Truefire's Tommy Emmanuel Fingerstyle Milestones

[TBman]

Wow, this is just what I needed to learn how to use a thumb pick. The video player has an easy to use loop function.... Practice til your fingers fall off. Glue them on and practice some more.

I found that I had to switch the guitar to my right knee and lower my foot stool a bit to get parallel to the strings with my thumb. Also even though the Gibson is a shorter scale, my left arm felt like it was going to fall off when I kept the guitar on my left knee in my sort of classical position. I'm copying the way TE holds the guitar now. Once I get this thumb pick thing down his way I will see if I can then change how I hold the guitar and keep things good. (And even see if I have to move it back to my old way of holding a guitar)

I really just started it, but so far so good, playing E A B alternating bass with mute. I'm going to keep doing this one exercise until it feels completely natural to play with the thumb pick.

[SprintBob]

Barry,

I have started working on this course in my practice routine also. I think it will be good for getting into "boom-chick" and getting a foundation for playing music like that from Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed.

I'm going pretty smooth on the E-A-B7 and C-F-G palm mute exercises. The G barre exercise is a tough one for me (not the G barre chord but C and D barres that use the A chord shape).

Fun stuff.

[SimB]

I have recently found this as well, started learning the "boom-chick" a while ago in an older TE video where he teaches it through freght train. I´m getting the tempo up on freight train and lime house blues so far.

I´m still waiting for the thumb to feel properly independent though, every new song I start on is real battle coordination wise. Feels like I´m only memorizing the movements in the particular song I´m working and from there it´s hard to transfer the skill to just improvisation for example. Just have to keep at it I guess. Tons of fun though!

[TBman]

Using a thumb pick has exposed some holes in my fretting hand technique so that will improve. Holding the guitar differently is causing some comfort issues, but it'll get better. This is fun stuff.

[000JB]

Barry
I have looked at getting this course, I can play fingerstyle but when I put on a thumb pick it is like I forgot how to play. I assume this course will help with that problem. Also does it teach songs or just parts of a song?

[srick]

JB - not a real secret to the thumbpick, but this worked for me: just dig in and concentrate on that rhythm. In fact, forget about the melody for a bit and just beat out the rhythm. Also, put on a recording of Chet, TE, Bresh, etc. and just thumbpick the bassline in accompaniment.

Rick

[000JB]

Thanks Rick

[TBman]

Originally Posted by 000JB

Barry
I have looked at getting this course, I can play fingerstyle but when I put on a thumb pick it is like I forgot how to play. I assume this course will help with that problem. Also does it teach songs or just parts of a song?

He teaches a few short tunes, old fashioned kind of stuff, but great for the thumb. The whole course is that boom chick style with thumb pick. I'm clueless too with a thumb pick, but I really want to learn because it opens up a lot of doors. I have TE's sequel course, Finger style Breakthroughs which looks good too, to do next.

I also used my bonus coupon I just got to buy Truefire's "Kentucky Thumbpicking Handbook" lesson, taught by Alonzo Pennington, which should be tons of fun. I'll be busy for a while! Once I get this thumb picking down I can rip into a lot of Toby Walker's lessons that I have and some of the other TE song books that I have as well.

[000JB]

Barry
Thanks, sounds like your practice routine is set for a while!

[TBman]

Originally Posted by 000JB

Barry
Thanks, sounds like your practice routine is set for a while!

Yes, I just have to get the pick just a bit looser... Another quest.... The perfect thumb pick,

[TBman]

Originally Posted by SprintBob

Barry,

I have started working on this course in my practice routine also. I think it will be good for getting into "boom-chick" and getting a foundation for playing music like that from Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed.

I'm going pretty smooth on the E-A-B7 and C-F-G palm mute exercises. The G barre exercise is a tough one for me (not the G barre chord but C and D barres that use the A chord shape).

Fun stuff.

I've got the arpeggio with anticipation down pretty good. It was easier to learn than the regular one. I've been using the thumb pick now for a week and I haven't poked my eye out yet,

Once I go off the lesson though I'm still clueless with the thumb pick unless its boom chick. I guess that will come with time. It feels good to progress finally.

[srick]

All - it is so tough to explain my progression with the Merle Travis style. As many before me have said, "keep at it, it will come to you." And I tried that for a long time - years it seems.

But my epiphany came about five months ago (at a workshop) when Toby Walker listened to me play and merely said, "Dig in a little more." That day, my ears changed. The Travis style is all about that bass. It has to be strong and thumping. But it's not a straight boom-chuck because it's heavily syncopated.This led to Toby's next observation of my playing, "Emphasize the 2 and the 4 not the 1 and the 3."

If you're "really" listening to Tommy, Chet, Merle, Jerry, Thom, Buster et. al. you'll eventually realize that the boom is not the accented beat, but the chuck is. Boom-chuck is probably a bad-term to use because it's logical to assume the boom is louder. The style is really more of a thump-swish or a thump-chuck. This music has a swing to it. That's what was missing from my playing and it's likely what's missing from yours.

I've just given a long-winded explanation of something that you have to feel. Go put on that Tommy E. recording, put it on loop and accompany him. Just copy him playing the bass line. Then repeat.

Also, check out this cat explaining, "How to be cool" - syncopation, if you will



Even the Duke's vocal pattern emphasizes the 2 and the 4 (Note: there's a gal sitting in the front row at 0:53 seconds who definitely doesn't get "it"!).

best,

Rick

[srick]

Originally Posted by TBman

Yes, I just have to get the pick just a bit looser... Another quest.... The perfect thumb pick,

The Fred Kelly speed pick.

[000JB]

Thiis was a repeat post.

[AndyC]

Apologies for resurrecting quite an old thread!

I would like to finally master fingerstyle playing - before I part with my hard earned cash, is there any better way of learning to play fingerstyle than the Tommy Emmanuel courses??