What came first - the chicken or the egg? This infamous dilemma of causality has been fascinating scientists, philosophers, theologians, cartoonists, and basically everyone else for millennia; was the egg a result of the chicken, or the chicken a result of the egg? Here at Guitar Head we’re a little more laid-back (no pun intended) about the whole thing. Whichever came first, they’re both delicious!
There’s a not dissimilar question in our world as well. What came first - the guitar or the plectrum? Well weirdly it was actually the plectrum. Although perhaps not so weird when you consider that the earliest examples were used for playing the classical Greek lyre, and later examples were fitted into harpsichords (yes, the strings in those things are plucked rather than struck!).
In fact, musicians have been picking away at stringed instruments with everything from feathers to bits of turtle shell for thousands of years. Guitarists were actually fairly late to get in on the act, with finger and thumb picks (primarily designed for banjos or mandolins) initially being far more commonly used to play steel-string guitars than the standard ‘flat pick’ that we’re all familiar with today.
The Strum Slap
It’s perhaps a near certainty that any guitarist reading this popular guitar blog (especially the beginners) will have been playing exclusively with plectrums from the start. This is completely understandable and totally sensible, since finger-style playing is traditionally a feature of Spanish or Classical guitar playing, including Flamenco and Bossa Nova styles, all of which can be accomplished relatively painlessly when you’re using nylon strings. But ‘tradition’ naturally has its limits…
As you might imagine, the world is full of individuals who have been happy to buck conventional playing trends for years - Jeff Beck and Mark Knopfler are just two examples of virtuoso guitarists who for years have habitually avoided conventional picks even when soloing using steel-strung instruments. But this still falls under the heading of ‘Finger-style’, whereas we’re focusing on something much more basic and far more rhythmic here!
‘Fingerpicking’ is a type of Finger-style playing, but should definitely be regarded as a distinct technique in its own right. Having developed from early ragtime styles, through blues, country, jazz and even folk, it also covers a pretty broad spectrum of methods and genres for rhythm guitar playing. All of which generally rely on the same principles with your picking hand;
Top 20 Easy Guitar Fingerpicking Songs For Beginners
One final general rule; let the plucked strings ring out throughout the duration of whatever chord you’re playing, or at least until you come to a natural rest or break in the music.
Probably the simplest method of fingerpicking. So-called because you’re making a ‘claw’ shape with your hand, and using three fingers to pluck the strings simultaneously.
This is basically alternating between picking the lowest 2 strings with your thumb, and ‘clawing’ the three indicated higher strings with the index, middle and ring fingers. Play it straight for a country feel, and experiment with some swing to make it jazzy!
Fingerpicking Patterns For Guitar
Otherwise known as ‘broken chords’, which you may have already tried playing with a pick (certainly if you’ve had a go at ‘
This is just a case of working through the digits of your picking hand sequentially, starting at the thumb, moving through to your third finger, and then back again. The key here is to try and keep the rhythm constant – listen to ‘
We’ll end with the king of the country picking styles, named after the legendary Merle Travis. It’s versatile (works in blues, folk, country, you name it…), good for impressing non-guitarists (looks seriously complicated), but is actually far easier than it looks - you only need your thumb and 2 fingers!
Top 60 Fingerpicking Songs Of All Time (beginner
And there you have it – three new ways with your instrument that won’t mean losing yet another plectrum. Or hopefully any fingernails. Until next time…
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This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners.In classical fingerpicking the thumb is used to play the bass strings (4, 5, and 6). The index finger is used for the 3rd string. The middle finger is used for the 2nd string. The ring finger is used for the 1st string.
When playing fingerstyle, position your hand so the fingers are perpendicular to the strings so you can strike the stings easily. To do this, the thumb should be in-front of the fingers (closer to the headstock). This hand positioning is very important for several fingerstyle techniques.
Pcs Guitar Picks Set Stainless Steel 1 Thumb 3 Fingers Nail Protector For Guitarist
The classical hand position rests the fingers on the strings that they play. Since the thumb is used for strings 4, 5, and 6, it usually rests on the 5th or 6th string.
In this example, the chord is played as an arpeggio. This means that the chord is played one note at a time instead of at the same time. This exercise will help you play some basic finger picking patterns. Focus on using the fingerings given above the staff.
When picking, try not to pull the strings away from the fretboard so they pop. Though, this is sometimes used for a percussive effect, it is not usually a desired sound.
How To Finger Pick On A Guitar
This exercise focuses on the technique of brushing your fingers across multiple strings. To execute this with your index finger, use the face of your fingernail (the part that people use nail polish on) and brush it against the strings by straightening your finger. Your finger should fully extend and point towards the floor when you complete the brushing motion.
In the exercise below, you will execute a brush stroke on beat 2 of the first four measures by brushing strings 3, 2, and 1 (in that order).
Named after Merle Travis, this is one of the most famous fingerstyle techniques. When using the technique, the thumb alternates between bass strings (strings 4, 5, or 6) while playing steady quarter notes. While this is happening a melody is played using the higher strings (1, 2, and 3).
Butterfly Finger Picks
Travis picking is not limited to the pattern I showed you. You should be able to recognize it in fingerstyle songs. If you’re writing music, consider using it. Most of all, just have fun with it.
Thanks again for reading one of my lessons to the end! If you liked this lesson, there is no greater compliment than to follow me on twitter and like me on facebook. You can find links to do that on my contact page.
Now that you know fingerstyle basics, seek out songs that you can practice. Blackbird by the Beatles, Dust in the Wind by Kansas, Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton are all great songs to play. You can also find a lot of classical arrangements. I will be posting a couple of my own arrangements soon, so check back often!
Three Good Reasons To Throw Away The Guitar Pick
I've been teaching guitar online for 25 years. My site has been featured in Rolling Stone and Acoustic Guitar magazine. I'm the author of The Secrets of Learning the Fretboard and Guitar Lesson World The Book.Finger picking is a guitar technique that is used to pluck the strings with the use of your fingers instead of using a pick. This technique is often used in genres such as folk and country music. There are a few different ways to finger pick, and the most common is to use what is called a hybrid picking technique. This involves using your thumb and first two fingers to pluck the strings. To start, you will want to place your thumb on the back of the neck and position your first finger behind the first string. Then, you will want to use your second finger to pluck the third string. After that, you can use your thumb to pluck the fourth string while still holding down the first string with your first finger. You can then use your first and second fingers to pluck the second and third strings while still holding down the fourth string with your thumb. This finger picking pattern can be repeated over and over again.
It is one of the most drastic changes you can make to your guitar tone. To improve your skills, we created a short piece of music. Because the chords are chord-based, fingerpicking the right strings is simple; simply hold down the relevant shapes. The thumb-index-middle-index picking pattern (p-i-m-i) can be used to play chords in bars 4, 12, 14, and 17 with some simple variations. In our track, you should be able to hear smooth and connected notes, which are ringing out over each other, so avoid touching the strings except at the exact moment of strike.
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