My ultimate finger picking tune

[Wyllys]

Shortnin' Bread in G.

A tune you can easily play, simple and melodic. As a vehicle (sic) for working on advancing picking options, it holds together and offers a staggering number of possibilities in working the hands together, all the while requiring no shifting of the fretting hand at all. Simply use the fretting hand ring finger on the 3rd fret of the bass e-string (6th string) and use the little finger to play notes on the 3rd fret of the g, b and treble e-string. Yes, you'll want to alternate the bass between the 6th and 4th strings and use the middle finger to fret second fret notes on the d- and g-strings per the melody.

Yet the possible permutations of picking ranging from patterns to melody-dependent actuation are close to endless. I've not found another tune as simple and well-known. John Hurts "Spike Drivers Blues" is just as good albeit lesser known.

Good for each hand, both hands together, ear-hand coordination, improvisation practice, you name it and...

Mamas little baby loves it.

[reeve21]

Thanks for posting this, Wyllys. It makes a lot of sense.

I've been doing the same thing with Oh Susanna lately. Driving my wife a little crazy with it, actually.

Tonight I combined the 2 songs into a nice little medley.

Her comment: "What's next, Three Blind Mice?"

She also wants to know when I am going back to playing rock and roll.

No one said finger picking would be easy :-)

[TBman]

I started working on Al Petteway's "Sheep At The Door." It's a fun tune, in DADGAD. I'll be driving everyone nuts with it as it's on the fast side, but easy so it'll get there, just not over night, so it'll be played over and over and over nice and slow for a while, lol.