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A fingerpick is a type of plectrum used most commonly for playing Lap steel guitar and bluegrass style banjo music. Hawaiian steel guitar players invented them to gain a more substantial sound from their instruments. The National Finger Pick was patented on July 20, 1928, by George Beauchamps and John Dopyera. Most fingerpicks are composed of metal or plastic (usually Celluloid or Delrin). Unlike flat guitar picks, held between the thumb and finger and used one at a time, fingerpicks clip onto or wrap around the end of the fingers and thumb; thus, one hand can pick several strings at once. Generally, three are used: one for the thumb, middle, and index fingers. Fingerpicks worn on the thumb are called "thumbpicks". Some players use a plastic thumbpick while using metal fingerpicks. Fingerpicks come in various thicknesses to accommodate different musicians' styles of playing. Thin picks produce a quieter, more delicate sound, while thick picks produce a heavier sound. However, thumbpicks come in various styles and employ different materials, as with standard plectrums.
Fingerpicks are also used by guitar, Hawaiian guitar, lap steel, autoharp, pedal steel guitar and Dobro players. Fingerpicks generally take quite some time to adapt to, even for people who come from the more common (bare fingers with or without fingernails) fingerstyle techniques. Tone-wise, they are the most similar to standard guitar picks, offering a more consistent sound.
Some players combine a thumb pick and bare fingers/fingernails.
Classical guitar players, who traditionally use their fingernails to pluck the guitar's strings, may use fingerpicks as an alternative to maintaining fingernails.