Fingerstyle guitar is the technique of playing the guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or picks attached to fingers, as opposed to flatpicking.

Some advantages of playing fingerstyle is not having to have a pick, it's easier to play non-adjacent strings at the same time with having to mute strings with the fret hand. It can also sound good when playing solo.

Arm and hand position is important in fingerstyle guitar. Proper hand position helps you reach the string you need to play without having to twist your fingers into a pretzel.

• Lightly rest the outer edge of your palm on the bridge
• Keep a relaxed wrist
• Rest the arm on the edge of the guitar body
• Pluck the strings in a diagonal fashion
• The pinky is rarely used, except as an anchor

In fingerstyle guitar, pick fingers are assigned to different strings.

• Thumb is responsible for the 6th, 4th and 4th strings
• The index finger handles the 3rd string
• The middle finger picks the 2nd string
• And, the ring finger does the 1st string
• The pinky is rarely used, except as an anchor

Generally, the same finger is not used twice in a row. This makes picking quicker. Of course, on the treble strings it means using a finger not assigned to that string. Be flexible.

An important variant of fingerstyle guitar is Travis picking. In Travis picking you play an alternating bass using the thumb (in 4/4 or 2/4 time) where the thumb hits the lower note on every beat. It's this thumb pattern that makes it Travis picking.