Give me your best pro tip for learning fingerstyle

[Malcolm Kindnes]

Originally Posted by pickinray

This is excellent advice. When I started Travis picking, I found that keeping my thumb going was the key. This video was helpful to me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6b371mNkCw

Good luck!

This is correct, it must become second nature.

[Bluenose]

Lots of great advice here. For the raw beginner I'd say practice playing a solid alternating quarter note bass with your thumb until it's all muscle memory and then work in some melody eighth notes with you middle and index fingers. Try making up a simple melody in D using a dropped D tuning so you can play an alternate bass between the 2 open D strings. Strive for developing right thumb independence. Your thumb is your bass player and even though he doesn't play fancy, he keeps things solid.

[Joe Beamish]

You can practice a basic pattern, as heard for example in John Hurt’s songs, even while you’re away from your guitar.

You can tap it out on your leg whilst sitting at a stoplight: Thumb, index, thumb, middle finger.

Then add the alternating movement to your thumb: Thumb on the bass E string, index, thumb on the D string, middle finger. Repeat this pattern of movement. You can replicate this away from the guitar and practice it anywhere. Repetition is key.

I mention John Hurt because some of his numbers, such as Hey Baby Right Away, will help you to establish the basic pattern while allowing you to play and sing lovely little songs.

Then grow from there. Baby steps.

[Jim Owen]

I recall overthinking it. But then, one day, my thumb naturally slipped into an alternating bass pattern. I’d practiced a lot with the goal of playing Travis style.

I used to compare it with driving a manual transmission. Awkward and jerky to begin with but smooth and effortless with practice.

If you practice, it will come.

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by Brooklyn Bob

Travis picking is all about the thumb. Get it working like a metronome and then start filling in the blanks with the other fingers.

This is very true and to the point. I would recommend Rick Ruskin's DVD. This is his description taken from his site (http://liondogmusic.com/Products.html):

Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitar; Video Progressions
Rick Ruskin's remarkable style captures all the nuances of a band/rhythm-section and transforms the parts into amazing, in-the-pocket fingerstyle grooves like you've never imagined on a single guitar! Split-screen video format covers: right- and left-hand technique, walking bass and counterpoint lines, open-voiced triads, simultaneous bass/rhythm/lead parts, pedal-steel effects, double-stop bends, harmonics and more. The techniques are immediately put to use in extraordinary instrumental versions of: Rikki Don't Lose That Number (Steely Dan), Georgia On My Mind, and four originals, each in standard tuning. His meticulous blow-by-blow analysis of each phrase is loaded with variations and insight that show how to transform the essence of any tune into dynamic arrangements of your own.

I learned a lot form that and he really focuses on that thumb early on in the DVD because you will be using it a lot in the rest of it. This DVD has been around quite some time and is just as good today as it was in its original form as a VHS tape (which apparently he also still sells.

Rick Ruskin posts around here from time to time.

Tony

[islandguitar]

I don't know if palm muting is too advanced or you haven't tried it, but I've found that with the muted lower strings it helps to bring your ear and your hands together more in sync. Many who do alternating bass also palm mute as well. It keeps the lower strings from ringing and helps separate the tones you're creating.
Hard to explain why it helps (at least for me) but you could give it a try and see if things click a little better.

[rstaight]

I KNOW that finger picking is done with the pinky on the high E, ring finger on the B, middle finger on the G, index finger on the D, and thumb on the A and low E strings.

But for some reason keep channeling Doc Watson, Just my thumb and index finger.

Maybe it's because I grew up as a flat picker.

[815C]

1. Memorize the arrangement

2. Play it SLOWLY with your hands TOTALLY RELAXED a thousand times until it is burned into your muscle memory

3. Turn up the tempo gradually until you hit your target speed. Sometime try leapfrogging to a much faster tempo, just to see if you can do it. I call this being a test pilot - seeing how fast you can go before you crash.

4. Once you get it up to performance tempo with no mistakes, then focus on playing with FEELING

[pszy22]

It took me many months before I could somewhat rely on my thumb to keep the beat going. The investment is worth it.

If you are interested in the blues, I suggest you google lessons by David Hamburger. For me, he plays the type of music I want to play, and there is no better educator that I have found.

Have fun, keep the faith.

[E-OM]

This fellow has a fingerpicking course that would be great for you.

https://my.bluesguitarinstitute.com/

He has helped me improve and is a great teacher.

[Bob from Brooklyn]

Originally Posted by rstaight

I KNOW that finger picking is done with the pinky on the high E, ring finger on the B, middle finger on the G, index finger on the D, and thumb on the A and low E strings.

Not necessarily. You can play a ton of songs using only your thumb and index finger. For some reason I actually prefer doing that when I play 'The Boxer'.

[boppy99]

Practice, practice, practice.

Also, throw away your flatpicks

[RJack]

OP here. Thank you all for the advice!! Lot's of really good suggestions and they are much appreciated. I'll keep going and I like the metronome idea as well as slowing down and sticking to it.

Saw that someone had mentioned Brian from Active Melody on youtube. I really enjoy his lessons and those are the ones I find most helpful.

Especially glad that folks other than me have found this thread and also watching for suggestions.

Cheers all

[Bob from Brooklyn]

I've used this before as my idea of a great starter song. Notice how the first half of the verse is only thumb and how he adds to it as the song progresses. It actually would not be a bad idea to run thru the entire song with just the thumb and build from there.

[birkenweg42]

Originally Posted by buddyhu

Take lessons!!!

There are lots of world class players giving lessons via Zoom. IMO, getting lessons from a good (or great) teacher is much more effective than trying to pick videos that you think will give you what you need. making your own curriculum cant work very well, because you don’t really know what you need to learn, and you don’t know what is the best order for your learning. A good teacher will watch and listen to what you are doing, and make the right suggestion at the right time. AND, there are some tricks and secrets that the top players/teachers know, but that they don’t give away for free, or for the price of a video. They offer them when they know you, know your playing, and know you are ready to make use of a particular bit of input.

A good teacher will teach you how to practice well, will show you how to use a metronome in a way that works (just turning on a metronome and trying to play along with it is a recipe for discouragement), will help you with right hand technique and left hand technique, will help you to use your eyes to enhance your learning and playing, will help you to listen to your own playing more precisely….all this and more.

I am taking lessons from Richard Gilewitz, and I recommend him highly. I have also taken workshops from Toby Walker, and recommend him highly. My first teacher, Jim Steinke, isn’t teaching anymore, but he was very good.

Find someone who plays what you want to play, (and who communicates/teaches in a way that works for you), and take a year’s worth of individual lessons! You won’t regret it.

This is great advice, especially for a beginner. Starting off learning the basics from a teacher will lessen frustrations and speed up the learning process. Youtube videos are great for intermediate players but as a beginner, you don't even know what to learn and how to separate the useful from the useless.

Richard Gilewitz is an incredible musician and teacher. I have not taken lessons from him but I have seen him perform a couple of times and own most of his books and music.