question about fingerstyle

[bluesguy63]

I have a general question about fingerstyle playing. I have heard other players say before that all of there songs sound the same when they strum. For instance, using the old standard DDUUDu pattern in different songs that have the same chords, it all sounds the same. I am just learning fingerstyle and have learned a pattern or two, so I guess the question is ...how does one use the same fingerstyle pattern and make songs sound like that particular song or am I completely off base thinking that will work and the method I am using, i.e. simple fingerstyle pattern is really only good for just backing up a singer? Thanks

[rick-slo]

You have a chance to work out various combinations of melody and harmony for one thing. One precise picking pattern throughout
the song without variation would be somewhat limiting but that is rarely how it is done.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by bluesguy63

...how does one use the same fingerstyle pattern and make songs sound like that particular song or am I completely off base thinking that will work and the method I am using, i.e. simple fingerstyle pattern is really only good for just backing up a singer? Thanks

Hi ''guy''…
A really great fingerstyle teaching tool is Pete Huttlinger's DVD titled Essential Exercises for Fingerstyle Guitar.

The reality is I don't use only one pattern to play everything. I do use simpler patterns when backing up singers than when playing full-blown fingerstyle arrangements.

I have many accompaniment patterns which I have laboriously and meticulously figured out and now employ. And not only picking, but plucking entire chords, and strumming with nails or even the edge of the thumb. While one could play merely a simple repeating pattern when doing accompaniment, it is more fun to mix in the strumming and plucking as well.

Song accompaniments contain rhythms, meter, and style, and each of these can be altered by the patterns chosen, and the way I employ them.

When it comes to playing entire songs in chord-melody fashion, patterned play goes out the window...or at least don't become repetitious like accompaniment playing. I still play fingerstyle on chord-melody, but in a more artistic and deliberate fashion employing more 'frills' such as arpeggios, inversions, and interconnecting scale work.

[walternewton]

As you say, if you strum the same pattern over the changes of 2 songs with the same chord progression they will sound the same, and if you fingerpick the same pattern over the same 2 songs they will also sound the same.

What I think you're getting at when you say you want the "song to sound like that particular song" is that you need to be incorporating the melody into your playing...a different thing than the sort of "pattern" picking that might be used for vocal backup, likely involving a more complex, worked-out arrangement. Think about a basic tune like "Mary Had a Little Lamb", for which the chords would be very simple, but work the first few melody notes into what you're playing and it would be immediately recognizeable.

[bluesguy63]

Originally Posted by walternewton

As you say, if you strum the same pattern over the changes of 2 songs with the same chord progression they will sound the same, and if you fingerpick the same pattern over the same 2 songs they will also sound the same.

What I think you're getting at when you say you want the "song to sound like that particular song" is that you need to be incorporating the melody into your playing...a different thing than the sort of "pattern" picking that might be used for vocal backup, likely involving a more complex, worked-out arrangement. Think about a basic tune like "Mary Had a Little Lamb", for which the chords would be very simple, but work the first few melody notes into what you're playing and it would be immediately recognizeable.

Exactly...I guess now I'm trying to figure out how to easily/simply incorporate the melody notes into the pattern. Any "trade secrets" out there that anyone wishes to share that makes this easy. Should the melody notes fall on the trable strings ? Should the melody notes fall of the 2nd and 4th beat on the measure? Thanks for any help!

[walternewton]

Originally Posted by bluesguy63

Exactly...I guess now I'm trying to figure out how to easily/simply incorporate the melody notes into the pattern. Any "trade secrets" out there that anyone wishes to share that makes this easy. Should the melody notes fall on the trable strings ? Should the melody notes fall of the 2nd and 4th beat on the measure? Thanks for any help!

You're correct that the melody is often played on the treble strings; depending on style there might be an alternating bass, or chords, or more complex parts played below on the bass strings.

