I Need Some Finger Picking Help/Advice

[Willie Johnson]

I am in need of some advice from you finger pickers out there. First, let me say that I have been playing the guitar for close to fifity years and at least 35 of those years I played professioanlly (Blues and Rock.) That is to say....I know my way around a guitar (with a flat pick.) I now have the desire to learn to finger pick. I've certainly done my share of finger picking over the years, but I've only used my thumb and index finger. I am now trying to do it the right way (using all five fingers) and I'm really struggling. I've tried using a thumb pick but it gets caught up in the strings on the up stroke. Also, I am finding it impossible to get my middle finger, ring finger and pinky to "play nice" with the rest of the boys! Does anyone have any advice for how to go about practicing that would help me get better at this technique? Also, I've seen a lot of people over the years who hold a flat pick between the thumb and forefinger and pick with the other three fingers as well. I just don't seem to have the "feel" in those other three fingers enough to make it work. I am so impressed with guys like Tommy Emmanuel, who make it look so effortless (although, obviously it wasn't in the beginning.) I sometimes think that fifty years of bad habits will probably make this harder to overcome but I am determined to conquer those pesky three fingers. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Willie

[jtm622]

Are you trying to learn Travis-style picking? Travis and Chet both were essentially 3-finger pickers (thumb and first two fingers). The same goes with Pedal Steel picking and Scruggs-style Banjo picking... I can't even remember seeing anybody use the pinky on their right hand to play "finger-style"... (Maybe some Segovia "classical" style stuff would make use of the pinky, but I can't speak to that!)

In any case, I think the best way to begin is with Merle Travis' 2 string bass rotation thumb technique (usually 6th, 4th, 6th, 4th strings) - just hold an open "E" chord and improvise a melody played on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd strings (use the pinky on your left hand to enhance the melody line while holding that "E" chord down.)

After you work on that for a while, then move on to Chet's 3 string bass rotation (5th, 4th, 6th, 4th), etc., with that same "E" chord...

[Ooogie]

Check out David Hamburger's Fingerstyle Blues lessons on Truefire. There are two different series with enough free lessons to get you going.

The first series starts at the very beginning with keeping a steady bass then adding melody notes...I found it very helpful in gaining thumb independence. The second series focuses on the alternating bass and more complex melodies.

http://truefire.com/tftv/index.html?channel=handbook&videofile=fingerhandbook/fhb1a

Happy Traum also has some video courses on Homespun that are good.

Mark

[Willie Johnson]

Thank you!

[shihanderek]

I studied classical for a couple of years and worked up enough tunes to play a lunch set at a local hippy eatery. That worked my right hand up. Even now when I play with a pick, there will be lots of times I go hybrid, utilizing pick, middle, ring and pinky fingers. I play rock, pop, blues and jazz. For my solo jazz stuff, it is totally fingers.

So classical, Travis style guys, and country blues guys are going to give you what you want. I would pick the style of music I liked and grab an instructional vid in that genre and go.

Steffan Grossman's Vestapol Videos has tons of vids that explore all sorts of styles finger and flat. Here's a link:

http://guitarvideos.com/