How to Use a Guitar Thumbpick

What was the first song he played?

Saw Tommy Emmanuel and he used a thumbpick all night, if I remember correctly. Lots of different styles and the instant transition to flat pick for fast runs sold me. Towards the end Tommy held up his thumb with the thumbpick on and said "This is the secret to my success."

Yea i always use thumbpicks now, I never did when I played when I was younger but I started back up again with a Ukuelele and had a thumb pick for that and just got used to it. Now I can't stand regular picks. I like the D'Darrio fo-turtle shell picks and no matter what pick it is I always sand them down.

My inspiration to use thumb pick came from Scooty Moore, Jerry Reed, Chet Atkins, Merle Travis. Tommy Emmanuel gives good lesson on YT. Keep that thumb going and practise. Jerry Reed can play fast runs using Thumb and index fingers rubbing close. Hybrid picking, with flat pick, needs much practise too, but I feel at ease with thumb pick. Can use many techniques, there is no exact preference but there are good recomennded ideas. One thing I like is using thumb pick as a flat pick then picking. I grow index and middle finger nails too, gives a great twang. Love the Herco Flex 52 thumb picks, just right.

This was so helpful. Ugh after playing classical for years, I'm now loving learning the Merle Travis and Chet Atkins catalogue. Bu damn, not only is thumb pick hard, your hand turns when you use one, and your tone is shot! I'll try a slim pick thanks for confirming this is hard!

I want to get into thumb picking

I’m self taught,
I’m primarily a flat picker but I created my own finger picking thing as a teenager and it only works for me, it’s a quasi floating planted type thing. Anyway I’m 58 now and I’m really trying to get comfortable with thumb and finger picks and it’s going okay. I found an old D’ Andrea thumb pick that I love it has a short tip and when you stated the Dunlop debacle I totally agree. It’s tough for me to find a good thumb pick. ( I like a shorter amount of material protruding towards the string contact area) With that said my go to is the R373 series D’ Andrea at this point if I buy new but I’m gonna try the slick picks soon due to wanting to apply to my telecaster playing as well as acoustic. Thanks for this great video, very helpful for me.

Im watching this video 10 minutes after buying my first Dunlap thump pick…🫠

Great video!

I have never been able to use a thumb pick the pick keeps spinning around my thumb. Play one note and the pick spins a bit, play a second note and it spins a little more. By the time I get to the third note the pick is not in a position to use.

I've been playing for 23 years and just got into thumbpicks a day ago. It feels extremely weird, but I'm already getting used to it and already noticed that using a thumbpick will improve the sound of so many songs like Klaus Weiland - Das Loch in Der Banane. I attenuates the walking bass and just sounds incredible compared to playing it without a tp.
Great video, and I definitely need to file down my tp's :D

I can't get past the volume discrepancy between the strings picked with the thumb-pick & the strings picked with my nails. The former just sound so HEAVY & LOUD when compared to the latter. Any suggestions? Any way around this?

Excellent demo man...

Great tips. I like the heavy slick pick also

i have never found small thumb picks (i am a girl, so my thumbs are considerable smaller than a guy's)

Yes I definitely do Nate but found it awkward but the only way is to keep using it never let it beat you it will come i still don’t have it fully mastered but you just have to keep at it !! Fred Kelly s slick pick made a world of difference!!! Cheers from Ireland 🇮🇪 Nate thanks for all the information lad 👍👍

Thanks!

Is that Nate Savage?

It took Tommy Emmanuel 10 years to get used to the thumb pic. That said you shouldn't file down your thumb pic because it's going to get caught on the strings when you do certain techniques or at faster speeds.

I really am trying to learn...I found cool picks moldable picks and they've helped also just trying to stay constant between using one and not..what about thumbpicks in Indie sounding playing?

Would you do a lesson on how to upstrum with a thumbpick

is thumbpick good for playing just chords ( campfire music) ?

Definitely want to use thumb picks for a while.

I Don't know why it makes me very uncomfortable :(

What about playing lead guitar sir? Is thumb pick suitable for someone who plays fingerstyle all this while?

How would a thumb pick fair on bass? I’ve started to get interested in using one after learning that Jerry Only of The Misfits used one before the band reformed in 1995.

Dude where have you been all these days
I have been looking for you for a long time Btw glad I found you

I just got my thumb picks today and I'm pretty okay with playing fingerstyle guitar.

I like the melody in the beginning when u was talking about proper muting

A video from my hometown? Whao

ugh. It's hard !I have played classical style and now learning Chet Atkins and Travis picking technique. The challenge I find is how when using a pick,, my I,M, and A, come down on the strings at at a different angle then my nails are filed to. I'll try a thinner and shorter pick, good tip. But ya, a bit of every practice has to be with teh pick until its there!

Dear Diary, today Tom Hanks told me everything I needed to know about thumb picks.

I for the life of me couldn't get used to Dunlop thumbpicks... then again my main go to is a jazz iii so it always felt like I was 12 miles from the strings comparatively. I'll have to check out some other brands then.

I've soldiers through it and think the video is useful but WHY the plucking background music? Ugh!

So I’m not the only one who thought the Dunlop’s sucked. I started listening to Doc Watson last year and ordered the Dunlop’s and initially gave up on the thumb pick. Thanks for slick pick Idea. I’m gonna give those a shot

Nate do you get a mani pedi before all your videos or just this one? Just curious

Yes, im here awake 1AM and end up wondering if i can do a mute with a thumb, so i probally practice thumbpick tomorrow

Just got the Dunlop...And I'm not keen on it...Will file it down....Thanks for the advice...Fantastic playing skills...

cool man thanks a lot for making this video.

What’s with the weird background music?

It's just like using triggers in place of 4 finger claw while playing mobile games ( pubg ) 😂😂😂😂..claw is just better..❤️

Wowww

Wish i saw this before buying the dunlop ones haha, thanks for the suggestion

I so wish i could play like you, i have a long, long way to go.

I just have a small question though. do i use medium size or small size for a 11 year old

Yes I need help!, My thumb bends while using thumbpick, I have developed thumb independence without thumbpick

Seems like a great option for keeping a more relaxed grip for other pick playing too.