Re: Fingerpicking exercises/tips
There are loads of good lessons etc on this site:
http://www.acousticguitarworkshop.com/
I am learning fingerpicking style acoustic too and it is damn hard I find. Getting the right picks can help a great deal. I recently bought some of these picks from ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/STEEL-FINGER-...ryZ20832QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I find them absolutly brilliant. I tried using other picks and the only way I could use them without them falling off was to tape them on. Not the best solution for sure. Obviously the perfect solution is not to use picks but I just can't seem to get the hang of that. Blisters on my thumb and my nails are nonexistant. Maybe intime I will get the hang of it but I can't see it somehow. Much rather use picks.
I am sure there are great exercises from that site above. I think I bought the 60 Day Fingerstyle CDs to start off with. I then bought some books by Johnny Norris - Blues Solos and Super Solos. I am still religously practising the Blues Solos which are supposed to be quite easy but you could have fooled me. They are very well thought out though and each song seems to move smoothly to the next whilst improving your technique and muscles. You really need strong muscles to hold various chords or to hold the lower strings hard enough. I make it a point to try and work my way through the book each day if I can find the time. I am now looking for more 'acceptable' music that others and not just hardened blues fans can follow. I think though that I sure haven't wasted my time as my fingers on my left hand are pretty powerful now.
Another tip perhaps is to use a cheapo guitar? Not sure many would agree with this but when I replaced my first and fairly expensive guitar with a cheap catalogue guitar I found I couldn't play it at all! The strings were high off the neck and my left hand muscles couldn't press down the strings hard enough. After a while though my muscles improved and now I can really bash the guitar hard. I figure if I can play such an unruly guitar then I should be able to handle any.
If I can find some good acoustic fingerstyle exercises on the net for free I will post here again.
Regards - MarkJ
Edit: Just put this on Youtube. Just recorded it from the book mentioned - Solo Blues.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=yGhC7q1g7kg
See if you like that sort of music.
