Why don’t my plucking fingers sound the same?

It’s totally normal for your index and middle plucking fingers to sound different early on.

There are a few things that can cause this:

Fingernail Length: You want your fingernails as short as possible. If one is slightly too long, it might be clipping the string, so you get a louder, more “click-y” pluck with that finger.

Uneven Force: You may be plucking harder with one finger than the other. Practice some simple alternating on an open string, and try to even out the amount of force in each finger to see if that evens out your volume.

Angle: Experiment with your hand angle. If you approach the strings from a different angle, you can often get the nails further from the string.

Finger Pad vs Tip: Another way to avoid the fingernail sound is to pluck further down the fingertip, closer to the pad of your fingers.

Remember, getting an identical plucking sound from your two fingers takes time and repetition. You’re training your brain to send very specific amounts of force to your fingers, and this will get more refined with practice.