Fingerstyle help

[AngelL10]

Hi everyone! I'm still new here and I have just started playing the guitar. I've got an Ibanez PF-16 and I've been trying to get better at fingerstyle songs but I barely improve or not at all. Does anyone have any tips I could use for medium-complicated fingerstyle songs?

Also, I've read that a classical guitar is better for this genre..I did not know that when I bought the guitar. There is this cover which I'm trying to make but I can't get any sounds when the harmonic parts come. I can do harmonics easily until the 12th fret but after that there is just no proper sound, it's like the harmonic doesn't exist anymore. Any tips are helpful, especially tips that can improve my accuracy and speed. Please watch the video and write here any suggestions. Thank you!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxGl...EQJ3OzVbPv3cBM

[rick-slo]

What's a Ibanez PF-16? I see online a PF-15, not PF-16.

That tune is a bit ambitious for just starting out, but the main thing to learn to play is to learn tunes, so go for it if you can make progress on it.
Those are artificial harmonics (look that up on the internet, there are plenty of lesson about playing them), but in brief fret first string at the third
fret and with the picking hand lightly touch the first string above the fifteenth fret with the first (index) finger and pluck the string with the third
finger of the picking hand, then do the same with an open (non fretted) first string with index finger of picking hand lightly touching the first string
over the twelfth fret. Go back and fourth for practice until you develop the technique.

[AngelL10]

Thanks! I meant to say PF-17, my mistake. I'll try to reproduce what you said and will let you know if I made any progress .

[Guitar Slim II]

If you have "just started playing guitar" and can even come close to playing this tune, then you my friend are a genius!

So please take no offense at what I'm saying here. To play the tune like the cat in the video, you need to already be a guitar player. If you truly are a beginner (and not a super-genius), my advice is to become a better overall guitarist first. Walk the walk, do the work, have the experience.

Start with a beginner method book; my area of expertise is classical, so I can recommend Frederick Noad's Solo Guitar Playing volume 1, or Aaron Shearer's Classic Guitar Technique volume 1. And there are similar books for other styles of fingerpicking.

Also look for printed collections of tunes (classical or otherwise) that are appropriate to your level -- and play a lot of them. Finally, take a few lessons if you can afford it, from a teacher who specializes in fingerstyle. A teacher can also help you find books and tunes.

And -- good luck on your journey!

[s1120]

Thats pretty intense for someone starting out. I would really start a little more basic, and let your fingers learn to work indepently of each other. Start out with some basics first...

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by AngelL10

Hi everyone! I'm still new here and I have just started playing the guitar. I've got an Ibanez PF-16 and I've been trying to get better at fingerstyle songs but I barely improve or not at all. Does anyone have any tips I could use for medium-complicated fingerstyle songs?

Also, I've read that a classical guitar is better for this genre..I did not know that when I bought the guitar. There is this cover which I'm trying to make but I can't get any sounds when the harmonic parts come. I can do harmonics easily until the 12th fret but after that there is just no proper sound, it's like the harmonic doesn't exist anymore. Any tips are helpful, especially tips that can improve my accuracy and speed. Please watch the video and write here any suggestions. Thank you!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxGl...EQJ3OzVbPv3cBM

That is a seriously tough piece. Not too hard without the harmonics, but the harmonics lift it to advanced level.

But a tip on the harmonics. Some of those are "artificial" harmonics, which means from fretted notes. So "<14>" means you fret the string at 2nd fret, then with the right hand you touch the string over fret 14 and pick to one side of 14 (with thumb or another finger).
That in itself is not too hard, it's the simultaneous bass note that is challenging: your thumb picks that, so the harmonic needs to be played with one finger touching the node and another picking the string.

[BFD]

Originally Posted by Guitar Slim II

If you have "just started playing guitar" and can even come close to playing this tune, then you my friend are a genius!

So please take no offense at what I'm saying here. To play the tune like the cat in the video, you need to already be a guitar player. If you truly are a beginner (and not a super-genius), my advice is to become a better overall guitarist first. Walk the walk, do the work, have the experience.

Start with a beginner method book; my area of expertise is classical, so I can recommend Frederick Noad's Solo Guitar Playing volume 1, or Aaron Shearer's Classic Guitar Technique volume 1. And there are similar books for other styles of fingerpicking.

Also look for printed collections of tunes (classical or otherwise) that are appropriate to your level -- and play a lot of them. Finally, take a few lessons if you can afford it, from a teacher who specializes in fingerstyle. A teacher can also help you find books and tunes.

And -- good luck on your journey!

Excellent reality check and even better advice!

[AngelL10]

Thank you all so much for the help! Every advice was helpful and I really appreciate the help .

[AngelL10]

Originally Posted by JonPR

That is a seriously tough piece. Not too hard without the harmonics, but the harmonics lift it to advanced level.

But a tip on the harmonics. Some of those are "artificial" harmonics, which means from fretted notes. So "<14>" means you fret the string at 2nd fret, then with the right hand you touch the string over fret 14 and pick to one side of 14 (with thumb or another finger).
That in itself is not too hard, it's the simultaneous bass note that is challenging: your thumb picks that, so the harmonic needs to be played with one finger touching the node and another picking the string.

And thousands of thanks to you! I can properly make the sound now!! I owe you .

[TKT]

If you can't read music yet get a tablature version, I have 50 Easy Classical Guitar Solos which is in both. I love Frederic Noad, I used to watch him on PBS when I was a kid, he also did the guitar for dummies book.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by AngelL10

And thousands of thanks to you! I can properly make the sound now!! I owe you .

No problem. Good luck!
Normally I'd agree with the others, you should start with a simpler tune, but if you really love this one, and you have the patience, you will do it. Take it bar by bar, and repeat over and over, slow at first.