If you are an aspiring artist or you simply enjoy playing an electric guitar as a hobby, it is important to take proper care of it in order to ensure its longevity and efficiency.
Perhaps you have seen people playing their electric guitars with their fingers and you may have wondered can you play electric guitar without a pick?
An electric guitar is most commonly played by using a pick but many people also use their fingers for this purpose because it is known to be an easier method to learn.
Key Takeaways
- Playing an electric guitar with a pick is way harder than using your fingers.
- The levels of accuracy are higher in regards to using a pick because it offers preciseness and control.
- Using your fingers to play an electric guitar will produce more raw sounds.
- Professional electric guitar players find it difficult to reach the needed tones without using a pick.
- Beginners in electric guitar playing should opt for the flexibility of using their fingers.
Table of Contents
So, can an electric guitar be played without a pick?
It is not necessarily required for you to use a pick for the purpose of playing an electric guitar. A pick is usually used for producing loud sounds or if the sound of the electric guitar has to be emphasized during a stage performance and stands out among other instruments.
Also Read: Whether You Should Learn to Play The Acoustic or the Electric Guitar First?
Is It Better to Play an Electric Guitar with Fingers?
Every method and technique of guitar playing has its advantages and disadvantages, which is also the case with using fingers as a way of playing. The versatility that this technique offers is the reason why some people often opt for using their fingers instead of a pick.
Because of the reason that using your fingers tends to produce warmer tones than the punchy sound of a pick, certain people prefer the natural way of producing music by the use of their fingers.
The sound that a pick produces can oftentimes sound very artificial and overwhelming which is not the most suitable technique for a beginner in guitar playing. The sharpness of a pick is harder to handle in comparison to the gentleness of using fingers for guitar playing.
Can You Produce Accurate Sounds without a Pick?
In order to ensure that you are producing accurate sounds, you need to determine what kind of tones you are going for while playing the guitar. Not using a pick for electric guitar playing can cause several different problems.
The pick on an electric guitar is known for producing the most accurate possible tones. If you decide to alternate this method to using your fingers, it is very likely that the outcome will be less accuracy of sounds.
The preciseness that the usage of picks tends to offer is what ultimately leads to producing accurate sounds. You might not have as much control over accuracy if you choose to use your fingers for this purpose.
Also Read: Find Out If You Can Use a Capo On An Electric Guitar?
How can the Pick Affect the Tone on Electric Guitars?
People who are playing the guitar as a hobby or only for family and friends gatherings, may not need sharp and loud tones in order to produce relevant tones. These people are often satisfied with the nature of sounds that fingers tend to create.
On the contrary, if you happen to take guitar playing very seriously in terms of developing a professional career and playing in a band, you may not be able to produce the tones and volume that are needed by only using your fingers.
For this reason, artists often go for a pick due to the strength and speed that are offered by this method. Without the usage of a pick, the tone of an electric guitar may get lost in the middle of a stage performance.
Some people may believe that not using a pick for electric guitar playing makes it difficult for the artist. In all actuality, the practice of using your fingers for playing an electric guitar is actually easier.
If you only play an electric guitar for your own pleasure, the usage of a pick may be very hard to get the hang of and the needed control may not be developed immediately. Instead, using your fingers will offer higher levels of versatility.
For artists who play electric guitars on stage, not using a pick may cause a problem. Without a pick, they would not be able to reach the needed speed and clarity that is required during the performance of band concerts.
Benefits of not using a Pick on an Electric Guitar
Although the usage of a pick comes with certain pros such as the production of louder and more enhanced sounds, this technique also has some downsides which is why the usage of fingers is most commonly preferred.
Plucking a large number of strings by the use of a pick is almost impossible whereas hitting multiple different notes at the same time by using fingers is easier and more convenient for most artists.
Learning multiple different techniques during electric guitar playing is simpler by using your fingers. The usage of a pick in the beginning stage of your skill development may limit the possibilities of experimentation with different styles of playing.
Also Read: Find Out If Electric Guitars Need Humidifiers?
Final Words
Although high-quality sounds on an electric guitar have a tendency to be produced only from using a pick, this does not mean that you have to master the usage of picking immediately after you buy your first electric guitar.
An alternative method that many people opt for instead of picks is using their fingers because this technique allows beginners to focus less on accuracy and more on creativity as well as developing their skill set for playing an electric guitar in a proper way.
Experienced professionals in electric guitar playing are able to use both the pick and finger method on different occasions because they are fully aware of the differences in tone and quality that both of these techniques tend to offer.