Grateful Dead Music Forum

I have heard the term "hybrid picking" many times. I understand that you pick the low sting with the pick and at the same time, use another finger to pick the higher note simultaneously (spelling?) anyway this is the intro to Althea. Is this whre hybrid picking would be needed?

Bm A E A
E-----------------------------------------0--0--0--0--------
B------------------3------2--3--2---------0--0--0--2--------
G--------------------4-------------2------1--1--1--2--------
D---------------4---------2--4--2-----2---2--2--2--2--------
A------0--1--2----------------------------2--2--2--0--------
E--1^4------------------------------------0--0--0-----------

Bm A E
E-----------------------------------------0-----------------
B------------------3------2--3--2---------0-----------------
G--------------------4-------------2------1--1--2--1--------
D---------------4---------2--4--2-----2---2-----------2-----
A------0--1--2----------------------------2-----------------
E--1^4------------------------------------0-----------------

yes

HOWEYMAN wrote: Is this whre hybrid picking would be needed?

Insert the word "everywhere" in place of "this" and the answer is Yes.

most people actually call it chicken pickin, and yeah I use it all the time i like it better than finger picking

My apologies before hand for ruffling any feathers. Here's my $0.02.

Hydrib picking primarily uses the flatpick and traditional flatpicking technique. The 'hydrid' part (picking with the fingers) is actually secondary and generally used sparingly (otherwise, what's the point of using a flatpick?). In Althea, hydrib picking is used to overcome the difficulty of flatpicking 2 simultaneous notes on nonsequential strings (the quick A to D in this case).

While Chicken pickin' employs the technique, it is not in and of itself hydrid picking. For example, Jerry Garcia uses hydrib picking on the song Althea, to say Althea is an example of chicken pickin would (imo) not be correct. To hear great examples of chicken pickin, check out Albert Lee.

Its been years since I used hybrid picking or a flat pick for that matter, so the state of the art may have changed.

For real fun you can't beat a thumb and finger picks!

HawaiianDedhed wrote:My apologies before hand for ruffling any feathers. Here's my $0.02.

Hydrib picking primarily uses the flatpick and traditional flatpicking technique. The 'hydrid' part (picking with the fingers) is actually secondary and generally used sparingly (otherwise, what's the point of using a flatpick?)

B-BAAWWK!!

Generally used sparingly, but not necessarily by Garcia, and I myself use it almost constantly. It defines my picking hand technique. And here's a hint (one that has stared us in the face for years): Jerry didn't have a Middle finger, so it's almost all flatpick and Ring.

Word.

Jerry took it a step furthur and often used what looked to me to be hydrid strumming (made possible by that missing digit).