An illustrated history of the picking technique.


1

I(–(Definition:

Literally translated, “picking” means “by pinching”.

Picking would then encompass all ways of plucking the strings. With the fingers!

picking), with a pick (flat picking), in all styles, from classical to folk music.

and!as far back!as!one!can!trace!the existence!of!a!string!instrument!with!plucked!strings!

But!the!definition!of!picking!associates!the!technique!with!a!repertoire!with!a!style!

Essentially, American folk, as well as a way of playing the blues. The thumb

Picking, which interests us today, refers to this way of alternating!

systematically! the bass notes of the guitar with the thumb while playing the vocals on the

high strings, like the combination of the left and right hands of a

pianist!playing!ragtime.

This perpetual movement is less permanent among today's guitarists. We're talking about...

So, the guitar is called "fingerstyle," referring to this evolution of picking which...

frees itself!at!both!from!its!technical!and!stylistic!constraints.


II – (Origins:

It is difficult to date precisely the origin of picking, as we understand it.

definition!mentioned!above!In fact,!late!19th!already,!many!black!guitarists!

They played the blues using a form of fingerstyle playing similar to this!

technique.!Two!major!currents!emerged!from!this!period:!an!energetic!blues!in!

which!the!right!hand!technique!has!obvious!importance!The!tones!of!E,!D,!

or!A,!who!use!a lot!open!strings!will!constitute!what!is!called!(without!that!this!

(i.e., pejorative) rural blues, the keys of C and G, more technical, will define the blues!

urban! This music will be played for a long time by Black guitarists! On the other hand,

We see the emergence of a game with more elaborate harmonies, traversing folk music.

Just like ragtime or jazz! This type of playing will become picking as we know it!

Hear it today!


If it is necessary to establish a chronology, the first to play with picking in a similar way...

of its current form was probably Arnold Shultz (1886-1931), a miner, black,

Originally from Ohio County, Kentucky. In the 1920s, many young people

Musicians were looking for his company, among them the young Bill Monroe (1911K).

1996), the future “father” of Bluegrass, who would see in him a decisive influence, or!

again!Kennedy!Jones!(or!Jonesey).


Kennedy Jones (1900-1990), guitarist and composer, was a pioneer in the field.

of thumbpicking! He claimed to be the first to use a thumb tab!

guitar! (the fingerboard! being! until then! used! for! the! banjo! or! the! Hawaiian! guitar).! It!

will teach!from!1925!the!style!of!Shultz!to!Mose!Rager!(1911K1985),!then!aged!14!years!

Mose!Rager!is!considered!as!one of!the!founding!fathers!of!picking,!known!then!

like!his!Mulhenberg!of!Kentucky!He!is!the!direct!predecessor!of!Merle!Travis!

(1917K1983).!If!there!are!no!recording!of!Arnold!Shultz,!one!finds!some!

documents!audios!and!videos!of!Mose!Rager.