What to do with the thumb when playing long and fast picado passages
One of the most popular questions I get is "Where should I place my thumb when playing picado?"
I have read through several discussions regarding thumb placement usually stemming from the observation that Paco de Lucia rests his thumb on the 6th string during fast picado runs and he even pushes the string down a bit.
Sometimes people get seriously polarized and aggressive on this issue.
Let me quickly give you this answer: You do need to rest your thumb when playing picado but where you rest it depends entirely on what you are playing in that moment.
Now keep reading...
First and foremost we need to distinguish between a few notes played in rest stroke (picado) versus a long run that spans more that 4 strings and lasts long enough to adjust your right hand posture.
1 - Short picado runs
Take a look at the following sequence from El Tempul. i-m fingers play a short burst of 4 notes separated by a lower thumb note F. In a situation like this you obviously need to rest your thumb on the 4th string so that it's ready to go in-between the picado bursts.
2 - Long picado runs
If you need to play a long and fast run that does not involve any other accompanying notes then you need to find a good balance for your right hand to move the i-m fingers in rapid succession while going from one string to the other.
The balance I am talking about is the way your fingers relate to your thumb. As far as my observations go, fast players settle on a single hand shape i.e. a fixed distance between the thumb and fingers and preserve that throughout the run.
For example, watch the following run by Nino de Pura and observe how he keeps a fixed distance between his thumb and fingers and moves the thumb along to preserve that distance throughout the entire sequence.
Pura's preferred distance between thumb and fingers is small and therefore his thumb goes from one string to the other as he proceeds with the run. What remains constant is that critical distance between thumb and fingers that he needs to stick to in order to move his fingers so fast.
Although this distance is different for each person, with the exception of Nino de Pura, most players seem comfortable with their thumb touching the 6th string while playing picado on the first 3 strings
Here is Paco ripping through a fast run in solea.
Notice that his thumb stays on the 6th string as he plays picado on the first 3 strings and gradually lifts up to preserve the space his fingers need to keep moving as fast on 4th, 5th, and 6th.
So, the question is NOT where to put the thumb when playing picado but what is the optimal distance between thumb and fingers to execute a fast and long picado run?
Again, since every 'body' is different, the optimal right hand posture for fast-long picado runs cannot be standardized. You have to find that posture for yourself by experimenting. However, I can tell you that your thumb cannot be in the same place if your fingers are playing through more than 3 strings.
Watch the following video for further clarification:
I have read through several discussions regarding thumb placement usually stemming from the observation that Paco de Lucia rests his thumb on the 6th string during fast picado runs and he even pushes the string down a bit.
Sometimes people get seriously polarized and aggressive on this issue.
Let me quickly give you this answer: You do need to rest your thumb when playing picado but where you rest it depends entirely on what you are playing in that moment.
Now keep reading...
First and foremost we need to distinguish between a few notes played in rest stroke (picado) versus a long run that spans more that 4 strings and lasts long enough to adjust your right hand posture.
1 - Short picado runs
Take a look at the following sequence from El Tempul. i-m fingers play a short burst of 4 notes separated by a lower thumb note F. In a situation like this you obviously need to rest your thumb on the 4th string so that it's ready to go in-between the picado bursts.
2 - Long picado runs
If you need to play a long and fast run that does not involve any other accompanying notes then you need to find a good balance for your right hand to move the i-m fingers in rapid succession while going from one string to the other.
The balance I am talking about is the way your fingers relate to your thumb. As far as my observations go, fast players settle on a single hand shape i.e. a fixed distance between the thumb and fingers and preserve that throughout the run.
For example, watch the following run by Nino de Pura and observe how he keeps a fixed distance between his thumb and fingers and moves the thumb along to preserve that distance throughout the entire sequence.
Pura's preferred distance between thumb and fingers is small and therefore his thumb goes from one string to the other as he proceeds with the run. What remains constant is that critical distance between thumb and fingers that he needs to stick to in order to move his fingers so fast.
Although this distance is different for each person, with the exception of Nino de Pura, most players seem comfortable with their thumb touching the 6th string while playing picado on the first 3 strings
Here is Paco ripping through a fast run in solea.
Notice that his thumb stays on the 6th string as he plays picado on the first 3 strings and gradually lifts up to preserve the space his fingers need to keep moving as fast on 4th, 5th, and 6th.
So, the question is NOT where to put the thumb when playing picado but what is the optimal distance between thumb and fingers to execute a fast and long picado run?
Again, since every 'body' is different, the optimal right hand posture for fast-long picado runs cannot be standardized. You have to find that posture for yourself by experimenting. However, I can tell you that your thumb cannot be in the same place if your fingers are playing through more than 3 strings.
Watch the following video for further clarification:
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