Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 12:28 am Post subject: Finger Picking
A'ight. So I've been trying to learn some finger picked songs (Elliott Smith, The Jackson Browne Nico songs...) and I'm finding it somewhat difficult. Is there anyone here that is good at finger picking stuff? Are there picking patterns that are commonly used? What tips would you gimme?
I've read before that you use your thumb for the E A and D and index middle and ring for G B E respectively.
Some Kings of Convenience stuff is fairly simple but great sounding. I will grab you a youtube link and a tab to have a look at. _________________ Shabba.
|------3---------0----|
|----1---1-----1------|
|-----2-2---0---0-0*--| x2
|------3------3-------|
|----------3----------|
|--1------------------|
*sometimes the last 0 isn't played
and [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBJnUT3XZTE][b]this[/uyrl] this video shows them playing it where you can see the chord shapes and that. *grabs 175* _________________ Shabba.
Joined: 20 Dec 2006 Posts: 5328 Location: MADTOWN RAT 2011
Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 2:59 am Post subject:
Alright: Finger Picking Pontification time.
Don't think in patterns. Just don't. You'll get locked into them and find yourself quickly limited. And don't assign one finger to each string - use whichever works in the situation.
Everything you'll be playing can be classified as a "pinch" or a "roll". In a pinch you'll be plucking with your thumb and one or more of your IMR fingers simultaneously - easy. In a roll, the notes come out at different times. There are forward rolls, from thumb to the IMR fingers, and reverse rolls from IMR to thumb. As you look at and play thru tabs, stay conscious of whether you're doing a pinch or a roll.
In a more idiotic sense, you're playing the low and high string either at the same time or not at the same time. Once you get independence between the fingers on your right hand, you'll be able to play anything.
Another thing I've found helpful is to keep the pinky resting on the top of the guitar. It can be hard to keep it fixed, but having a point of reference helps your muscle memory develop faster.
I'd agree with the advice from will, although I do sometimes think in patterns, it makes it easier to remember a long piece or sing over something. If you plan on using plastic fingerpicks then start with them sooner rather than later or you'll learn bad habits that are too sloppy for fingerpicks.
i'd love to be able to pingerpick properly, i should really make more of an effort to learn. i'd have to do it by ear though, can't read no tablature (maybe i should learn that too). _________________
I started out with a simple style of Travis picking with songs like "Julia". It's a common style and really easy to pick up. Sorry if this is some pretty n00b shit (because i'm pretty n00b to this shit).
Joined: 27 Jun 2009 Posts: 206 Location: Plymouth, UK
Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 12:53 pm Post subject:
nondas wrote:
I started out with a simple style of Travis picking with songs like "Julia". It's a common style and really easy to pick up. Sorry if this is some pretty n00b shit (because i'm pretty n00b to this shit).
I started out with a simple style of Travis picking with songs like "Julia". It's a common style and really easy to pick up. Sorry if this is some pretty n00b shit (because i'm pretty n00b to this shit).
I can already play that. It's quite easy once you memorise the picking pattern. It's the same picking pattern for Dear Prudence and one of Lennon's solo songs as well.
This guy is hilarious. I thought his gurning was a piss take at first, but I think that's just the way he sings. He can finger pick the shit out of a guitar though.
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