6 Amazing Fingerstyle Guitarists That You Should Know

  With the historic influence of rock, blues and jazz, and in particular their use of a pick, it is often forgotten that fingerstyle guitar was previously the norm.

  Classical guitar has long been the standard bearer of fingerstyle technique, however, in the past several decades there has been a movement towards players of many different genres to begin to adopt this highly versatile technique to their own playing.  Names such as Lenny Breau, George Van Eps, Chet Atkins and Charlie Hunter have inspired many serious guitarists to “ditch the pick” and play with their fingers, as well as introducing new techniques and styles.  Even in the realm of commercial rock we have seen players such as Mark Knopfler and Lindsay Buckingham eschew the pick and play their brand of music with their fingers.

While the tradition of Fingerstyle guitar playing runs deep, each generation has spawned new proponents who both add to the tradition, as well as expanded it for the next crop of players.  This includes those who are delving into the realm of Hybrid Picking, as this has the potential to perfectly combine both worlds, while at the same time providing the opportunity for developing new styles.

  In this post I will take a look at some players who may not be as well known as the aforementioned players, yet are certainly worthy of more attention.  Some of the more serious readers may already be aware of some of them, but, I believe that there is at least a couple that you might not be fully aware of.

The 6 Featured Fingerstyle Guitar Players:

Matteo Mancuso

    I have seen the immediate future of high level guitar playing and his name is Matteo Mancuso, and he is a talent who is well worth following.  From a young age he has captivated myself and others with his amazing videos and a maturity of both tone and technique that is far beyond his years.  From a Fusion viewpoint I believe that he will be the “next big thing” within the genre.  His right hand technique is quite unique and will only get stronger as he matures.  But make no mistake, in his current form, Mancuso is already a force to be reckoned with.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVAE3R1A1Ketudt-0-idAUg

Kevin Loh

  Kevin Loh is someone that I discovered on YouTube several years ago and was astonished at the maturity and sensitivity of his playing – especially considering his age at the time.  His rendition of Pat Metheny’s   “Letter from Home” displays a beautiful tone and a sense of emotion that is beyond his years. It is nice to see that he is starting to gather the acclaim that his playing warrants, and he has had the opportunity to study with the likes of John Williams, as others have started to take notice.  His playing is all the more impressive when you realize that Loh is a classical guitarist, yet is willing to reach outside of the classical repertoire and play more contemporary pieces.

John Stowell

  John Stowell is the prototypical guitarist’s guitarist, and with that designation, he unfortunately carries the burden of not being better known.  Besides his unusual playing position, Stowell eschews all of the cliched chords that many jazz purists use and instead has his own unique voicings, as well as using a hybrid picking technique – though he primarily uses his fingers for playing chords.  Besides being an outstanding solo player, he is also an excellent teacher who has several videos that show the various aspects of his approach to playing guitar.

Gene Bertoncini

  Like Stowell, Bertoncini is a “lesser known” guitarist, which is strange, considering that he has worked with the likes of Benny Goodman, Tony Bennett, The Tonight Show and The Merv Griffin Show.  Yet for some strange reason he hasn’t commanded the respect and accolades that he deserves.  His tone and technique on his Buscarino nylon string guitar are, to me, the benchmark for which nylon string jazz guitarists should aspire towards.  A quick listen to his brilliant “Body and Soul” CD will demonstrate what I mean.

  I was fortunate to have seen him live back in the late ’90’s and he was brilliant.  In concert, he alternates between his Buscarino nylon string and an original D’Angelico arch top.  We compared fingernails after the show and I was stunned at how thick his nails were, I believe that this is certainly a factor in his solid tone.  His arrangements are always interesting, as they feature  unique jazz chord voicings, as well as various classical guitar techniques.  I love how he will start a song by first playing a section of a classical guitar piece and then seamlessly segue into a jazz tune. 

Gustavo Assis-Brasil

  At first I wasn’t sure if I should include Gustavo Assis-Brasil on this list, after all he primarily uses a pick, however, it is his virtuosic use of Hybrid Picking that compelled me to do so.  The increased use of Hybrid Picking in contemporary music can often be traced to the influence of the excellent books that Gustavo has written.  His “Hybrid Picking for Guitar” is a must have for those interested in developing a virtuositic level of Hybrid Picking technique.  I have often wondered if I would have adapted this technique if his books were available in my formative years.

Joe Robinson

  Another young stud on the scene would be Joe Robinson.  Robinson is a player in the Chet Atkins/Tommy Emmanuel school of playing and it appears that he will be the one to carry the mantle forward.  Although I’m not a big country fan, I do appreciate and enjoy good guitarists within the genre and watching Robinson tackle a wide range of pieces with ease is a harbinger of the talent we can expect to see him developing in the future.

Final Thoughts

  When I was younger I would devour each issue of Guitar Player when it arrived in the mail (I still have an almost complete collection going back to 1967) and would often make a list of guitarists that interested me in the then current issue and then go to a record store to seek them out.  Nowadays, a simple YouTube search will yield a HUGE variety of guitarists of all different styles and disciplines.  And other than Gene Bertoncini, all of the aforementioned guitarists were initially discovered via YouTube. 

  Fingerstyle guitar continues to grow in popularity, and it should come as no surprise that many guitarists are ridding themselves of their picks and pursuing a fingerstyle approach, as it has a great deal to offer.  The only thing I miss about playing with a pick is the technique/speed that I had for playing Fusion solos.  However, the increased versatility and contrapuntal techniques more than make up for it! 

  I would hope that at least one of the above guitarists will inspire you to take a look at what Fingerstyle guitar has to offer and see what it can do for your playing.  I remember that Howard Morgen was always telling me that I should be a Fingerstyle guitarist, however at the time I was in my Metheny, Holdsworth, DiMeola phase and wasn’t willing to give that up.  But, eventually I came to the revelation that Howard was right and that the world of Fingerstyle guitar has a wealth of treasures to pursue.

  Is there someone you feel should be included in this list?  Feel free to mention them in the comments below!

  I would also like to take a second and thank everyone who has purchased my book “Contrapuntal Improvisation – Volume One”, I hope that it provides the instruction/inspiration to push your own contrapuntal playing forward!  Nothing would make me happier than to one day see one of you on a list like this! 🙂