Fingerpicking / Fingerstyle

Fingerpicking and fingerstyle, terms which are often used synonymously, refer to a way of playing the guitar that developed in the USA around 1900 and which attempts to imitate the pianistic style of ragtime. In addition to engaging in a discourse on the term, this study shows when, where, how and why fingerpicking developed and where its musical roots are to be found. The study’s framework is formed by portraits of musicians who pioneered this style of playing, on the basis of which the author attempts to clarify the regional differences in this style of music, the typical technical elements of playing it as well as its relationship to improvisation.