You may want to start with a set of light gauge strings and see how they feel to you. It is possible to use a heavier gauge, but you may find certain techniques more difficult. Strings for Fingerstyle Guitarįingerstyle guitarists tend to use lighter string gauges than players who only strum. This will allow you try nylon strings for just the cost of a pack of strings without having to invest in a new guitar.
If you currently have a steel string and are considering a nylon string, you may want to get some nylon strings with ball ends to put on your steel string guitar. Not as good for classical and flamenco music. More suited to alternate tunings than a nylon string. Tapping, percussive techniques, harmonics, and other modern techniques generally work better than on a nylon string. Good for folk, Celtic, blues, or modern fingerstyle playing. Modern techniques like tapping often don't work as well. Works best in standard tuning, not as good if you want to play music in alternate tunings. Has a unique tone that may be desirable for certain players. Used mostly for classical and flamenco music. The table below lists pros and cons of each: Which you choose will depend on your interests. Both work equally well for a lot of music, but they do have their strengths and weaknesses. If you are serious about learning fingerstyle, you should use an acoustic.Ī nylon or steel string guitar can be used for fingerstyle music. However, their style is quite different from what is generally considered fingerstyle. Jeff Beck and Mark Knopfler are two guitarists who play fingerstyle on an electric. Most fingerstyle music is played on an acoustic guitar, although it is possible to use an electric guitar. The technique is very versatile and can be applied to almost any style, including blues, jazz, Celtic, rock, classical, and more. This allows you to play multiple parts at once, such as a bass line, accompaniment, and melody.
Fingerstyle guitar is an approach to playing guitar where the fingers of the right hand are used to pluck the strings.