American fingerstyle guitar is a style of fingerpicking. It includes elements of blues, ragtime, country, gospel, jazz, and many regional music traditions. Fingerpicking is playing the guitar using the fingertips or fingernails, rather than with a plectrum (or pick). It is usually used in Classical guitar styles, and some other acoustic styles, but it has found its way into other genres as well, including rock and roll, although its use in such... For other uses, see blues (disambiguation) Blues is a vocal and instrumental music form which emerged in the African-American community of the United States. ... Ragtime is an American musical genre, enjoying its peak popularity around the years 1900–1918. ... A country, a land, is a geographical area that connotes an independent political entity, with its own government, administration, laws, often a constitution, police, military, tax rules, and population, who are one anothers countrymen. ... For the genre of Christian-themed music, see gospel music. ... Jazz is a musical art form originally characterized by blue notes, syncopation, swing, call and response, polyrhythms, and improvisation. ...

American fingerstyle guitar is commonly played on steel string acoustic guitars with 6 or 12 strings. While it is played on just about every type of guitar, these are most common and characteristic. Music arranged for American fingerstyle playing can incorporate chords, arpeggios and any other element to achieve the artist's goals. The guitarists are noted for athletic playing and musical novelty and innovation. Some examples of techniques or elements used by fingerstyle guitarists include: artificial harmonics, classical guitar techniques, hammering on and pulling off with the fretting hand, using the body of the guitar percussively and any other technique the guitarist needs.

American primitive guitar is a style of American fingerstyle guitar. It is thought to have been originated by John Fahey whose first album Blind Joe Death (1959) was a stunning achievement that inspired many guitarists such as Leo Kottke, who made his debut recording of 6 and 12 String Guitar on Fahey's Tacoma label in 1969. American primitive guitar can be characterized by self-taught players that use unique techniques such as alternative tunings and percussive fingering. American primitive guitar has clear folk roots.

Notable American fingerstyle players include:

• Chet Atkins
• John Fahey
• Michael Hedges
• Leo Kottke
• Peter Lang
• Don Ross
• Lindsey Buckingham