What next? Fingerstyle question

[trabb]

First, I know that the answer to this question is already in the forum somewhere, but I'm not sure quite how to pinpoint exactly what I'm hoping to find.

A year or so back, I decided to take up fingerstyle guitar after having strummed basic chords off and on for twenty years or so. To this point, I've worked my way through both of Mark Hanson's books (Travis Picking and Solo Fingerpicking), and I've learned a fair number of the pieces in a third one of his books (Hymns & Spirituals).

While I'm pleased with the progress, I feel like I'm progressing in two ways: 1) Fingerstyle accompaniment (chords played in an alternating bass pattern rather than strummed) and 2) Memorizing tabs for solo arrangements - in other words, I know to play the 10th fret of the B string, the 11th fret of the high E and the 12th of the G string.

At this point, I'm really enjoying the stuff in Hanson's Art of Solo Fingerpicking, but i'd like to go beyond just memorizing the tabs. Any suggestions for where I should turn next?

Thanks in advance!

[JanVigne]

Hanson also has a book for those who want to take their playing beyond his basic course. Check "Beyond Basics, Fingerstyle Guitar".

If you know patterns and can follow a chord progression, forget tabs. Make the song your own with your own set of fingerings and turnarounds and forget - more or less - what anyone else has done before you arrived. More than a few bands have made a name for themself with only five songs under their belt. Play it fast, play it medium, play it slow, start over.

If you can play the same song with five different patterns, then why would you need more tabs?

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by trabb

At this point, I'm really enjoying the stuff in Hanson's Art of Solo Fingerpicking, but i'd like to go beyond just memorizing the tabs. Any suggestions for where I should turn next?

Thanks in advance!

Hopefully you are memorizing songs, not tabs. Dig inside the pieces more. Listen to the original artist play the pieces. What is going on beyond notes on paper? Listen to a bunch of recordings and find stuff that inspires you.