r/slideguitar

How to get better at thumb picking?

I am very much a beginner - going through the justin guitar series but also playing around with slide guitar.

I've been focusing videos like these from Andy Aledort https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QrnQ_o4ahE&list=PLTBA6BRkLHqI&index=3

I see he uses his thumb to pluck strings for a good portion of his playing - and I cannot seem to get it to sound decent. I've been mainly using index and middle finger - but I can see especially for this video - the thumb lets you keep a better cadence.

I just don't feel like I can get a good pluck with my thumb - but if its a good skill to have down I committed to learning it. Do you have any tips? I am thinking maybe I need to angle my thumb outwards more or maybe I need to grow my thumb nail out a little bit? Or maybe a thumb pick?

This was probably the best its ever sounded - I alternated between using the thumb and not using it to show how it may look/sound different

u/Adorable_Mongoose223 — 4 days ago
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