What I have learned about playing finger style

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Andyrondack

......
It's also usefull to be able to re-arrange book pieces to make them more playable, but what I have found really helpfull for playing fingerstyle in standard tuning is to use a short scale guitar.

Yes, I started doing this as well. I don't need to learn 4-8 page pieces that can run up to 5 minutes long. I get out my mental scissors and trim to fit my fingers (and patience)

[Mr. Jelly]

Originally Posted by SprintBob

I’ll add that for fingerstyle arrangements with a difficult measure or section, my teacher has shown me often how I can usually take some of the “filler” notes out and just keep the melody and bass/beat notes. Most of the time that can get you through and your target audience may not even notice.

It was nice to read this as I have been doing this at times. Having health limitations with my fretting hand added to being a little lazy about doing things implicitly correct drove me to let the extra musical baggage go when possible. It doesn't always work but there are times it sounds better.

[fwellers]

Good post. Your experience resonates totally for me.

Here's what I love about practicing guitar.
Many times I pick something I really want to play, only to find out after an honest try that I'm just not there yet. Trying to play the piece with a sense of smoothness, speed and musicality is just not gonna happen.

And here's the good part. Some time later, maybe a few months later or even a year later, I'll come back to it and find that I'm ready for it now.

And maybe I'm not fully ready for all of it yet, but I'm ready to take it significantly farther than before.

That's just a great validation that I am making real progress and is one of the best parts of just continuing to play and not quitting.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by TBman

I have found that 99% of playing fingerstyle is staying in your weight class. (At the age of 67)

Anyway I'm sure others can also add their tips as well here.

Hi Barry…
I certainly know how to not-try things which are above my achievement level when playing live. But in private, I constantly push myself to learn to play things which are above my current capabilities, or at least different than my current knowledge of a song.

[tbeltrans]

Things I have learned about playing fingerstyle...

You need fingers in good shape. So...

- keep your fingers out of the garbage disposal
- keep your fingers away from car doors
- let somebody else hammer nails
- stay away from machinery

There is a saying "slower is faster" when it comes to learning new music. Don't teach your hands to make mistakes. Practice on time, perfectly so you don't make mistakes, and do it as slow as you need to avoid making those mistakes. Learn it right the first time and every time.

Tony

[Glennwillow]

I like your list, Barry! I think it makes very good sense.

Interesting comment from Derek, too, about recording. That has also helped me.

I also agree with Jeff that coming up with your own arrangements can be very rewarding and a great way to expand your horizons.

- Glenn

[The Bard Rocks]

A friend of my is a world-renowned mandolinist. His guitar player at one time was a fellow who was not hot shot, but very, very competent. I told my friend I really liked his playing because he didn't overplay like so many do. This surprised him (I think he was very unimpressed with the playing because he was not a hotshot), so he asked me to explain. I replied that he knew his bounds, stayed within them, and what he did, he did JUST RIGHT. Clear, clean, always right on the mark.

Now if I could just remember my own advice....

[Glennwillow]

I think the reality is that most listeners don't really like complex stuff. A well-executed, simple piece -- something like "The Water is Wide" or "Shenandoah," as examples -- grab listeners much more readily than something over the top.

I think that's why so many guitar players and listeners of guitar music like guitar versions of Turlough O'Carolan's harp music. It's super melodic, has lovely harmonic accompaniment, and there is no question about what the melody line is.

- Glenn

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

I think the reality is that most listeners don't really like complex stuff. A well-executed, simple piece -- something like "The Water is Wide" or "Shenandoah," as examples -- grab listeners much more readily than something over the top.

I think that's why so many guitar players and listeners of guitar music like guitar versions of Turlough O'Carolan's harp music. It's super melodic, has lovely harmonic accompaniment, and there is no question about what the melody line is.

- Glenn

I just posted up Water is Wide,

Maybe I can find my copy of Shenandoah on my PC,

Good points Glenn. The old KIS method - Keep It Simple!

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

I say arrange your own stuff and then you can play whatever you want--and not have to do anything your hands won't cooperate with.

This ^^^^ is the best advice in this thread.

Tony

[Doug Young]

As someone mentioned, one thing that helps is to play your own music, either compositions or arrangements. It's always hard to copy someone else - no matter how hard you try, you're not them. It's instructional, and I continue to learn other's tunes as a way to push myself. But I find it more rewarding to create my own arrangements and tunes, and that automatically fits my capabilities and taste. - I just don't (usually...) create something I can't play.

I was taken by a comment in one of Phil Keaggy's old instructional videos (VHS!) where he talked about the players he admired and learned from; Hedges, Holdsworth, some others, but ended by saying "I can't play like any of those guys, so I just do what I do". Finding your own "voice" solves a host of issues of not being able to play what others play, and turns it into a positive. The great thing about guitar is that it all sounds good - some people play a million notes, some just a few. As long as it's musical, it's all good.

Originally Posted by SprintBob

I’ll add that for fingerstyle arrangements with a difficult measure or section, my teacher has shown me often how I can usually take some of the “filler” notes out and just keep the melody and bass/beat notes.

I've been tending more and more to going the opposite direction with my own arrangements - that is, to work out the most bare-bones arrangement possible, and then when I play it, feeling free to elaborate and add stuff on the fly. I've created several books based on this idea (using Hymns and Christmas songs), but have been tending to do it more for my own use as well. It's easier to memorize, faster to have something playable, and makes it less boring to play, as I get to "improvise" variations on the tune, which keeps it from getting stale. Some of the arrangements I recorded for a Christmas CD a few years ago were done that way. What I had when I recorded was a single page of music, not much more than bass notes and melody one time thru, but I'd play it 3 or 4 times, doing it differently each time. In its own way, it also keeps me within my abilities and my own taste, rather than trying to play every note of a more complex arrangement.

[SprintBob]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

I've been tending more and more to going the opposite direction with my own arrangements - that is, to work out the most bare-bones arrangement possible, and then when I play it, feeling free to elaborate and add stuff on the fly. I've created several books based on this idea (using Hymns and Christmas songs), but have been tending to do it more for my own use as well. It's easier to memorize, faster to have something playable, and makes it less boring to play, as I get to "improvise" variations on the tune, which keeps it from getting stale. Some of the arrangements I recorded for a Christmas CD a few years ago were done that way. What I had when I recorded was a single page of music, not much more than bass notes and melody one time thru, but I'd play it 3 or 4 times, doing it differently each time. In its own way, it also keeps me within my abilities and my own taste, rather than trying to play every note of a more complex arrangement.

Yea, at this point in my musical journey, it can be rewarding and more fun to start with simpler arrangements, getting totally comfortable and happy with them, and then seeing what I can add. I've had too many experiences where I took on something too complex and invested a lot of time and energy before finally giving up.

[Andyrondack]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

I've been tending more and more to going the opposite direction with my own arrangements - that is, to work out the most bare-bones arrangement possible, and then when I play it, feeling free to elaborate and add stuff on the fly. I've created several books based on this idea (using Hymns and Christmas songs), but have been tending to do it more for my own use as well. It's easier to memorize, faster to have something playable, and makes it less boring to play, as I get to "improvise" variations on the tune,

This has to be one of the best ideas for teaching music from a book which I have come accross.

[rick-slo]

Time allowing I'll learn some guitarist's existing tune I like and try to pick up on the nuts and bolts of what is going on technically
and stylistically. It may not change much about how I tend to compose things but who knows and it's interesting.

IMO often tunes of a few minutes length usually do better with enough variation to keep it interesting.

[RichardN]

The original post is brilliant.

The cool thing is that even with this more laid back approach you'll see significant progress.