Finger pickin' questions

[Blue Strat]

I'm starting to play finger style now that I've got the proper guitar, and so far I'm only using two fingers; my thumb and index finger. Playing classical, most of the chords are two notes (Diatonic?). When is the appropriate time to throw in the middle finger? (maybe a bad choice of words! )

Any particular tips or methods for building speed and accuracy in right hand technique? I'm practicing a lot lately, and learning, but it certainly won't hurt to learn to do it the right way.

[Dak Lander]

Can't help you much except to say, continue with your practice.

 

HERE\'S a sample of thumb and three fingers. Very simple in a "C" chording run.

First thing this morning with no warmup so it's a bit ragged.

 

I started finger picking with the first two fingers, then added the thumb and then the ring finger. I can, at times use all fingers and the thumb but that's pretty tough for me & it's only here and there.

[Tedster]

This is the way I build up to the clawhammer...

 

Start with the basic clawhammer pattern...use your thumb (P = "Pulgar") index (I), middle (M). I don't use my "Anular" (A = ring finger) (I'm a wuss).

 

Fret, say, an open A chord

 

Now, with your P (thumb) on the A string and your M on the B string, pluck them simultaneously to a quarter note count (1,2,3,4, etc.). That should feel comfy relatively quickly.

 

Now, add your thumb (P) to the D string, so you're alternating:

 

M.......M

....P........P etc... on a four count.

P........P

 

1...2...3...4

 

This again should feel comfy relatively quickly. Play it 'til it does

 

Now, add your Index to the G string. You'll alter your count now to

 

M.......M

........I.........I

.....P........P

P........P

 

1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&

 

So (in case that's not lining up right) you've got P/M on 1 and 3 (holding each for a quarter note) and P on 2 and 4 and I on the & of the 2 and the & of the 4.

 

Try it that far. Then we'll finish it...

[Tedster]

Gawdalmighty, that's hard to make it line up.

[Dave da Dude]

What Tedster said.

 

I also alternate the thumb on the (low) 'E' and 'D' strings while picking the same with my index and middle fingers. It creates a nice variation every other bar.

 

I use the ring and pinky to stabilize on the top of the guitar.

 

Dave

[Tedster]

Originally posted by Dave th Dude:

What Tedster said.

 

I also alternate the thumb on the (low) 'E' and 'D' strings while picking the same with my index and middle fingers. It creates a nice variation every other bar.

 

I use the ring and pinky to stabilize on the top of the guitar.

 

Dave

Same thing, Dave. I just hadn't gotten that far. That's about half a clawhammer there. In the full clawhammer, the thumb will be going on the 1, 2, 3, 4 where 1 is the A string, 2 is the D string, 3 is the low E, and 4 is the D again.

 

And I use my pinky to stabilize myself, too

[Blue Strat]

Thanks Tedster & Dave, I'll get to work on it!

 

I was just trying something; I was fretting an A chord and using my thumb, index, middle, and ring fingers, I was playing the first four notes of the A. Thumb on the A string, index on the D, middle on the G, and ring on the B. What if I practice that too? Looks like I might could build up some speed that way.

 

Claw-hammer is banjo technique, isn't it? I remember reading an interview with Jerry Reed and he said he used a three finger banjo style (but he also used a thumb pick).

[Jim Soloway]

I pick with all 5 fingers. I've been fingerpicking for so long that I can't really remeber how I learned to integrate all my fingers. I don't even consciously realize that I'm using my pinky until I file my nail too short on that finger and then realize that I'm missing notes.

 

My one suggestion would be to try using a claw grip to pick 4 or 5 notes at once. Don't worry about intricacy or patterns, just play 5 notes of a single chord moving from one chord to another until it feels comfortable.

[pauldil]

Originally posted by The Tedster From The Black Lagoon:

Gawdalmighty, that's hard to make it line up.

Tedster,

 

If you use the "CODE" instant UBB code, it's easier to get ASCII examples to line up:

 

Originally posted by Jim Soloway:

I don't even consciously realize that I'm using my pinky until I file my nail too short on that finger and then realize that I'm missing notes.

Jim, I'm glad to find out that also happens to pros

 

Paul

[Dave da Dude]

Tedster,

Same thing, Dave. I just hadn't gotten that far. That's about half a clawhammer there. In the full clawhammer, the thumb will be going on the 1, 2, 3, 4 where 1 is the A string, 2 is the D string, 3 is the low E, and 4 is the D again.

So that's what it's called. Imagine that. I've been doing it for thirty years and never knew that. I never got as far as trying the "Full Clawhammer", although I had figured out that it was a possiblility, just too difficult.

 

BTW, I learned the "Half Clawhammer" while I was in the hospital for a week, from the night shift nurse. Okay everyone, get your slutty minds out of the gutter. That was ALL I learned from her.

 

Dave

[Tedster]

About the only "picking" I can do with my pinky is...uhh...ewwwww...gross...

 

Hey, thanks Pauldil...!!!

[Funk Jazz]

these are all really great examples.

 

i would recommend pierre bensusan's book, it has tons of great exercises for right hand independence, from the simple to the overwhelming.

 

cheers.

[yamsa2000]

I switch between a classical guitar approach to finger-picking(on my nylon-string) where you arch the wrist and hold the hand away from the guitar, and a 'fingerstyle' way of playing where part of the hand rests on the guitar and the hand is flatter to the soundboard. Lately I've noticed that the more fingerstyle I play, the worse my classical technique gets. Probably does'nt help you, but it should be noted that classical and fingerstyle are very different to each other.

[Boggs]

I use all 5 as well, but I cannot or more likely should not explain how I do it as I am self-taught and probably have really bad technique, especislly with respect to my hand position and my (reluctant) use of my little finger. Boggs

[fantasticsound]

Originally posted by Jim Soloway:

I pick with all 5 fingers. I've been fingerpicking for so long that I can't really remeber how I learned to integrate all my fingers. I don't even consciously realize that I'm using my pinky until I file my nail too short on that finger and then realize that I'm missing notes.

LOL! That's me to a "T", as well, Jim!

 

I would suggest finding a copy of Dust In The Wind to learn Travis picking. Kerry Livgren wrote "Dust" as a Travis picking excercise. As I recall, he said in a 1984 interview that his wife said something to the effect, "That's a beautiful song you're writing." He hadn't intended it to be a song. Lucky his wife was paying attention or we would've lost a great song.

 

I used a tab from that 1984 Guitar For The Practicing Musician magazine to learn Travis picking, but didn't read the sidebar first. Travis picking is, in it's most basic form an alternating thumb with index and middle finger. I'd never alternated bass with my thumb, so I learned to play it with my thumb, index, middle & ring finger.

 

It helped me in some ways, but I had to relearn alternating bass with my thumb.

[henryrobinett]

I really suck at finger picking, though I've done it with no attention all my guitar playing life. My first lessons were on classical guitar and always just kept playing with my fingers, every once in a while. But I suck.

 

I bought a Taylor couple of years back and just started farting around with it. I made a recording for a friend with it and he said, "Whoa! Where'd you learn to do TRAVIS picking?" That's the first time I ever heard of it. See how lame I am? Clawhammer? Never heard of that either. I started trying to alternate bass with my thumb. I use four fingers. I can't imagine using 5. I love the sound of a good acoustic with some great finger picking, since that's not at all what I normally do.

 

It's great learning new things!