fingerstyle | en

Guitar playing where strumming and plucking of strings is done with pads or nails of the right hand without PICKS. Similar to classical style although most players use steel stringed instruments. Often a melody is played on the higher-sounding strings while chords or drones are sustained on the lower strings. Finger style was made popular by artists such as Phil Keagy (1951-) and Michael Hedges (1953-97). Current adherents make use of techniques such as hammer-on from nowhere, explosive pull-off, slap, natural and artificial harmonics, rhythmic tapping on fingerboard or body of the guitar, alternate tunings, hybrid harp/guitars. Most recordings are by solo artists rather than full instrumentation of full bands. .