fingerpicking

IPA/ˈfɪŋ.ɡəˌpɪk.ɪŋ/
IPA/ˈfɪŋ.ɡɚˌpɪk.ɪŋ/

fingerpicking — noun

1. a way of playing the guitar by plucking the strings one at a time with the finge

1.nounB2
Definition

a way of playing the guitar by plucking the strings one at a time with the fingertips and thumb, instead of using a pick

Example

Valentina practised fingerpicking every evening until her fingertips grew sore.

Henry played a fingerpicking version of the lullaby that made his baby sister smile.

fingerpicking + version/arrangement of [song]

Common collocations
  • fingerpicking pattern
  • fingerpicking style
  • fingerpicking technique
  • fingerpicking arrangement
  • fingerpicking guitarist
Synonyms
  • fingerstyle

    broadly interchangeable; fingerstyle can also refer to classical guitar techniques beyond folk and country patterns

  • Travis picking

    a specific alternating-bass fingerpicking pattern named after Merle Travis, not a general synonym

Antonyms
  • flatpicking

    playing with a flat pick held between thumb and fingers instead of plucking directly with the fingertips

  • strumming

    brushing across several strings at once to produce chords, rather than plucking individual strings

Usage Note

Often used as a modifier before nouns like pattern, style, technique, or arrangement. Contrast with flatpicking, where the musician holds a thin pick between thumb and fingers to strike individual strings rather than plucking them directly.

Word family

  • fingerpick
    verbC1
  • fingerpicker
    nounC1
  • fingerpicked
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Fingerpicking and fingerstyle are often used interchangeably in guitar contexts, both referring to plucking strings directly with the fingers. Fingerstyle is the broader term — it covers any technique that uses fingers instead of a pick, including classical guitar approaches. Fingerpicking often implies a specific pattern-based method common in folk and country music. Flatpicking is the direct opposite: the player grips a thin, flat pick between thumb and index finger and strikes individual strings. Strumming also uses a pick (or the fingers) but brushes across several strings at once to produce chords rather than single notes. Plucking is the most general term — it means pulling a string with a fingertip and applies to any string instrument, from harps to violins.

fingerstyleflatpicking ↗strumming ↗plucking ↗

Etymology

English

The word combines 'finger' and 'picking', where 'pick' means to pluck a string with a fingertip or nail. The term emerged in American folk and country music during the mid-20th century, though plucking strings with the fingers is an ancient technique that predates the use of picks or plectrums by centuries.

First known use

1956

1956, in the meaning defined above