JW Jones

Thursday Minor: Lose the Pick
Level: Beginners to Advanced.

Hubert Sumlin was fired by Howlin' Wolf for using a guitar pick, and wasn't welcome back until he stopped using it. Other great blues guitarists like Albert King, John Lee Hooker, Lightning Hopkins, and modern guitar heroes like Jimmie Vaughan each have their own way of getting different tones out of the guitar with their hands. It can be extremely expressive to pull the strings away from the guitar with intensity, or tone it down and play soft and slow. Let's explore the subtleties of NOT using a pick, as well as how to go back and forth between using a pick and using your fingers.

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