Do you think that as a guitarist you don’t need to use fingerpicking in rock and metal?
How does this relate to your music?

I allow myself to assume that if you are here you are probably at the point of
development in your track as a guitar player.

Many well-known guitarists found themselves writing and playing fingerpicking in rock and metal.

In fact, these parts the composed and incorporated into their song can become iconic
over time because they are less profitable in these genres than the common picking.

Many rock and metal guitarists who have used this technique in their songs,
such as James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett from Metallica in ‘nothing else matter,’
Jimmy Page in ‘stairways to heaven’ and many others such as Lindsey Buckingham, Dono Nuno Bettencourt,
Jeff Beck, Billy Mclaughlin.

Here are four reasons why you should use fingerpicking in rock and metal.

The future you

A reasonable chance is that as a guitarist and musician, amateur or professional you will find yourself
opening up to new guitar and music styles where fingerpicking is more common and even
the basis for the correct sound of style.

It’s a natural tendency that has happened to me as with many of my fellow guitarists because many of us hit plateaus every once in a while and don’t know how to get out of there.

When you get to this point in your life, you should have the technical tools to enjoy and apply it as quickly as possible rather than spending time buying new motor skills from scratch.

Such music styles can be American folk music, Brazilian, flamenco, classical, or acoustic guitar covers for rock for and rock songs.

Think about yourself as a musician rather than a guitarist

It is very easy to fall into a guitarist niche.
We have our guitar culture that includes specific dictionary jargon, philosophy of guitar preferences, gear talks, etc.

This sense of belonging to a large community all over the world makes you feel that it is something bigger than you.

Along with this, the guitar is not an object; it is a tool to create your music,
express the ideas you have in mind and the emotions that you have to bring out.

The bigger “palette colors” at your disposal, the more options you have to express yourself.

Having a wide range of guitar techniques will make you able to convey the emotion and the story of your song so you can move the one who listens to you.
Personally, I believe that as an artist you should always be on the lookout for a different direction to go.

Hybrid picking

Developing your picking techniques will help you when you learn hybrid picking, using
flatpick together with the fingerpicking.
This lead guitar combination can add an entirely new dimension to your solos.

You do it by holding the pick with your thumb and index finger, usually on the bass strings and fingerpick, alternately or simultaneously, with the middle, ring and even the pinkie on the higher strings.

Making it possible to play more the one note at the same time with smoother arpeggios,
switching up from a picked passage to a melodic fingerstyle one will make you sound far beyond
more interesting in texture and timbre than the common techniques in metal and rock music.

Solo guitar playing

If you have aspirations to become a professional guitarist you should be able to play solo, in my opinion.

Playing without another musician with you or any kind of play along. Totally nude.

In this case, your guitar becomes a “small band” and you have the challenge and opportunity to level up your guitar art.
Fingerpicking is essential with this scenario and will allow you to improve the composing prosses of your piece, and enrich it.
You will have to diversify and create different textures of scale, arpeggios, hybrid picking and more.

Without a doubt, it will spark your creativity.

Conclusion

You can not go wrong with fingerpicking in rock and metal.
The wider your exposure and the more sonic techniques you have at your disposal,
the better all-around player you will be.

Having as many tools as possible as a guitar player is what makes you progress, and diversify.
Playing fingerpicking will make you a more versatile and knowledgeable musician, which is the final goal.

Go for it!