If you want to play chords and accompaniment without letting go of the pick you can use a hybrid technique where the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers are used to pluck the strings. Unfortunately, the Benson grip does not support plucking the strings in this way so on the occasions where you want to play more than one note at the time you have to switch back to the conventional grip. It is not too difficult to do but you have to be concious of the adjustment required.
Whether you want to use your nails, fingerpicks, or the skin of your fingers is a matter of personal preference. I don't like having long nails but since I am struggling to produce enough volume with the skin of my fingers I have reluctantly switched to fingerpicks. The only types that are acceptable to me are the Propik Fingertone and the aLaska Pik since they both let you feel the string against the fingertip before you pluck it. I feel utterly lost with the traditional type that wraps itself around the fingertip.
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| Propik Fingertone | aLaska Pik |
The Propik Fingertone comes in metal only whereas the aLaska Pik is available in plastic and brass. I use the aLaska Pik in plastic because I find it more comfortable than metal and brass. A further disadvantage of the Propik is that there are only two sizes, Large and Medium, and the Medium is too large for my little finger. The metal and brass picks have a sharper and brighter sound than the plastic picks but I don't think it makes any difference when you are playing through an amplifier. You just have to use the tone control to make the sound as dark as you want.