Fingerstyle guitar

thumb|240px|Fingerstyle guitar

Fingerstyle guitar is the technique of playing the guitar or bass guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or picks attached to fingers, as opposed to flatpicking (plucking individual notes with a single plectrum, commonly called a "pick"). The term "fingerstyle" is something of a misnomer, since it is present in several different genres and styles of music—but mostly, because it involves a completely different technique, not just a "style" of playing, especially for the guitarist's picking/plucking hand. The term is often used synonymously with fingerpicking except in classical guitar circles, although fingerpicking can also refer to a specific tradition of folk, blues and country guitar playing in the US. The terms "fingerstyle" and "fingerpicking" are also applied to similar string instruments such as the banjo.

Music arranged for fingerstyle playing can include chords, arpeggios (the notes of a chord played one after the other, as opposed to simultaneously) and other elements such as artificial harmonics, hammering on and pulling off notes with the fretting hand, using the body of the guitar percussively (by tapping rhythms on the body), and many other techniques. Often, the guitarist will play the melody notes, interspersed with the melody's accompanying chords and the deep bassline (or bass notes) simultaneously. Some fingerpicking guitarists also intersperse percussive tapping along with the melody, chords and bassline. Fingerstyle is a standard technique on the classical or nylon string guitar, but is considered more of a specialized technique on steel string guitars. Fingerpicking is less common on electric guitar. The timbre of fingerpicked notes is described as "result[ing] in a more piano-like attack," and less like pizzicato.

Technique

Because individual digits play notes on the guitar rather than the hand working as a single unit (which is the case when a guitarist is holding a single pick), a guitarist playing fingerstyle can perform several musical elements simultaneously. One definition of the technique has been put forward by the Toronto (Canada) Fingerstyle Guitar Association:

<blockquote>Physically, "Fingerstyle" refers to using each of the right hand fingers independently to play the multiple parts of a musical arrangement that would normally be played by several band members. Deep bass notes, harmonic accompaniment (the chord progression), melody, and percussion can all be played simultaneously when playing Fingerstyle.</blockquote>

Many fingerstyle guitarists have adopted a combination of acrylic nails and a thumbpick to improve tone and decrease nail wear and chance of breaking or chipping. Notable guitarists to adopt this hardware are Ani DiFranco, Doyle Dykes, Don Ross, and Richard Smith.

Advantages and disadvantages

Players do not have to carry a plectrum (thus eliminating the risk of dropping one), but fingernails may need to be maintained at the right length and angles, and kept in good condition if the player has a preference to use the nails of their fingers over the pads of their fingertips.
It is possible to play multiple non-adjacent strings at exactly the same time, enabling the guitarist to play, for example, a very low bass note and a high treble note simultaneously, or double stops, such as an octave, a fifth, a sixth, or other intervals that suit the harmony.
It is more suitable for playing polyphonically, with separate, independent musical lines, or separate melody, harmony and bass parts than using a plectrum, and therefore more suitable for unaccompanied solo playing, or small ensembles like duos, in which a guitarist accompanies a singer. Fingerstyle players have up to four (or five) surfaces (fingernails or picks) striking the strings and/or other parts of the guitar independently.
It is easy to play arpeggios; but the techniques for tremolo (rapid repetition of a note) and melody playing are more complex than with plectrum playing.
It is possible to play chords without any arpeggiation, because up to five strings can be plucked simultaneously.
There is less need for fretting hand damping (muting) in playing chords, since only the strings that are required can be plucked.
A greater variation in strokes is possible, allowing greater expressiveness in timbre and dynamics.
A wide variety of strums and rasgueados are possible.
Less energy is generally imparted to strings than with plectrum playing, leading to lower volume when playing acoustically.
Playing on heavier gauge strings can damage nails: fingerstyle is more suited to nylon strings or lighter gauge steel strings (but this does not apply to fingerpicks, or when the flesh of the fingers is used rather than the nail, as is common with the lute.)

Nylon string guitar styles

Nylon string guitars are most frequently played fingerstyle.

Classical guitar fingerstyle

thumb|upright|right|[[John Williams (guitarist)|John Williams]]

The term "Classical guitar" can refer to any kind of art music played fingerstyle on a nylon string guitar, or more narrowly to music of the classical period, as opposed to baroque or romantic music. The major feature of classical-fingerstyle technique is that it enables solo rendition of harmony and polyphonic music in much the same manner as the piano can. The technique is intended to maximize the degree of control over the musical dynamics, texture, articulation and timbral characteristics of the guitar. The sitting position of the player, while somewhat variable, generally places the guitar on the left leg, which is elevated, rather than the right. This sitting position is intended to maintain shoulder alignment and physical balance between the left and right hands. Thumb, index, middle and ring fingers are all commonly employed for plucking, with occasional use of the pinky. Chords are often plucked, with strums being reserved for emphasis. The repertoire varies in terms of keys, modes, rhythms and cultural influences. Classical-guitar music is performed/composed most often in standard tuning (EADGBE). However, altered tunings such as dropped D are common.

Notation

Fingerings for both hands are often given in detail in classical guitar music notation, although players are also free to add to or depart from them as part of their own interpretation.

Fretting hand fingers are given as numbers, plucking hand fingers are given as letters

{| class="wikitable"

! Finger !! Notation!! Finger !! Notation

| Thumb || 5 || Thumb || p

| Index || 1 || Index || i

| Middle || 2 || Middle || m

| Ring || 3 || Ring || a

| Pinky || 4 || Pinky || c, x, e or q

In guitar scores, the five fingers of the right-hand (which pluck the strings, for right-handers) are designated by the first letter of their Spanish names namely p = thumb (pulgar), i = index finger (índice), m = middle finger (medio), a = ring finger (), and when used, often c = little finger or pinky (chiquito).