Chicken Picking


This is a typical country style technique. It is based on the use of the thumb, middle and ring fingers of the right hand using the slap technique, while the index finger holds the pick against the palm of the hand. In effect, the term Chicken Picking refers to this way of using the right hand, even if you can obtain the same result by using the thumb, index and middle fingers of the right hand. Often the Chicken Picking technique is used for a few beats during normal picking, and this is why the pick is held against the palm with the index finger.
Normally, a piece played with this technique requires alternating the thumb and middle fingers, or the thumb and ring fingers. This substitutes the alternate picking. You cannot obtain the typical speed of alternate picking, but Chicken Picking us normally not played quickly anyways. What is interesting is the particular sound that comes from the use of the finger and the slap on the strings. The slap should not be hard, but accented in order to diversify the sound of the thumb, with that of the middle and ring fingers.

You can see here in the video the typical set-up of the right hand using the Chicken Picking technique. Remember that the index finger must hold the pick firmly during the execution. If you want, you can also rest the little finger on the body of the instrument, in order to have a good prop for the right hand.



Set-up Exercises
Here are a series of small exercises using the Chicken Picking technique, that will mostly help you build confidence with the position of the right hand.

Ex. #1
Once you have the hand positioned as seen above, we will play this series of octave notes slowly. It's important to slap with the middle finger, in order to obtain a percussive sound on the notes played with that same finger, trying to obtain a good balance between the volume of the note played with the thumb and that played by the middle finger.


Play and listen to mp3 audio example.

Ex. #2
The same exercise, but using the ring finger in place of the middle. The sound however will be the same.


Play and listen to mp3 audio example.

Ex. #3
This time we will alternate the middle with the ring finger.


Play and listen to mp3 audio example.

Ex. #4
We will simultaneously use the middle and ring fingers, that should slap on their assigned strings, alternated with the thumb. Pay attention to the fingering of the left hand, which will play a little barrč with the index finger on the 3rd and 2nd strings at the 5th fret, and a little barrč with the ring finger on the 3rd and 2nd strings at the 7th fret.


Play and listen to mp3 audio example.

Ex. #5
Here is an example of scales played with Chicken Picking. Usually the middle finger alternates with the thumb, playing the slap.


Play and listen to mp3 audio example.

At this point we can proceed to the next page, where we will develop a lick using the Chicken Picking technique.



Previous Page
return to the top of the page
Top of page

Next Page
Print