fingerpickn.
/ˈfɪŋɡəpɪk/, U.S. /ˈfɪŋɡərˌpɪk/ Music.
A small plectrum worn on the end of a person's finger, used to pluck the strings of a guitar or similar instrument. Cf. thumb pick n. at thumb n. Compounds 5, fingerpicking n.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > music > musical instrument > stringed instruments > [noun] > plectrum
nailOE
pointela1522
quill1552
plectre1603
plectrum1608
fescue?1624
pick1889
fingerpick1891
thumb pick1969
1891 Official Gaz. (U.S. Patent Office) 4 Aug. 550/1 A zither provided with a shield..protecting determined strings from contact with the finger-pick or thumb-piece.
1958 Ethnomusicology 2 41 Many of the playing techniques were unusual, and the finger picks (tsumi)..were long and narrow.
1983 New Oxf. Compan. Music II. 1916/1 They are sounded by the right thumb and index, with wire finger-picks.
2006 W. Romano Big Boss Man ii. 52 He'd use fingerpicks—which made for a bassy and punchy string resonance.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
fingerpickv.
/ˈfɪŋɡəpɪk/, U.S. /ˈfɪŋɡərˌpɪk/ΚΠ
1855 C. McIntosh Bk. Garden II. 833/1 Netting the perfect insect and finger-picking the caterpillar from the plants seem the only remedies.
1872 Gardener's Monthly Nov. 327/1 A neighbor of mine clears his alleys with horse power, and finger picks the plants in the matted rows.
2. Music.
a. intransitive. To play a guitar, banjo, or similar instrument by plucking the strings with the fingertips or fingernails, or with small plectrums attached to the fingertips.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > music > performing music > playing instruments > playing stringed instrument > play stringed instrument [verb (intransitive)] > play guitar > specific technique
tremolo1924
fingerpick1970
1970 J. Mitchell in Melody Maker 20 June 24/1 When I finger pick, I play the melody line and in many cases that's the way it stays.
1983 Washington Post 6 May b8/2 Gilewitz finger-picked with such graceful facility.
2015 Edmonton (Alberta) Jrnl. (Nexis) 26 Feb. c4 I learned how to fingerpick and that became my style.
b. transitive. To play (a tune) on a guitar, banjo, or similar instrument by plucking the strings with the fingertips or fingernails, or with small plectrums attached to the fingertips; to play (an instrument) in this way.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > music > performing music > playing instruments > playing stringed instrument > play stringed instrument [verb (transitive)] > guitar technique
fingerpick1971
1971 Oz Jan. 25/1 He sat down on his stool and finger-picked a riff out of his Telecaster.
1985 R. Kienzle Great Guitarists 97/1 The style originated..among black southern guitarists, who were fingerpicking guitars before white musicians ever began to take guitars seriously.
2003 G. Iles Footpr. God (2004) xvi. 179 The other was dark-haired and fingerpicking a beat-up dreadnought Martin guitar.
Derivatives
ˈfingerpicked adj.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > music > performing music > playing instruments > playing stringed instrument > [adjective] > guitar technique
fingerpicking1968
slide guitar1968
fingerpicked1975
1975 B. Artis Bluegrass vii. 77 Jesse wanted to try to duplicate the finger-picked banjo sound on his mandolin.
1983 N.Y. Times 13 Jan. c19/1 Bob Mellman does vocals and guitar backup as well as finger-picked ragtime.
2007 Billboard 18 Aug. 25/2 ‘Echoes’ sports songs that shift from fingerpicked acoustic guitar intros to speaker-shredding rock riffs in a matter of seconds.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1891v.1855