More recently, I've focused a bit on fingerstyle, just using the PIM approach (with a bit of PIMA mixed in). But ever since I have heard Gordon Mark and Ledward Kaapana play, both of whom use just thumb and index finger (I believe Kimo Hussey does also), I keep falling back on using only PI, too. It just sounds better to my ears and I feel I have more control over the tone.
My gut feeling was always that only using two fingers would limit what I can play and, if I got too used to it, it would eventually come back to haunt me. But since even some guitar masters, like Doc Watson (this is actually an interesting video), use(d) only thumb and index finger (with six strings!), it seems that I may be wrong about that. Then again, maybe exceptional expert players shouldn't be the yardstick.
I think, though, I'll just stop worrying about "proper technique" and what may or may not be possible to do with this or that many fingers, and instead focus on good sound, which for now I achieve best with two fingers.
What about you folks? PI, PIM, PIMA? Or all of these and the pinky, depending on the piece?
My gut feeling was always that only using two fingers would limit what I can play and, if I got too used to it, it would eventually come back to haunt me. But since even some guitar masters, like Doc Watson (this is actually an interesting video), use(d) only thumb and index finger (with six strings!), it seems that I may be wrong about that. Then again, maybe exceptional expert players shouldn't be the yardstick.
I think, though, I'll just stop worrying about "proper technique" and what may or may not be possible to do with this or that many fingers, and instead focus on good sound, which for now I achieve best with two fingers.
What about you folks? PI, PIM, PIMA? Or all of these and the pinky, depending on the piece?