How Eddie Rivers Wears His Fingerpicks

Regan Branch · From: Alabama, USA

Anyone else wear their fingerpicks like this? It looks so out of control. Is this common? I can see how it would help. Just starting out, my fingernails on index and middle finger get caught on the strings a lot when I'm coming back up. This would of course solve that problem, but it does look unusual to me.
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Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

Whatever works for ya'.
Here's a (slightly out of focus) closeup of the right hand of the late Buddy Emmons:

Joe Scherzi · From: New York, USA

Jerry Byrd from his video. Hard to see but the fingerpick tips are almost perpendicular to the fingers.

Regan Branch · From: Alabama, USA

Cool examples. Gonna have to wrap mine up more then. I've noticed the necessity from playing. Just terrible when I hear my nail hit the string.
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J.D.White · From: Lafayette, Louisiana

I have a couple of 10 year old Jeff Newman finger picks that came pre-formed - just like the ones Eddie Rivers is wearing in the photo.

Tried to zoom in and see if they have the diamond shaped holes - but I can't really tell.

Douglas Schuch · From: Valencia, Philippines

I think it depends somewhat on what your your arm is doing. If your elbow is out, then if you align the picks with your fingers as you would assume, then the edges hit the strings, not the face - so you rotate them as Eddie has. If you keep your elbow in, as is generally taught, then you align them with the fingers as you then are picking straight on to the string. But I find, if I keep my elbow in very tight, then my thumb pick ends up hitting the strings at an angle - if you have a long thumb that curves back easily, that is probably not a problem, but my thumb doesn't do that. Thus, I end up with my elbow mostly in, but not too tight - trying to hit the spot where my thumb and my fingers are attacking the strings as square-on as possible.
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Tim Whitlock · From: Colorado, USA

Of the three examples, the Buddy Emmons photo is the most conventional. The other two are some pretty radical approaches, although who can argue with the results of those great players. Eddie's picks look like they will flop, shift or even jump right off due to a lack of contact with his fingers. For me accurate picking requires the pick to be as stable as possible on the finger.

Fred Treece · From: California, USA

Maybe Eddie has to wear them like that because his fingers are the size of tree stumps. Iâ€™m with Tim- wondering how they stay on.

As a finger style guitarist who doubles on steel, I am used to picking strings with bare finger tips, so wearing the picks so they go just barely past the end of my fingernails feels the most natural.

J.D.White · From: Lafayette, Louisiana

- deleted

David Matzenik · From: Cairns, on the Coral Sea

I don't see how Eddie Rivers' middle finger pick could stay on during the playing of a complex passage. Maybe the picture is satirical.
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Andy DePaule · From: Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon

David Knutson · From: Cowichan Valley, Canada

I just found that Western Swing Rules video, and that's how he's wearing them. I'm guessing superglue. Very Happy

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David K

Gene Tani · From: Pac NW

Gary Carter seems to do same/similar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYd1HqxbpBw&t=44s
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Tommy Martin Young · From: Sacramento-California, USA

I'm a pick-less fingerstyle guitar player and I tried using standard fingerpicks on lap steel but it felt like I was a "million-miles away" - I wasn't directly connected to the strings (which is my favorite part of playing) I went hog wild with a pair of needle nose pliers and some F-Tone ProPiks and changed their profile to create these Wolverine-type of fingernail extensions. They grab just a little bit of nail so the string pluck resonates in my fingers.

I glued a rhinestone on the #1 finger, #2 is a split wrap and #3 is a single wrap - so I can put them on in the dark. I forget I have them on. Big fan of the Fred Kelly Speed Pick on thumb.

Re: Eddie Rivers - my favorite part of the video was seeing how meaty his paws were and thinking that like mine, no one's probably ever mistaken them for a piano player's.
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Gregg Thacker · From: Pasadena, Texas, USA

Ouch

!! From the looks of the picture, those fingerpicks look REAL small and he forced them to fit ðŸ˜‚ ...
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Terry VunCannon · From: Greensboro, North Carolina, USA

To each his own. I prefer to play in comfort. There really is no right way, or wrong way to play.

Johnie King · From: Tennessee, USA

Jeff Neal · From: Johnson City Tennessee, USA

What ever works is right for you is correct. But if you look at Jerryâ€™s and Buddyâ€™s right hand you will see the famous shape of the Jeff Newman picks. Mike Aldridge used these picks for Reso guitar and steel. Steve Lenard introduced me to these picks back in the 90s and after hanging out with Mike I soon realized why this pick shape was the best. I have tried other picks such as national and pro picks but they just donâ€™t work for me. If you want speed and not a lot of hang ups go with the JF pick style. Also look at Buddy Charltons right hand. I donâ€™t know if these are still available but luckily I have 12 sets that should last me for my lifetime.

Jeff Neal · From: Johnson City Tennessee, USA

Jeff Neal · From: Johnson City Tennessee, USA

Here are the JF picks

Georg Sørtun · From: Mandal, Agder, Norway

Old pictures, but use same straight "no-name" picks today as 30 years ago as they don't wear (except the strings) and only need a light tip-polishing every 10 year or so…

Flesh on fingertips are involved in creating the desired attack-sound variations, as well as in muting.

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