I want to play Fingerstyle...should I learn flatpicking first?

[min7b5]

Originally Posted by michaelws

I am a total newbie to guitar. ..
Should I continue to learn with a flat pick and then learn fingerpicking styles?

..

No. If you want to fingerpick, jump in and start fingerpicking. I'd get a good teacher in your area and have them show you stuff that you know you like. Playing stuff you really like pulls you forward motivation-wise, and makes you much more self-correcting because you really know what each phrase is supposed to sound like.

That said, just for the record, studying just a little beginning classical guitar is the best fingerstyle entry point possible in my opinion, no matter what style you really want to play. Decades of teaching, and just listening to what's out there, I hear some much instrumental fingerstyle on steelstring in particular that sounds more like accompaniment than something that stands on it's own. Classical guitar gets you thinking about getting that melody to really pop out front more... It's a great way to learn about tone, projection, dynamics, technique.. etc

[Andyrondack]

Originally Posted by min7b5

. Classical guitar gets you thinking about getting that melody to really pop out front more... It's a great way to learn about tone, projection, dynamics, technique.. etc

Completely off topic I know but as you're posting on this I am wondering to what extent you find classical hand technique useable with Alaska piks, specifically do you try and push down on the steel strings wearing the picks? I am wondering because I use them myself and sometimes it sounds like my bass acompaniment is too loud relative to the melody.
Thanks.

[min7b5]

Originally Posted by Andyrondack

Completely off topic I know but as you're posting on this I am wondering to what extent you find classical hand technique useable with Alaska piks, specifically do you try and push down on the steel strings wearing the picks? I am wondering because I use them myself and sometimes it sounds like my bass acompaniment is too loud relative to the melody.
Thanks.

I thinking you're referring to rest strokes, and for me the answer is zero. I never use them when playing steel string, with or without fingerpicks. For me, the extent to which I use classical technique is really just about right and left hand position to the strings, and posture/playing position to some extent. I have friends that are great classical player and I sure hope that don't read this and reply with first hand accounts about how awful my classical technique really is But in my mind, that's how I'm thinking. As per my post above, I feel like I'm mostly talking about the classical mind-set of getting the melody to come out, to always be very musical, dynamic, etc, and avoid just playing out of the hands, mostly thinking about patterns, and flat-lining dynamically. I hope that made sense.. Really just learning two or three easy classical piece with a teacher in the room (sorry kids, Youtube isn't always gonna do it) to set you straight on the spot might be all you need to really have that perspective and take it what ever else you you play.

[Andyrondack]

Ok thanks for the clarification. I tried using rest strokes with picks but combined with the narrower steel string spacing I can't really make it work and stay in control.
Totally agree with you on using dynamics to bring out a melody, not all notes are equally important so why play them all at the same volume?