After watching dozens of fingerpicking videos, I’ve never seen anyone show or describe the actual finger motion when picking the string. They show hand, finger positions and string assignments, but not how to pick/pluck the string. While others have told me they can’t hear it, I hear my index finger making a bit of scraping noise on the G (wound) string. The only way I’ve been able to eliminate it is to play my nylon string guitar. I feel I must be doing something wrong, but I don’t know what it is.
I’ve no idea.
Best guess is.
To get the scraping noise on a wound string, only thing I can think of is your sliding your finger across the winds of the string. Perhaps look close so your just plucking the string. I got a wound G on my acoustic. I never really notice any scraping sound coming from picking that string or any others. What I do hear is my fretting hand sliding (scraping) on the winds of the string as I change chords or play different notes. This is hard to get to not happen. To eliminate that for me, I seem to have to fret my chords/notes very precisely.
fwiw, ya say it happens with your picking index finger. Have ya tried it with your middle finger? I know, wrong finger, but if ya don’t hear it just trying out the middle finger, maybe look at how your plucking with index vs middle?
Just a guess.
Good luck in finding your woes.
Hi Greg,
the finger picking movement is best described as just gripping you fingers. Position you finger on the string and then mve your finger towards your palm until you hit it. And while doing that you just pick the string. That movement is the most natural way (as gripping is what every baby does first) of finger movement and it also creates the best sound when picking a string. Try this slowly at first and once you have it then you can speed up. It will quickly become natural. As you speed up you will no longer be pulling the finger all the way through to the palm, but it makes sense to practise it this way initially.
There should be no scraping noise, and the only way I get a scraping noise is when I deliberatly pick the string differently.
If this does not help record a short video of what you are doing and I can take a look at what else you have going on.
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Thanks. I think it has to do with the angle that the string is picked. It feels unnatural to hold your hand so that the index finger would strike the string at the same angle as with a pick. Although, that is what classical guitarists do. I’m trying to get close to 90 degrees, but it strains my wrist.
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I keep my wrist straight but curl my fingers under so that they still pull mostly straight up. It is hard to describe and difficult to photograph though.
Hi Greg. For me, angling the neck up some helps relieve that tense wrist position and get a clean finger pick. I’ve seen it suggested to try playing fingerstyle with the guitar on your left leg, like a classical player.
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It’s perfectly normal. In normal fingerstyle playing (maybe not for classical), your fingers are typically not at right angles to the strings, so when you pluck the string the nail sort of slides across the windings and makes that scratching sound.
The best and easiest way to deal with this is just ignore it. Consider it part of the style. Listen to Justin playing Boom Bass with Licks, the scratch is very audible, especially when he plucks the D string with his index finger (https://youtu.be/2H1U3418noU?si=CLWnNyuJsNrgfd0l). Note that Justin’s fingers form a pretty large angle with the strings, I think most fingerpickers play that way.
Having said all that, if you use a string set that has an unwound G string (as I do, but for bending ease, not for the reduced string noise), then you mostly solve the problem. Probably > 95% of notes played with the fingers are played on the G, B and high-E strings.
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Hi Greg,
another thing coming to my mind is: Do you pick with you nails or the flesh of your finger tips? It might be your nail or some callouse on your finger tip might get trapped in the wounded string and make that scratchy noise?
Try to find a hand position that does not strain your wrist. Tension in your hand and fingers could also be an explanation for the sound. Experiment a little with your hand position to find a sweet spot. Myself, I don’t like the wrist position classical players use for this reason: It’s straining. I try “anchoring” my palm on the bridge a little. That’s comfy and helps with orientation.
Thanks. Like I said, others don’t hear it when I play. Also, it doesn’t come through when recorded, so I guess it’s just me. 
I’ll do my best to ignore it.
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Thanks for your response.
@TheCluelessLuthier @Lisa_S @MollyT Thanks for your response.
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Look at some classical guitar instruction for right hand technique. It translates to steel string as well. Here is one example:
Hi Greg,
As some other students have mentioned, the scraping noise you described is caused by the angle you are picking the strings.
If your picking hand is approaching the strings at a diagonal angle (normal position for strumming or picking with a plectrum), it will cause your fingers to pick the strings at an angle. This can sometimes lead to a slight scrapping noise when picking the strings with your fingers because they are rubbing against the windings of the strings. It’s usually not too noticeable and doesn’t sound too bad in the context of a song. It’s just something most of us get used to.
However, if you really don’t like that sound and want to get rid of it, try changing the angle of your picking hand. To minimise the scraping sound, your fingers need to pick the strings at more of a 90 degree angle. To do this you could change the angle of your picking hand or the angle of the guitar. As @mfeeney0110 mentioned, many fingerstyle guitarists play with the guitar at an angle (often resting on their left leg).
Thank you for your input. If there were some obvious mistake I was making, I would try to improve on it. At this stage of my life, I think I’ll just try to ignore it. Thanks again.
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That’s a pretty good daily life strategy for us Vintage folks… 
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One consideration if you go this route: palm muting is very difficult (impossible, I think, actually), with your fingers at 90 degrees to the strings, so if you’re playing blues or other styles that use palm muting, this won’t work.
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If you haven’t already, you can trim your fingernails as short as possible on the plucking hand. This will prevent the nail from scratching across the wound string. However, it will also significantly darken the tone you get.
YMMV
Thanks. I already keep them very short on both hands.
Yeah, absolutely. The 90 degree angle is more common on classical guitar, where they don’t often palm mute.
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