Finger Picking

[ericmeyer4]

I'm trying to figure out this style of guitar. Does anyone have any tips?

Is it pretty much just playing the bass line with the thumb and melody with the rest of the fingers?


Examples....






Thanks,
Eric

 

[uOpt]

Re: Finger Picking

This is what you learn if you take classical guitar lessons.

Makes you very paranoid about your right hand fingernails. The thumb in particular. Nail damage == depression for 2 weeks.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Finger Picking

I'm recording a solo acoustic guitar CD with lots of finger picking.

I learned to finger pick from playing along with Bob Dylan's first two or three albums - before he went electric.

Blowin In The Wind, Boots of Spanish Leather, etc.

Get yourself a capo, learn some open tunings (open D and open G) and just go for it.

It's like riding a bicycle.

Once you get into it and get some momentum going, the alternating thumb patterns take care of them self.

But it takes some time.

 

[ericmeyer4]

Re: Finger Picking

So it is easier to learn in open tunings? I just wasn't sure if there was a pattern to it.

So Bob Dylan? I am going to have to dig him out of my CD collection.

 

[innerdreamrecords.co]

Re: Finger Picking

I'm a terrible finger picker but I have seen a few tutorials and there are different patterns and techniques.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Finger Picking

So it is easier to learn in open tunings? I just wasn't sure if there was a pattern to it.

So Bob Dylan? I am going to have to dig him out of my CD collection.

I think so! I play alot in open D (DADF#AD) or open G (DGDGBD) and use a capo. If I'm tuned to open D and want to do a song in E I'll just capo up two frets.

I'm not saying to start out that way. Most folks probably do play more in standard tuning. But alot of things sound better and are easier to play in open tunings like open D and open G.

You can play alot of easy two and three finger chords and let the open strings just ring. Experiment.

Lew