Percussive fingerstyle
A modern acoustic style that combines fingerpicked melody with body slaps, string hits and drum-like effects on the guitar.
Percussive fingerstyle treats the acoustic guitar as a one-player rhythm section: the thumb and fingers supply bass and melody, while the palm, wrist and nails strike the top, the bridge and the strings to imitate a kick, snare and hi-hat. It grew out of players such as Michael Hedges and has spread widely through online video, and it usually requires an alternate tuning, a pickup and a very deliberate separation between the percussive and harmonic layers. Amplification is often needed to make the quiet body hits audible.
Example: A solo acoustic piece that keeps a steady bass pulse while the hand slaps the top of the guitar for a snare sound is percussive fingerstyle.
See also
Related
- PageFingerstyle
- PageChuck
- PageSlap and pop
- PageAccent
- PageAction height
- PageAlternate picking
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley