C6 picking techniques

[Brian Straub]

Started up C6 using the Emmons “Basic C6 course” a while back using 4 finger picks vice 3 as suggested. Emmons suggests raking bottom two and grabbing top two with index and middle finger. I’m using a heavy thumb pick so it’s kind of tough to rake the bottom two. Does anyone use the 4 fingerpick technique? I’m also going to try a very light thumb pick…any suggestions on this topic….Thanks

[Jay Jessup]

Their are many that have used the four finger pick approach very succesfully. For me, I find more value in having the ring finger pickless to perform various muting functions but there are times when I might want to play a four note chord when all the notes are separated by a string that I just have to decide which note on the chord I will have to leave out. You do need to be able to rake across more than one string with your thumb pick no matter which approach you choose IMHO. The thickness of the pick shouldn't be an impediment so take a look at the your thumbs angle of approach to the string. An angle of attack that allows a slighty downward (towards the guitar rather than up in the air) approach along with a little practice should get you going in the right direction.
PS: IMHO there is more good information about C6 in that Emmons course on fewer pages than anything else I am aware of out in the market.

[Nathan Golub]

+1 for Buddy's C6 course, it's really helping me get oriented on the back neck. I'm going through the same thing right now with the four-note chords. It seems like the raking would be the best solution, but it's a little hard to get used to in the context of four notes being played at the same time, with two raked and two picked. I like the idea of keeping the ring finger bare for muting. But the top note will almost always be the melody note— by picking it with the one bare finger, it seems like it wouldn't be as strong as the other three finger pick-picked notes. Like anything else, I guess it comes down to what works best for each person.

[Larry Hamilton]

Brian I have done everything you mentioned but settled on 3 picks. When I was first starting to learn the rake technique, I turned to thumb pick a little so it would rake easier. As a little time went on I was able to just do it. Just my 2 cents.

[Parr Bryan]

If you can learn to use 4 picks you can play alot of nice grips on C6 AND E9 that can not be played by raking because you need to skip some strings. In fact, most of the fat color(Jazz)chords on th E9 are played with a 4 pick grip.

[Mike Poholsky]

Brian, 4 picks is too crowded for me. I've had more success using just my thumb & middle finger. Actually raking 3 strings and picking the one on top. Just seems to work better for me. I'm still working on raking at a quick tempo. Sometimes I just grip with 3 fingers and leave a string out, usually its the secong string up from the bottom of the four strings. Similar to the 5,6,8 grip on E9.
For a thumb pick I've found the Gateway Multicolored Thumbpick seems to be a little softer on the strings and makes it easier for me to strum from the bottom. I was using a National Thumbpick.
I also like the Emmons C6 Course.

[Ken Metcalf]

Try practicing picking one string and raking Three then work back to two and two.
Oops Yeah what Mike said..

[Cliff Kane]

The Herco blue thumb pick is pretty good. It's thin enough for easy strumming but stiff enough for good picking action.

[Brint Hannay]

If we're talking about four (or more) adjacent strings, rather than think of it as "raking" with the thumb while "picking" with the fingers,, I tend to think of it as just putting the two finger picks on the top two strings and the thumb pick on the bottom string and kind of "squeezing" together.

[Brint Hannay]

double post

[Brian Straub]

Thanks everyone...working on trying to rake the bottom two....however I do find it much easy to play with 4 picks. Will try the thinner gage thumb pick.

[Doug Seymour]

two 4 string/pick grips 9,7,6 & 4 and 8,6,5 & 3 are great 4 note chords and I see no way they could be done with a sweep of the thumb. Not sure if one could learn to sweep the two adjacent strings in the middle of these two grips with your index finger?? Anybody ever able to do that?? These two grips plus adding pedals & knees that move strings 3, 4, 5 & 6 give you some great modern 4 note chords on a C6th neck!