Joined: 13 Jan 2008 United States Lessons: 8 Karma: 13

Fingerpicking by telecrater 7 May 2008 Views: 13592

Fingerpicking

Hey all and welcome to my little finger picking lesson! I feel that learning to finger picking is one of the most difficult things you can learn on the guitar, yet very rewarding. Some history about how I learned to finger pick; I always wanted to play Bob Dylan’s “Don’t think twice it’s all right”. if you listen to early versions of the song you can hear him finger picking it. I spend a week trying to play it and wound up bastardizing and making it my own. The pattern is very simple and I’ll use it as an example in this lesson and as I just checked the chord on several online tab site’s it looks like I learned it wrong, Ha.

In this lesson I will cover several different patterns that can be customized to fit the chord you’re playing. Once these patterns are mastered you will be able to create rhythms based on the chord structure of a song.

One of the most difficult things about finger picking is getting your picking hand’s fingers to operate independently of one another. If you have been playing for a while I’m sure you experiencing this when starting out and trying to play chords and scales. Sometimes that damn middle finger just wants to do whatever your pointer finger does. This just takes practice to overcome.

Pattern 1

This is a very simple and basic pattern. for this you will need to use your fingers (T)humb (P)ointer (M)iddle, (R)ing. Notice with your thumb you alternate between the G note and B. Keep practicing this until you have a smooth fluid motion.


Here is an example playing pattern one over a g major chord

---------------0----------------------0-----------------

-----------0-------0---------------0-------0------------

-------0---------------0--------0-------------0---------

--------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------2---------------------------

---3----------------------------------------------------



   T   P   M  R    M   P    T   P   M  R    M   P

Here is another example playing the pattern over a C major chord. The pattern is going to be pretty much the same but the root of our pattern is going to be on the a string rather than the A string.

------------0------------------------0-------------------

---------1------1----------------1-------0---------------

------0-------------0--------0---------------0-----------

-------------------------2-------------------------------

---3-----------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------

   T  P M  R    M   P    T   P   M   R   M   P

Here is yet another example playing the pattern over the D major chord. this pattern is especially good for playing with chords with the root on the D string or even E sting but playing on the treble side of the chord and not the bass.

-----------2-----------------2---------------------------

--------3-----3-----------3-----3------------------------

-----2-----------2-----2-----------2---------------------

--0-----------------0------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------



  T  P  M  R  M P   T  P  M   R  M  P

Keep playing until all the patterns are fluid and the notes ring consistantly. before moving on to the next pattern.

Pattern 2

Pattern 2 is a little more complicated than pattern one. the timing is quicker and we incorporate pinches. again we will concentrate on root notes on the E, A, and D strings all which can be moved with different chords to meet your own tastes.

--3--------3----------3----------3---------3----------3----------

-----0--------0-----------0---------0----------0-----------------

--------0--------0-----------0---------0-----------0-------------

----------------------0--------------------2---------------------

-----------2-----------------------------------------------------

--3------------------------------3--------------------3----------

Next is the simual pattern but on based on root notes on the A string our example will be the C major scale.

--0--------0--------0---------0-------------------------------

-----1--------1--------1---------1----------------------------

--------0--------0--------0---------0-------------------------

-----------2------------------2-------------------------------

--3-----------------3-----------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------

The last pattern will be a for chords on the d string. this pattern is a little more restrictive but were running out of strings.

---2-----------2-----------2------------2---------------------

-------3-----------3-----------3------------3-----------------

-----------2-----------2-----------2------------2-------------

---0-----------------------0----------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------

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Now practice, have fun and game music.