A couple of beginner fingerstyle questions

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by ddn1661

Speaking of slowing down things, I find that downloading videos of songs I want to play from Youtube and playing them at much slower speeds allows me to see what the players fingers are doing, if the video angles are good that is.

You can slow down youtubes (to 75%, 50%, or even 25%) without downloading. But then you can't do much manipulation (looping and so on) - what do you use to slow down your downloads?

Transcribe software works with downloaded videos (all the usual looping and variable speed changing) if you can convert them to MP4.

[ddn1661]

Originally Posted by JonPR

You can slow down youtubes (to 75%, 50%, or even 25%) without downloading. But then you can't do much manipulation (looping and so on) - what do you use to slow down your downloads?

Transcribe software works with downloaded videos (all the usual looping and variable speed changing) if you can convert them to MP4.

I use either VLC or MPV media player (I use Linux) and the bracket keys [ and ] allow adjusting the playback speeds, also helps as you can convert the video to mp3 in VLC and listen to it on any device or burn it to CD's

(edited my post as I was afraid of getting in trouble for saying "downloading", oops!)

[GGNJ]

Check out Fretboard Confidential on Utube

[JERZEY]

Originally Posted by ddn1661

Thanks for all the replies!
I started out wanting to learn acoustic guitar by ordering the Learn & Master Guitar set by Legacy, not knowing anything about different types of playing.
Since I like 70's to 90's pop and rock, while beginning the lessons I would surf to find tabs that I could eventually work towards playing.
I bought "Everything I Own" by Bread on sheet music by Gabriella Quevedo since I could possibly make an attempt at singing it, not knowing that it was a fingerstyle composition (or even what fingerstyle was)
Then I watched her video playing it and thought wow, I don't have to worry about trying to sing with this "fingerstyle" thing (of course it's much more difficult to learn as I rapidly found out)
There's a guy called lonelypicker on Youtube that has some easier popular arrangements and now i'm trying to learn Abba's "The Winner Takes it All"

If you are interested in learning instrumentals or solo fingerstyle then you need to start training your thumb independence. Its going to take a while. There are lots of old American traditional tabs out there that can help you break into it. Your knowledge of theory and your chord library are jack all if you cant stay in time and the thumb is the first and most important part.

[MisterOM]

I'm in a somewhat similar boat as the OP, just at a different point in the journey. I have been playing fingerstyle for quite some time, but most of it has been pattern type playing. Think songs like Dust in the Wind, Landslide, James Taylor tunes etc. And I can read tab just fine, and am learning standard notation.

Thanks to a horrible singing voice combined with playing by myself 99 percent of the time I have really taken an interest in fingerstyle arrangements/instrumentals. There are a lot of resources online to get started with, as long as you can read tab. I've found some simple tunes in YouTube as well as independent sites like https://www.guitarnick.com. He includes chord diagrams, and in some cases offers easy and advanced versions of songs.

I do think that having learned pattern playing first was helpful, the independence between thumb and fingers was already established.

So I guess my advice would be to learn to read tabs, and maybe learn a few songs that you like that use patterns while you dip your toes in the waters of solo arrangements.

Steve W

[joeld]

Excellent, someone mentioned Derek Gripper! An older version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac_lqrZ5ZOU . A newer one, he's loosened up a bit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSIGLpK9aQI . A studio version, showing off how independent the base and treble melodies can be: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb0uaPQ1BdE .

[hatamoto]

Originally Posted by ddn1661

Hello! New on the forum and first post
In my late 50's and self-learning fingerstyle, I do a lot of studying but don't have much time for actual practicing unfortunately.
Most of what I see regarding learning is memorizing fingerstyle patterns, "learn these few patterns and you can play 1000's of songs" sort of thing.
I kind of doubt that, but just how much time should one spend on learning set patterns?
I know it's vital to get the thumb and fingers doing their own thing so maybe that's the idea behind the patterns.

Second thing is, quite a few of the fingerstyle tabs i'm finding online have no chords shown above the measures.
From what I understand is in fingerstyle the "chords" aren't EXACTLY "chords" correct?
One must figure out from the notes what "chord shapes" are being used in each measure?
That idea REALLY threw me off from starting to learn acoustic basic strumming to fingerstyle, the idea of "chord shapes" being just that apparently, so you can't just memorize chords and have it work.
I bought a chord stamp and ink pad to help with actually stamping the sheet music and drawing in what chord "shape" is being played (turns out you have to learn to read sheet music and not just tabs as well, sheez!)
And here I was thinking this would be easy.....

