaining fingers (middle and ring finger mostly) are utilized for picking duties as well.
This approach gives the player greater control and dexterity, enabling them play faster, more interesting, and more dynamic patterns.
Blending and Complexity
One of the key advantages of hybrid picking is the ability to blend the tones produced by fingerstyle and pick playing.
By using the pick, guitarists can achieve a brighter and sharper attack, delivering a punchy sound that's more rhythmic and defined. On the other hand, incorporating the fingers introduces a softer touch and more subtlety, which is better for arpeggios, chord embellishments, and melodic passages.
Blending these two techniques creates a rich and dynamic sound palette, enhancing expressiveness and musicality.
Hybrid picking also allows guitarists to tackle complex patterns that would be challenging to play using only a pick or fingers alone. For example, rapid alternating string picking, where a guitarist quickly switches between strings, becomes smoother and more cohesive with hybrid picking.
Styles of Music
The adoption of hybrid picking is not limited to a specific genre or style of music. Guitarists from various genres, including rock, blues, country, jazz, bluegrass, and fusion, have embraced this technique to add depth and nuance to their playing styles.
Brent Mason, Mark Knopfler, and Eric Johnson, are just a few well-known artists who incorporate hybrid picking.
Learning Hybrid Picking
Learning hybrid picking requires a lot of practice and patience.
It will definitely be challenging for beginners to coordinate the pick and their fingers, and we'd recommend learning the two disciplines separately before trying to combine them.
Once you have guitar picks and fingerpicking down on their own, feeling out hybrid picking will be a lot easier.
This video from our friends at TrueFire is a great starting point.
Summary
To review:
Hybrid picking is a technique that combines elements of both using a guitar pick and fingerpicking.
This helps with blending tones and expanding the nuance of your playing, particularly when it comes to arpeggiated chords and quicker picking/playing styles.
If you have questions about hybrid picking, leave them in the comments section below. We might refer you out to other resources, but we can at least point you in the right direction.
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