Hybrid picking is a technique where you’re basically
using your pick and also the other fingers of your
picking hand.
Here’s a simple example… Watch the video and
check the tabs.
Hey, guys. Claude Johnson here from
guitarcontrol.com and today I want to
talk about hybrid picking,
which is basically using your
pick and your other fingers of
your picking hand and you can do
some cool stuff like playing a
simple chord progression, kind of
make it cool. So let me show you
exactly what I’m doing here.
I’m starting on an A chord, and it’s really
a partial A chord, just on the D,
G and B strings. I’ve got my ring
finger on the 7th fret of the D string,
middle finger on the 6th fret of the G
string and then 1st finger on the 5th
fret of the B string. We’ve got
these three notes.
How I’m picking this, I’m holding
my pick between my first finger
and thumb, picking the D string
and then I’m going to be using my
middle finger to pluck the G string
in an up motion and using my ring
finger to pluck the B string. So if I twist
my hand a little bit so you can see it
better, it’s like… Once again.
Now, that’s basically hybrid picking,
just using your pick with your fingers.
I’m also using a specific picking pattern
which goes like this. It’s an eight-note
pattern: one, two, three, four, five, six,
seven, eight; or basically going from the
high string to the low string and repeating.
Remember, ring finger, middle finger, pick;
ring finger, middle finger, pick.
This eight-note pattern starts on
the D string. So we have D
string, B, G, D, B, G, D, B.
And if you like to learn from
the tabs, please check the tabs,
or if you like to learn just
playing by ear, it just…
So that’s our eight-note pattern.
Then we go up to the D chord, the same chord,
but we just slide up, the 12th, 11th and
10th frets. Back down to the A. And then
I do this. So here we’re on the C chord.
This is all major triads, by the way.
C, G, A. Now, the Cs and the Gs are only
half a bar, meaning it’s only four notes.
So we can’t do that whole pattern.
What I’m doing here is…
So it’s D string, B, G and
then back down to the D.
And then back to our A.
A couple of quick pointers with
this stuff. Just make sure you have
the right tone when it’s ringing out,
make sure you’re picking at an even
tempo and really work on the phrasing.
Get it so it’s… Make it so it flows
and just work on one chord at a time
until it flows. It’s got a nice rhythmic
quality to it, rings out nicely and
then you can start moving around.
Along with that, don’t pick like too
loud or too quiet; get it just right.
It’s real easy to go too loud or too soft.
You kind of want it right in the
middle and consistent. So work on that a little bit.
Another thing that’s important when
you’re sliding here, you can slide up
and get a nice little effect. So by using
that slide it adds a little bit of
flavor to it. I don’t really recommend
sliding the whole chord, like this. You can
do that, too, but I like to just
lift off and just slide on
the D string. So when I’m done with this
chord I lift off with my middle and
first finger and I’m just sliding
on the D string. After I slide I put
my fingers back down and keep playing
the chord. Same thing when you slide back.
I feel that gives it a real nice, clean kind
of phrasing when you do it that way.
You can keep all your fingers down and you’ll
get a thicker sound, like I said. It’s kind of
an interesting effect, too. You can
try it both ways.
I hope you enjoyed that and hopefully
you’ll come up with your own cool musical
ideas based on hybrid picking. If you
want to get the tabs for this lesson
just click the link below the video
description. That’s all for now. Rock
on and I’ll catch you next time.
thank you fantastic tune
fantastic thanks
Once again you have givin me a good lesson. I am 68yrs young and my fingers don’t move as well as they used to. I really enjoy the lessons that let me use my fingers. Thanx bunches. Allan
You are cool!
Chicken Pickn!!! That’s what we call it, never heard the term “hybrid picking”. Good stuff! But here’s my question… Why not just use all your fingers? It seems by using this picking technique you’re losing an extra finger, i.e. your index and thumb hold the pic where if you didn’t hold a pic you’d have control over both your thumb and index independently. But I’m sure it’s a stylistic thing. Tha is again for your awesome lessons!
The idea behind hybrid picking is that you’ve still got the flatpick in your hand for strums and fast single-note runs.
It’s a pretty common technique among jazz, country, and rockabilly guitarists, and most session aces have this in their bag of tricks. The first hybrid picker I was aware of was Glen Campbell. He was demonstrating it to another guitarist on his TV show way back when. Besides the roll patterns demonstrated here, it’s a good technique for “boom-chick” rhythm patterns, double-stops and triads, and arpeggios.
In my book, chicken pickin’ is a variant where the pick and fingers dig deep and pluck the strings away from the fretboard a bit.
Really good job Claude..I have made songs with A minor chord in the same manner so thank you for giving me new Idea’s
Thanks
Thanks for the neat picking lesson.
Very impressed with your page. So glad you are safe and up and running again.liked the hybrid picking.Thanks, I think you have a new fan! stay safe.
Thanx so much…I Really like your teaching technique I am an advanced beginner and wish to start Chicken Pickin and this is a good beginning…
I need a websiteeo, oh, and thanks for the lesson. I wrote a song immediately and then went on to win a competition at an open jam. Tjhjere was no money involved oh, so you know I can’t pay more then my monthly fee, but I want to thank you for reinitiating fingerpicking and electric guitar. Overall, I think that fem fatal solos are way more cool, but just to know that the Hawk is still killing is killer. Thanks again.