As far as where the notes fall, I think the melody should be played more or less "in rhythm" - the distinctive pattern of notes and rests is a big part of what makes any tune memorable (think again of any simple song, like Happy Birthday or Jingle Bells).

You might start out by building up a repertoire of arrangements to study...where to start depends on what you're interested in, I like Stefan Grossman's Country Blues instructional materials...some people like Mark Hanson's books, or you can find fingerstyle arrangements of Beatles tunes, or chord-melody versions of Jazz standards, etc.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by bluesguy63

Exactly...I guess now I'm trying to figure out how to easily/simply incorporate the melody notes into the pattern. Any "trade secrets" out there that anyone wishes to share that makes this easy. Should the melody notes fall on the trable strings ? Should the melody notes fall of the 2nd and 4th beat on the measure? Thanks for any help!

Hi b-guy…
Chord melody playing is all about using chords which make it easy to finger/play the melody notes on the beat they naturally occur in a song (not on a certain beat). No secrets, just pick a song, then a key and figure out the melody first, then overlay those melody notes over the proper chords...start simply and get more complex as you develop an arrangement.

The key chord-melody songs are constructed in is very important since the key will help the melody notes in certain ranges across the neck. Simple ones like Freight Train (key of C) were written around a specific key.

Notes don't have to appear in the treble range, and can be played on intermediate or bass strings just as easily as the trebles. If utilizing barres or partial barres and inside chord voicings they can also be played high up the neck for an additional octave of range upward.

[Hack Amatuer]

When I first began I used a method of palm-muffling the bass strings as I ran an alternating thumb pattern and playing (for the most part) melody on the treble strings. I now have lost the thumb pick, and palm muffle and incorperate the chords more to emphasise and harmonise with the melody line.

[ilikeguitar]

Originally Posted by bluesguy63

Exactly...I guess now I'm trying to figure out how to easily/simply incorporate the melody notes into the pattern. Any "trade secrets" out there that anyone wishes to share that makes this easy. Should the melody notes fall on the trable strings ? Should the melody notes fall of the 2nd and 4th beat on the measure? Thanks for any help!

I've noticed that as I kept doing fingerstyle stuff the plucking became more controlled and deliberate (not to say that it's necessarily great or anything, but I'm not just flailing my fingers). You've just gotta train your mind to just instinctively know what patterns sound good in what parts of your music, and that'll come with practice. Of course, there are tons of different sounds you can get with fingerstyle so I guess it all depends on what you want to play. There's no single formula for fingerpicking.

[Brian W.]

I didn't go the picking pattern route. I think there are some advantages with picking patterns, steady rhythm for one, but then they can also lead to the repetitive trap that you were describing earlier.

I knew a guy that could play any song thrown at him. Guitar, banjo, it didn't matter. He used the same picking pattern and inserted the melody line over it. Kind of impressive at first, but quickly became repetitive and even annoying.

I like to develop the melody and bass line simultaneously. For me, it's all about trial and error—finding things that work and then snowball other parts to it.

There are certainly many artists that use picking patterns effectively. No reason you can't bounce in and out of them within the same song. Options!

[fatt-dad]

Yeah, I don't use picking patterns. The thumb does what it needs to do and the finger does the melody. Then again, I'm just using my thumb and index fingers.

I used to do the three finger patterns though. . .

f-d

[Christian Reno]

Originally Posted by bluesguy63

...I am just learning fingerstyle and have learned a pattern or two, so I guess the question is ...how does one use the same fingerstyle pattern and make songs sound like that particular song or am I completely off base...

Finger style is a term that can be debated forever, but IMO it is not exclusive to patterns. For example, if you want to sound like John Prine, just learn the pattern he uses on 90 % of his stuff, but that doesn't automatically apply to everyone elses music. There are many "patterns" to be learned, but no one can play all styles attributed to finger style guitar with a collection of patterns. There is far more to it that involves a more independant style of picking with thumb and fingers.