Finger style or bloody stumps?

[Pinball]

I struggle to play finger style and play mostly with a pick. My fingers are getting old and I struggle from RSI so I'm quite jelous when I see people play like this guy in the following video. Is that sustainable or is he going to end up with bloody stumps after a few years? I have to say that I like the results.

 

 

Edited March 5, 2019 by Pinball

[JapanAxe]

What the hell is he doing with that B string?

[Soledad]

Nice that - i'm not much of a metal man, but good work there I reckon.
I've always mainly played fingers and never had any probs - occasionally 2 gigs in one night and they tingle a bit, but the callouses build and should be OK I think.
Also I reckon his touch is actually quite light - but with good control and damping. Nice. What does get the fingers more I think is the hard funk sound, digging quite deep near bridge pup.
been using a pick recently more, mainly for the precise attack it gives - got some really thick solid ones, totally unforgiving... damn !!
Kind of using the B as a rest/stop mainly isn't he?

[JapanAxe]

2 minutes ago, Soledad said:

Kind of using the B as a rest/stop mainly isn't he?

Yes, I suppose he's using it to soak up the energy from his rest strokes. I think I play almost exclusively free strokes.

[Pinball]

1 minute ago, Soledad said:

Nice that - i'm not much of a metal man, but good work there I reckon.
I've always mainly played fingers and never had any probs - occasionally 2 gigs in one night and they tingle a bit, but the callouses build and should be OK I think.
Also I reckon his touch is actually quite light - but with good control and damping. Nice. What does get the fingers more I think is the hard funk sound, digging quite deep near bridge pup.
been using a pick recently more, mainly for the precise attack it gives - got some really thick solid ones, totally unforgiving... damn !!
Kind of using the B as a rest/stop mainly isn't he?

My ears tell me that his control is good but my eyes say WTF!?

I'd be lucky to last 2 songs playing like that but my hands are a problem and I've had to adapt my style.

I also use the B as a rest for most of the time

[Stub Mandrel]

Doesn't take that much pull to deflect a string like that, try it. It's mostly showmanship, he isn't hitting the other strings ridiculously hard.

[Pinball]

4 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Doesn't take that much pull to deflect a string like that, try it. It's mostly showmanship, he isn't hitting the other strings ridiculously hard.

I guess it goes with the style of music

[Norris]

What he also seems to be doing is playing an upstroke with his index finger occasionally. Unusual, but can give an extra bit of twang.

It looks like he is playing quite lightly and the deflection on the B string is more of an affectation where he is resting his finger after plucking the E

[chris_b]

I reckon that B string is tuned down to, maybe  A or even lower. It's got no tension so looks impressive when he pulls it like that.

[dlloyd]

He has nice technique. Using rest strokes and a floating anchor. I'd also say he is using quite a light touch and letting his amp do the work.

As to "sustainable"... absolutely, as long as you've built the calluses up. If, like me, you're lazy when it comes to practicing when you don't have a gig, you need to build back up to being able to play fingerstyle for any length of time.

[BassPhil]

On 16/03/2019 at 13:45, chris_b said:

I reckon that B string is tuned down to, maybe  A or even lower. It's got no tension so looks impressive when he pulls it like that.

It's those new Rotosound Rubber Band gauge strings...