fingerpicking

noun

fin·​ger·​pick·​ing ˈfiŋ-gər-ˌpi-kiŋ How to pronounce fingerpicking (audio)
: a method of playing a stringed instrument (such as a guitar) with the thumb and tips of the fingers rather than with a pick
fingerpick verb

Examples of fingerpicking in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web With just the Punisher singer on guitar and Baker on a mandolin, their gentle fingerpicking uplifted their tender, romantic vocals and made the song sound like one that could’ve fit seamlessly onto their debut album, the record. Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 19 Dec. 2023 It’s pushed along by his stout acoustic guitar strumming and David Rea’s sleek fingerpicking accents, which reinforce the lyric’s hauteur. Rob Tannenbaum, New York Times, 2 May 2023 One woman’s courtly voice, accompanied only by her soft fingerpicking on acoustic guitar. James Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Apr. 2023 Watson was also an accomplished practitioner of fingerpicking, a guitar style involving plucking strings with the thumb and one or more fingertips using fingerpicks or fingernails. Ted Olson, The Conversation, 28 Feb. 2023 The album, showcasing her probingly personal writing, affectingly understated voice, and magnetically dexterous acoustic folk-blues fingerpicking, is the work of an accomplished and distinctive artist. Steve Hochman, SPIN, 2 Feb. 2023 Doc Watson inspiring the young, hungry guitarist, Tuttle occupied herself with learning flatpicking and fingerpicking. Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 11 Jan. 2023 Dolly Parton’s theme park gets into the holiday spirit in a way that rivals Radio City’s Rockettes — with fewer kicklines but far more fingerpicking. Melena Ryzik Stacy Kranitz, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2022 Bob Dorobis in Middletown, New Jersey, worked intensely to improve his guitar fingerpicking during the pandemic after a long break. Leanne Italie, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Dec. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fingerpicking.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fingerpicking was in 1956

Dictionary Entries Near fingerpicking

Cite this Entry

“Fingerpicking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fingerpicking. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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