Chicken pickin' is a form of hybrid picking that's specific to country guitar.
It's often used as a general term for single-line country riffs, but true chicken pickin' involves the hybrid use of a pick and fingerpicking at the same time.
Chicken pickin’ can also be accomplished with your picking hand thumb and fingers.
The sound resembles that of a clucking chicken.
You can lead all about chicken pickin' from our resident country guitar expert: Daniel Donato:
Chicken pickin' allows you to play fast.
It also allows you to add expressive twang to your playing.
James Burton, Roy Buchanan, Brad Paisley, and Danny Gatton are all guitarists associated with the chicken pickin' technique.