fingerstyle
what it is
Guitar playing where strumming and plucking of strings is done with pads or nails of the right hand without PICKS. Similar to classical style although most players use steel stringed instruments. Often a melody is played on the higher-sounding strings while chords or drones are sustained on the lower strings.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make fingerstyle a playlist
turn these 24 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is fingerstyle?
Guitar playing where strumming and plucking of strings is done with pads or nails of the right hand without PICKS. Similar to classical style although most players use steel stringed instruments. Often a melody is played on the higher-sounding strings while chords or drones are sustained on the lower strings.
What are good fingerstyle albums to start with?
Try Art of Motion by Andy McKee, It's Never Too Late by Tommy Emmanuel, It's All in the Wrist by Vincent Sadovsky, and Irony by Sungha Jung.
Who are some women making fingerstyle?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/fingerstyle/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making fingerstyle, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20