Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Using a thumbpick to flatpick is an overlooked technique in a fingerstyle guitarist's arsenal, and one that's rarely taught or discussed.
In this tutorial video we'll look at the concept of flatpicking with a thumbpick, switching from fingerpicking to flatpicking and back again, going between fingerstyle and single-note melodies and riffs mid-performance, without ever having to change your pick.
▬▬▬ CHAPTERS ▬▬▬
00:00 Introduction
01:00 Title card
01:05 Tommy Emmanuel's technique
02:17 SECTION 1: The concept
03:24 Exercise 1: John Ryan's Polka
04:29 Alternate picking
05:22 Finding the right thumbpick
07:39 SECTION 2: Practice the technique
07:53 Exercise 2: TE's alternate picking
08:56 Exercise 3: Rippled major scale
10:07 Exercise 4: Belfast Hornpipe
11:03 SECTION 3: From fingerstyle to flatpicking mid-song
11:53 Exercise 5: Windy and Warm
13:13 Exercise 6: King of the Swingers/Bear Necessities
14:29 Performing with Tommy Emmanuel
14:56 Exercise 7: Luttrell
16:02 Exercise 8: Cannonball Rag
17:21 Outro
18:05 End card
▬▬▬ FOOTAGE USED ▬▬▬
From "Tommy Emmanuel interview and fingerstyle lesson" by @AcousticMagazine1. Thanks for the great content folks!
[VIDEO LINK: youtu.be/5e3OT3myE2w]
▬▬▬ IF YOU'RE NEW HERE ▬▬▬
This channel is an eclectic mix of acoustic guitar performances, instructional videos, essays, discussions, and interviews. If any of that sounds like your kind of thing, please consider subscribing! New videos arrive whenever they're ready, and I'm passionate about sharing my love of fingerstyle guitar with the community.
▬▬▬ LET'S TALK ▬▬▬
Are you a thumbpicker or a flatpicker? Have you ever tried using a thumbpick to play lead lines this way? I'd love to know where you're at with this technique! Drop me a comment below.
▬▬▬ GEAR USED ▬▬▬
Guitar: Maton EBW808 acoustic guitar
Audio: Tascam X8 Portacapture, Rode lavalier mic, Rode M5
Thumbpick: Dunlop 'heavies', medium size
Cameras: Sony A7RV + Sony 16mm f1.8, Fujifilm X-S20 + Fujifilm XF 18-55mm
▬▬▬ TAGS ▬▬▬
Thumbpick | Flatpicking | Fingerstyle Guitar | Thumbpick Technique |
Acoustic Guitar | Guitar Tutorial | Chet Atkins | Tommy Emmanuel | Richard Smith | Fingerpicking | Guitar Lesson | Intermediate Guitar | Advanced Guitar | Fingerstyle Technique | Maton guitars | Dunlop thumbpicks
Using a thumbpick to flatpick is an overlooked technique in a fingerstyle guitarist's arsenal, and one that's rarely taught or discussed.
In this tutorial video we'll look at the concept of flatpicking with a thumbpick, switching from fingerpicking to flatpicking and back again, going between fingerstyle and single-note melodies and riffs mid-performance, without ever having to change your pick.
▬▬▬ CHAPTERS ▬▬▬
00:00 Introduction
01:00 Title card
01:05 Tommy Emmanuel's technique
02:17 SECTION 1: The concept
03:24 Exercise 1: John Ryan's Polka
04:29 Alternate picking
05:22 Finding the right thumbpick
07:39 SECTION 2: Practice the technique
07:53 Exercise 2: TE's alternate picking
08:56 Exercise 3: Rippled major scale
10:07 Exercise 4: Belfast Hornpipe
11:03 SECTION 3: From fingerstyle to flatpicking mid-song
11:53 Exercise 5: Windy and Warm
13:13 Exercise 6: King of the Swingers/Bear Necessities
14:29 Performing with Tommy Emmanuel
14:56 Exercise 7: Luttrell
16:02 Exercise 8: Cannonball Rag
17:21 Outro
18:05 End card
▬▬▬ FOOTAGE USED ▬▬▬
From "Tommy Emmanuel interview and fingerstyle lesson" by @AcousticMagazine1. Thanks for the great content folks!
[VIDEO LINK: youtu.be/5e3OT3myE2w]
▬▬▬ IF YOU'RE NEW HERE ▬▬▬
This channel is an eclectic mix of acoustic guitar performances, instructional videos, essays, discussions, and interviews. If any of that sounds like your kind of thing, please consider subscribing! New videos arrive whenever they're ready, and I'm passionate about sharing my love of fingerstyle guitar with the community.
▬▬▬ LET'S TALK ▬▬▬
Are you a thumbpicker or a flatpicker? Have you ever tried using a thumbpick to play lead lines this way? I'd love to know where you're at with this technique! Drop me a comment below.
▬▬▬ GEAR USED ▬▬▬
Guitar: Maton EBW808 acoustic guitar
Audio: Tascam X8 Portacapture, Rode lavalier mic, Rode M5
Thumbpick: Dunlop 'heavies', medium size
Cameras: Sony A7RV + Sony 16mm f1.8, Fujifilm X-S20 + Fujifilm XF 18-55mm
▬▬▬ TAGS ▬▬▬
Thumbpick | Flatpicking | Fingerstyle Guitar | Thumbpick Technique |
Acoustic Guitar | Guitar Tutorial | Chet Atkins | Tommy Emmanuel | Richard Smith | Fingerpicking | Guitar Lesson | Intermediate Guitar | Advanced Guitar | Fingerstyle Technique | Maton guitars | Dunlop thumbpicks
