Fingerstyle question....again

[larryb]

When you are playing fingerstyle and it's not patterned (for example, not travis picking, but improvising arpeggios, single lines, etc), is it advisable to assign certain fingers to certain strings (not rigidly, but more or less), or is it better to do what feels comfortable at the time. Sometimes I find myself using my thumb on on the 3rd and 4th (rarely 2nd and 1st) strings, and my first 2 fingers on the lower strings. And sometimes, playing the exact same tune, I may use a different fingering. Should I be focusing on consistency, or what feels comfortable at the time?

[Losov]

Originally Posted by larryb

Should I be focusing on consistency, or what feels comfortable at the time?

I choose B. As long as the guitar is producing the notes I want it to, I don't pay much attention to which finger is doing what when. I delegate this responsibility to the fingers. When the cerebral cortex gets involved, it tends to screw things up.

[rick-slo]

In general I do not use my thumb on the unwound strings or my other fingers on the lowest two bass strings. There are always going to be certain situations that call for breaking this custom however. For example one speedy way (pick like) of doing single lines is to alternate the thumb and index finger on whatever string you are picking. Try to be somewhat consistent in what you do but be adaptable to special situations as they arise.

[rorymac0]

I try hard to stick by the rules (although I know really there aren't rules as such but many do make sense and stop you developing habits that might hinder your progress) but I sometimes use my index and middle fingers on the 4th and 5th strings and roll between my thumb on the 1st.
My ring finger just flies about and hits anything so I stick that up vertical as I can lol !

[tbeltrans]

If you have a thumb like Richie Havens, you don't need to worry about using your other fingers at all!

Tony

[Brent Hutto]

If you're you're playing classical music, the traditional approach is for it to be well prepared, polished and to a certain extent planned out rather analytically. The idea being there is in most cases one way of fingering a phrase that allows you the freest expression of whatever it is you think that phrase should be expressing. It's not about "whatever works" but about "what is the best way". Once you've experimented and found the best way (which of course is your best way and may differ from someone else's) you practice until it is automatic to play it every time that same way.

But I doubt you're playing classical music and you may not necessarily be striving for the best possible rendition of the composer's intent (as you interpret it), repeatable with minimal variation at each performance. So ask yourself what you're all about in playing that song. If a sense of freshness and in-the-moment inspiration is important to your performance, don't stick to any "rules" at all. Make it different every time time you play it. Or if you want to play blistering fast, virtuoso fingerstyle then find whatever lets you play it fastest with the least mistakes.

It's all about what you're trying to do. I don't play classical music but almost all of my playing is oriented toward coming up with a version that I think works and then perfecting it in much the way classical guitarist do things. Whether on fingerstyle guitar, flatpicked guitar or for that matter mandolin. It's just the particular muse I follow, so to speak. But I'm not big into finger assignment "rules". I treat each new song as a puzzle to unlock what's going to work best (which most often BTW ends up looking a lot like those "rules" after all). Go figure.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by larryb

...Should I be focusing on consistency, or what feels comfortable at the time?

Hi Larry…
I play and teach Thumb-n-3 (as opposed to Thumb-n-1, Thumb-n-2 or Thumb-n-4).

I start beginning fingerstyle students with the Thumb covering bass notes on strings 4-5-6 and the index on 3rd string, middle finger on 2nd string, and ring finger on 1st string handling chords, runs, and arpeggios.

We practice patterns (picking), chords (plucking), and scales (articulated and slurred) with that arrangement for a few weeks.

Once they have that settled, then we start learning to move the fingers in one string (strings 2-3-4) so they can learn inside chords, and finally to split finger where either the ring stays put and the other two shift inward, or first moves to the 4th and the other two stay outward.

You will do well if you learn it systematically instead of what is merely comfortable - because all new learning is uncomfortable.