Hybrid picking — pick + fingers
Hybrid picking keeps the pick on bass notes while the middle (or ring) finger plucks treble strings. Country, southern-rock, and fingerstyle-adjacent lead use this more than strict alternate on every string.
Path: Alternate · Legato · this page · Hybrid lab · Fingerstyle (all-fingers path)
m in TAB = middle finger pluck. Pick stays on lower strings; fingers grab the high ones.
Lesson 1 · Bass pick + open G
Muted pick on A string; middle finger plucks open G. From Warmups · hybrid open.
G|---0-------0---
D|-------2-------2---
A|---0-------0--- pick (light mute OK)
m m
Lesson 2 · Am seed
Pick A-string fret 7; finger high e fret 5. Repeat on the click.
e|-----5- m A|-7----- pick
Lesson 3 · Bass moves · Am to C
Same right-hand map; left hand moves the bass (0 → 3 on A for C).
Am C A|-0-----|-3----- pick G|-0--m--|-0--m-- finger
Lesson 4 · Boom-chick hybrid
Bass on 1 and 3 (pick); fingers brush treble on 2 and 4. Folk cousin of boom-chick.
| pick bass | m m | pick bass | m m |
Lesson 5 · Skip a string
Pick D string; finger high e — B string stays silent. Trains accuracy.
e|-----5- m B|------- D|-7----- pick
Lesson 6 · Arpeggio outline
Pick lowest note of Am; fingers pluck B and high e. Slow triad, not a sweep.
e|-----5---5- m B|-----5----- m A|-7--------- pick