Always nice to hear from steady eddie Claude and his lessons, but I’m with Josh regarding using strictly thumb and fingers. I’m a finger stylist and years ago gave up on using a pick. Personal preference. It’s all good.
Steve
I like to try it Im new at this. can I print the tab. Thanks Bud
another nice lesson marra and hope goes well in your moves and loves and all is well that side of the pond and all tttthe people blighted by the storms are ok forby uk
Great teaching! Can’t go wrong here. I have learned so much from your DVD’s and blog that all I can really say is……. Thank you thank you thank you! I rock and actually feel like a real lead player now. I sure appreciate it.
Good lesson claude, very helpful to get fingers moving on right hand.Do you have any acoustic blues lessons that you can show me? Thanks
Hi Claud,
Now I know that you are a happy man, do you think your beloved would let you come to Liverpool and enjoy some old man stuff . She can come too and have some old woman stuff here.Man your cool
Retro
This is one of those things where people say “Why not just use your fingers?” The answer is best heard on those old Led Zeppelin songs like -Babe,I’m Gonna’ Leave You- from the first album. Jimmy Page would pick the verse using hybrid picking, then strum the chorus with the pick, then back to hybrid picking for the next verse, etc…
you talk a lot about Joe Satrianni and EVH , how about some licks from them or maybe Randy Rhods
particularly i m fan of Randy, i did not see any video of you about them about their technics ,
most of your links and lessons are for beginners, would be nice something more extreme
your fret board is weird everybody knows guitars have 22 ,24 frets with exception of strat but yours only has 17. about physical training :the metronome is very slow even in your faster mode. there is no open strings. i feel a bit frustrated about your course FIT course because 17 days in a row playing and nothing has changed.what you are offering i already knew,i thought it was something different to help me improve but i am learning something that i already know.
HI IVAN. MY GUITAR DOES HAVE 22 FRETS SO I’M NOT SURE WHAT YOU ARE SEEING. IF YOU WANT SOMETHING MORE ADVANCED THAN FIT, YOU NEED THE FUSION PACKAGE – I WILL HAVE CUSTOMER SUPPORT CONTACT YOU! – CLAUDE
Thanks for sharing about your Salvation. I too have experienced the love and forgiveness that only comes through accepting Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. I’ve only known Him for 35 of my 64 year life and look forward to Eternity in His presence. Imagine the licks He will teach us! I look forward to meeting you there. Also, congradulations on your recent marriage.
THANKS FOR SHARING… I DONT PROSELYTIZE ANY ONE BELIEF SYSTEM… TRUTH IS TRUTH BY WHATEVER NAME… GOD IS LOVE – CLAUDE
your a cool dude mate
Thank you so much, I like it <3
Excellent lesson. Thanks
Nice picking dude I’m still learning hope I get it down
ok
Hey Claude, Good lesson! The A chord on the 5th fret is one I got from you some time ago, but the D chord up the neck is a great addition to add to the D up the neck. Thanks. Dennis the Menace
Hey Claude, I read my own comment and even confused myself! What I meant to say is that these major triads are great sounding chords to add to the basic D,A,G,that I use up the fretboard. They are also easier for me than the barre chords, and have a little different ring to them than the chords on the first 3 or 4 frets. Thanks again.
Love your tecnique! Makes me believe in your Guitar Control course. Hope to afford it sometime. I’m a beginner and Ineeded this! THANK YOU!!
good technique – make a great teacher
Good stuff
THANKS FOR THE LESSON WILL PRACTICE THE MOVES KEEP FEEDING
NEED IT.
I am waiting to get my left arm, and hand fixed, nerve trouble, and a deep cut, than I’ll be playing catchup from 19 months of not being able to play on that account ! I’m glad for all that made it through that Sandy storm ! Went to Viet Nam in 60-80 foot swells, and water can be very strong, and deadly ! Nature is a force to not play with ! Like the lesson’s I’ve seen so far, when I get my hand and arm working again, I have a lot of catching up to do, think your video’s will help ! Thanks ! Drake .
Thank you Claude for sharing such a great guitar picking technique. You are an excellent Instructor!
Interesting technique. Enjoyed it!
Good stuff as usual Claude — !
cool lesson!
Hi Claud, I really appreciate the lessons. God willing I will be in the US from the 10th Dec and I hope to purchace some teaching video or DVD’s to learn from to bring back to Kenya. I love Jazz and R & B , I hope master the guitar in my life time. I am learning to site read music so that i will be able to compose music in future. I am Kenyan but I work in South Sudan as a pilot. Please send me a phone number or e-mail address I can get assistance in the short time I will be in Wichita KS. I need to be able to mail the funds to buy the DVD’s. Thanks
Nice….. id like to learn your style,….. Hope soon….. Gudluck….. More Power….!!!!!!!!
GODBLESS.!.
Roger McGuinn also uses hybrid picking, and shows its advantages in ‘8 Miles High’, where he works a variant of a blues scale as a lead riff by flatpicking, while fingerpicking the treble strings as drones, in effect. If you’ve used other techniques for quite a while,this one takes serious discipline. Start at a slow speed until you gain consistent control. Nice work, Claude–Thanks!