I think you get the most bang for your buck by learning songs because you also get to practice the patterns. Patterns is just rhythm so you'll likely stumble upon it again for your next song and artists just spin it in their own way. Then next time you come across a YouTube video teaching a particular pattern, you'll see that you could already do it from just having enough in your repertoire.

In regards to "fingerstyling the chords", I think you're referring to arpeggios. Sometimes just "shaping it out" work, sometimes they don't. The idea is not to associate chords by their shapes, but by the notes so you are correct. There are many ways to play a C major chord and not just the "staircase" cowboy open chord shape we all know. It's a matter of finding C, E, and G anywhere on the fretboard in any order, and somehow play it in a "fingerstyle" way.

If you're not familiar with intervals, how major and minor chords are formed 1-3-5 and 1-minor 3rd-5 respectively, and harmony. I suggest taking a look at these concepts. I think once you understand these, it can be easier to understand how chords and melody work.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by JERZEY

If you are interested in learning instrumentals or solo fingerstyle then you need to start training your thumb independence. Its going to take a while. There are lots of old American traditional tabs out there that can help you break into it. Your knowledge of theory and your chord library are jack all if you cant stay in time and the thumb is the first and most important part.

1st of all, I'm not a great fingerstyle player, but in my sporadic journey clueing into this simple concept made a big difference. Your first priority is to teach your thumb to keep the bassline going, once your thumb has learned its job then your fingers can start learning where to add melody, on and in between the bass notes. But dont lose sight of the fact that it is all constructed around that bassline. My own inclination was the exact opposite and I wasted a lot of time worrying about my fingers and considering the bassline as more of an afterthought.

The other thing that has helped, is that I still think of the music in terms of strumming, IE if I would use a particular strumming pattern for a part I have a go to fingerpicking pattern that I sort of work around as a substitute.

[JERZEY]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

1st of all, I'm not a great fingerstyle player, but in my sporadic journey clueing into this simple concept made a big difference. Your first priority is to teach your thumb to keep the bassline going, once your thumb has learned its job then your fingers can start learning where to add melody, on and in between the bass notes. But dont lose sight of the fact that it is all constructed around that bassline. My own inclination was the exact opposite and I wasted a lot of time worrying about my fingers and considering the bassline as more of an afterthought.

The other thing that has helped, is that I still think of the music in terms of strumming, IE if I would use a particular strumming pattern for a part I have a go to fingerpicking pattern that I sort of work around as a substitute.

The world is full of "pinchers" as I like to call them. The pickers who take the time to work out a good finger independence foundation shine out.

[ddn1661]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

1st of all, I'm not a great fingerstyle player, but in my sporadic journey clueing into this simple concept made a big difference. Your first priority is to teach your thumb to keep the bassline going, once your thumb has learned its job then your fingers can start learning where to add melody, on and in between the bass notes. But dont lose sight of the fact that it is all constructed around that bassline. My own inclination was the exact opposite and I wasted a lot of time worrying about my fingers and considering the bassline as more of an afterthought.

The other thing that has helped, is that I still think of the music in terms of strumming, IE if I would use a particular strumming pattern for a part I have a go to fingerpicking pattern that I sort of work around as a substitute.

Yes, some of my favorite youtube artists incorporate strumming with fingerpicking, I think it adds some volume and "punch" to just straight melodies.
Too bad my strumming is just as bad as everything else at this point...

[Glennwillow]

Playing fingerstyle guitar is not easy. It's challenging, but I think, very rewarding.

I play some instrumental pieces, but I'm also a singer. I like to play fingerstyle accompaniment with singing as Paul Simon, Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce, John Denver, etc. did.

So for me, having memorized how to play the Travis pick years ago was extremely helpful. Coming up with several other basic arpeggio type picks has also been extremely helpful. Knowing well all kinds of chords and chord shapes is invaluable.

When I play fingerstyle pieces, they are based off of those fundamental finger picking patterns and chord shapes. Not everything you play will be straight finger picking patterns or straight chords, but the foundation for the piece is most definitely based on those shapes and patterns.

In the end, the way to learn is to learn songs or pieces. My approach is to put the theory to practice and learn how to make music, one song after another until I build a repertoire and can really enjoy making music without it being so much work.

- Glenn