Patience

[Sponserv]

I have always been a very impatient kind of guy. But I just get really frustrated as I get older that I cant get some things figured out as fast as I would like.

I am trying to work on finger picking technique. I am trying to teach myself Freight Train using as very basic YT video of Tony Polecastro's.

He breaks it down to eight sections. roughly two bars a section. I realize I am not supposed to move on to the next section until I get the previous section down but....darn...this is frustrating.

If anyone else has tried this video how long are you working on each section? Beginner finger pickers only please. LOL

[TBman]

I know you wanted only beginners to respond, but I practiced a 3 measure section of a tab last night 100 times. And that was just part of last night's practice.

See if you can get a tab, print it and if you have to practice just 2 notes at a time, then repeat, then do it. Get tough or go home, lol.

[mr. beaumont]

I'd break it down by melodic phrase, rather than arbitrarily bar bar segments...if you can hear the piece as music, you'll retain it better.

An idea might be to just learn the melody first, forget all the fingerpicking, and really internalize the melody.

[KDepew]

When I get frustrated I put the guitar down for a bit and then come back to it. I try to "practice" about 15 mins a day on a progression, or chord or technique. the rest of the time I "play". It will take some practice but you can get it.....

[Jusca]

You can always work on another section and return to the difficult section at another time.

[lowrider]

I'm pretty new at playing and I've been working on Toby Walker's finger picking lessons for the past two months. All I can say is that you better work very hard on your patience if you expect to get anywhere with this.

[reeve21]

Hi Sponserv,

I'm also new at fingerpicking (my left hand is experienced, though )

All I can tell you is I have been at it for 8 months and so far I have exactly 8 tunes under my belt (including Freight Train, but I do Mark Hanson's "easy" version). I practice no less than an hour and a half a day, often 2 hours or more. Other than a few of weeks vacation I haven't missed more than a day or 2 in 8 months.

So your experience is typical. As Barry said, this is not easy. If it was everyone would be doing it.

You are to be congratulated on the effort. I toyed with the idea of fingerpicking for years before taking the plunge. I'm glad I did, but I certainly have days of frustration. I recently began lessons for the first time, and that has been a real encouragement, and helped a lot with my right hand technique.

Good luck!!!

[Arthur Blake]

Not literally, but sap your drive to progress.

The key is in learning to love the music enough to patiently and with a sense of good humor, persist through the awkwardness of getting your fingers to do what they need to do.

If you can learn to enjoy the process instead of feeling frustrated because you're expecting a result sooner, --- you'll be miles ahead -- because it doesn't change.

You'll eventually learn Freight Train, but then there's the next challenge and the principle is the same.

I find the best way to make it fun is to enjoy the sound you're creating, be patient with yourself, and smile often.

[Arthur Blake]

Originally Posted by Sponserv

I am trying to work on finger picking technique. I am trying to teach myself Freight Train using as very basic YT video of Tony Polecastro's.

I haven't taken the time to go through the video, because he breaks it down in great detail, so if Tony Polecastro is going too fast, try this lesson which begins by answering the question of having a hard time getting finger picking coordination started. He addresses it very slowly and simply right in the beginning. Hope that helps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am-lZkP14DU

[amyFB]

Originally Posted by Sponserv

I have always been a very impatient kind of guy. But I just get really frustrated as I get older that I cant get some things figured out as fast as I would like.

I am trying to work on finger picking technique. I am trying to teach myself Freight Train using as very basic YT video of Tony Polecastro's.

He breaks it down to eight sections. roughly two bars a section. I realize I am not supposed to move on to the next section until I get the previous section down but....darn...this is frustrating.

If anyone else has tried this video how long are you working on each section? Beginner finger pickers only please. LOL

When I set out to learn Freight Train, what worked for me was to break it into two parts: the alternating thumb, and all melody.

I worked on the bass first, worked on it long and hard over many hours.
Then I worked in the melody notes.

good luck!

[TBman]

Originally Posted by amyFB

When I set out to learn Freight Train, what worked for me was to break it into two parts: the alternating thumb, and all melody.

I worked on the bass first, worked on it long and hard over many hours.
Then I worked in the melody notes.

good luck!

Good advice. I do that often.