Question for hybrid pickers

Springywheel

Just wondering how you guys would hybrid pick this piece by John Hurt ('Shake That Thing')

I'm still getting to grips with hybrid picking, but as you can see I typically assign the plectrum to the 6th and 4th strings in an alternating 'travis' style rhythm, with my pinky (x) assigned to the 1st string, ring (a) to the 2nd string, and middle finger to the 3rd.

When I get to the part circled in red, should i continue with this fingering in order to keep it consistent? I'm just wondering if it's considered bad form to pick the 4th string with the plectrum, and the 1st string with my pinky? I could use my ring finger in its place, but other than interfering with the finger correspondences, it makes the jump down to the adjacent 2nd string more awkward. Another option is to alternate the ring and pinky....

If you’re a hybrid picker, how would you play it?

I just want to make sure i'm not spending my time practicing the wrong way!

P = PLECTRUM
m = MIDDLE
a = RING
x = PINKY

https://i.postimg.cc/Y2drStTL/shake-that-thing.jpg

digitalkettle

Just my 2p...

• I would pick the bass line consistently so, in your case, 'yes' to picking the 6th and 4th string
• I wouldn't use my pinky in general
• I would ditch the plectrum and play the bass line with my thumb, bringing my index finger into play for the top line...so I wouldn't be hybrid picking at all!
• You could also try a thumbpick (but that's not my thing)

Springywheel

Thanks DK, but I’m going to stick to the hybrid approach ... it is awkward compared to fingers only but is something that I feel will benefit me in the long run once mastered. Not a fan of thumb picks. 

Dominic

don't know any hybrid pickers who use their Pinky .......only Albert Lee
That's more of a classical /Folk thing which is without a plectrum 

Danny1969

For me the speed of hybrid picking comes from sharing the work between pick and fingers but also keeping the pick on the lower strings and using my fingers for the higher strings. 

Shake that Thing is just finger style I think, more folky blues with thumb bassline and finger melody.

I've never managed to train my pinky to very effective so rarely use it 

octatonic

I use my pinky.

bwets

If I had to play it with a plectrum then I would pick it as you have notated in your tab. If you can use your little finger then go for it- it gives more options!

I can pick with my little finger but don't use it often.

stratman3142

I'm not sure what the official right way is - if there is one.

I only dabble in 'pick plus fingers', for what I'd call 'fingerstyle'. For the specific example you've given, it feels more comfortable to just use my middle and ring fingers on the top three strings, with plectrum for the bottom three strings. However, for your example, my strong preference would be to play the piece using thumb, index and middle finger.  I pick with the flesh, not nails. Hopefully this isn't all bad advice.

I occasionally pick with my pinky, but that's mainly as a part of grabbing a bunch of notes together or for simple stuff.

As pointed out in posts above, your example is more of a 'fingerstyle' thing to me, but played with pick and fingers.

I'm not sure what the official definitions are. I mainly use 'hybrid picking' between my plectrum and middle finger, in the way Tom Quayle might use it to transition to a higher string during legato, Or to get the Mark Knopfler type 'snap', but using just my pick and middle finger, In those cases the plectrum isn't restricted to the bottom three strings.

Springywheel

^ Well I’ve decided to not complicate things for myself and instead just use my middle and ring fingers for  strings 1&2, saving the pinky for more non traditional playing (I.e intervallic leaps when playing lead.)

JohnS37

I’ve been trying, but I can’t work out which finger to plug in . . .

sev112

Doesn’t p mean thumb ?

CarpeDiem

sev112 said:

Doesn’t p mean thumb ?

Yes, in terms of the PIMA referencing.

JMS96

I anchor with the pinky and use middle and ring. If I'm finger picking I find the middle finger covers a lot of ground, but with hybrid its the ring. So when I tried that the ring did everything on the bottom three strings except the A#

digitalkettle

CarpeDiem said:

sev112 said:

Doesn’t p mean thumb ?

Yes, in terms of the PIMA referencing.

'p' for 'pulgar' ('thumb' in spanish)

Blueingreen

I don't do a huge amount of hybrid picking but when I do get caught up in this pinky/no pinky thing.  I tend to use my pinky because it makes it easier to know how to finger thing, ie  M R X for the top 3 strings, plectrum for the bottom 3.  I am tempted to stop using the pinky and just use the two stronger fingers, but then you have fingering decisions to make: does anyone have a system for consistent fingering if using middle and ring to pluck the top 3 strings?