Fingerpicking question

[Jtaylor1101]

If I’m trying to play a song I have chords to with fingerpicking instead of strumming, how do I do that?

If I’m holding a g chord what strings would I pick and in what order?

How many times would I pick in a count of 4. Meaning if I was going to strum 1-2-3-4, how would I pick that?

[TBman]

A quick and dirty recording demo...

Root note (bass) then strum. If you can do this, then



Get this book/cd set by Mark Hanson:

Contemporary Travis Picking

and then get his Art of Solo Finger Picking when it becomes available again. They are adding 4 more songs to it and re-releasing the book/cd set.

If you can't do what I did in the demo sound clip then start off by forming the g chord, hit the low e string (a g note) then strum the chord. Then change to a C chord, hit the 5th string (c note) then strum the chord. Go back and forth for a while then after another G chord go to a D chord and hit the fourth string (open d string) then strum the chord and go back to a G chord. Practice that until you get it pretty smooth then order the first Mark Hanson book.

After you work through some of the first book you'll be able to figure out when to zig and when to zag when it comes to finger picking chords.

[Mr. Jelly]

I'd first try to get all the fingers moving in some kind of smooth fashion. Then I'd try to hit specific areas. And then move to exact strings. With a G chord about any string you hit in any order will end up coming out as a G.

[Jtaylor1101]

Originally Posted by TBman

A quick and dirty recording demo...

Root note (bass) then strum. If you can do this, then



Get this book/cd set by Mark Hanson:

Contemporary Travis Picking

and then get his Art of Solo Finger Picking when it becomes available again. They are adding 4 more songs to it and re-releasing the book/cd set.

If you can't do what I did in the demo sound clip then start off by forming the g chord, hit the low e string (a g note) then strum the chord. Then change to a C chord, hit the 5th string (c note) then strum the chord. Go back and forth for a while then after another G chord go to a D chord and hit the fourth string (open d string) then strum the chord and go back to a G chord. Practice that until you get it pretty smooth then order the first Mark Hanson book.

After you work through some of the first book you'll be able to figure out when to zig and when to zag when it comes to finger picking chords.

Ok I’ll get that. Would you pick the string and then the rest of the note or the string and then the whole note including that string?

And how do you count with that? Is it 1&2 or are both the pick and strum one count?

The song I’m trying to play is four strums for each chord. C-g-d-em, if I want to use picking I place of the down strums. How many picks in a count of “1”? It’s the counting I’m really struggling to comprehend.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Jtaylor1101

Ok I’ll get that. Would you pick the string and then the rest of the note or the string and then the whole note including that string?

And how do you count with that? Is it 1&2 or are both the pick and strum one count?

The song I’m trying to play is four strums for each chord. C-g-d-em, if I want to use picking I place of the down strums. How many picks in a count of “1”? It’s the counting I’m really struggling to comprehend.

I would start with 1 "pick" equals one beat.

What is the song JT? It really depends on that, too. You can pick the bass note as one beat, then strum for another beat then repeat or do picking patterns which includes pinching two strings at once per beat or throw in 8th notes as well which is 1 2, 3 4, 5 6, 7 8 in the same time as 1 2 3 4. Again it all depends on the song's tempo and melody as well. If it has vocals I would keep it simple and just pick a bass for one beat, then strum for another, then repeat the same for the next two beats then change chords and do the same pattern.

[mastercaster]

JimCA recommended this book in another thread. I bought it and I'm very glad I did. Every chapter is a different fingerpicking technique.

https://www.halleonard.com/product/v...34&subsiteid=7

[Jtaylor1101]

Originally Posted by mastercaster

JimCA recommended this book in another thread. I bought it and I'm very glad I did. Every chapter is a different fingerpicking technique.



https://www.halleonard.com/product/v...34&subsiteid=7

I ordered the book. I’m just looking for that one answer in the mean time to try to play with it. Is there a general rule for counting beats with fingerpicking? For example a four count might be four down strokes. One down stroke for each beat or maybe up and down eight times. Is there a simple way like that to look at it? If I pick four times would that take the place of my one strum or would it be 16 picks(4 groups of 4)? I’m absolutely going to read the book but for this question, I’m just hoping someone can give me an idea of how it works specifically in place of strumming. Not so much how to pick or what “style”. Just how to count a beat in place of a strum or strums. Thanks for the help!

[Jtaylor1101]

Sorry I didn’t see the other replies on my app. For some reason only one loaded. Thanks for all the detailed answers.

[Jtaylor1101]

Originally Posted by TBman

I would start with 1 "pick" equals one beat.



What is the song JT? It really depends on that, too. You can pick the bass note as one beat, then strum for another beat then repeat or do picking patterns which includes pinching two strings at once per beat or throw in 8th notes as well which is 1 2, 3 4, 5 6, 7 8 in the same time as 1 2 3 4. Again it all depends on the song's tempo and melody as well. If it has vocals I would keep it simple and just pick a bass for one beat, then strum for another, then repeat the same for the next two beats then change chords and do the same pattern.

The artist that started my question is Eric church. He’s a newer country guy but it seems to be the same in a lot of music I look up. When I get the chord chart it will say something like 4 beats of each chord but when you listen to the song it’s finger picking not strumming. So your answer makes more sense. Im trying to start to listen to songs and “figure it out” but my ear is pretty inexperienced and I don’t really recognize that stuff yet.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Jtaylor1101

If I’m trying to play a song I have chords to with fingerpicking instead of strumming, how do I do that?

If I’m holding a g chord what strings would I pick and in what order?

How many times would I pick in a count of 4. Meaning if I was going to strum 1-2-3-4, how would I pick that?

Hi Jtaylor-etc…

I taught fingerstyle for about 40 years, and there is no direct, simple, universal translation from strumming to picking. You don't wake up one day and *bam* you are a finger picker!

You need to learn, and develop, a solid group of simple fingerpicking patterns if you are going to learn to mix in fingerstyle for accompaniment purposes, and then use your patterns and apply them to different songs.

I offer a video I did for friends and students which is an introduction to Folk Style fingerstyle guitar (which is a basis for accompaniment). The patterns are simple, and the last two in the video are still viable after 50 years of playing. If you actually go to YouTube to view this, under the SHOW MORE tab all the patterns are listed and you can simply copy/paste them into a note taking app.



And fingerpicking and strumming can be mixed (should be for accompaniment). I'll add another video of three styles of strumming I use as a finger styler (strumming without picks).



Hope this adds to the discussion…

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Jtaylor1101

If I’m trying to play a song I have chords to with fingerpicking instead of strumming, how do I do that?

If I’m holding a g chord what strings would I pick and in what order?

How many times would I pick in a count of 4. Meaning if I was going to strum 1-2-3-4, how would I pick that?

Here's a basic alternating bass pattern:

E-3---------------------|
B----------------0------|
G----------0------------|
D-------0-----------0---|
A-----------------------|
E-3-----------3---------|
  1     2  &  3  &  4

Thumb picks strings 6 and 4, fingers pick the other three, Any fingers, or just one finger, will do it. The main thing is the thumb (downstrokes) keeps the beat - just like downstrokes with a pick. The finger(s) may pick a string at the same time as the thumb (pinch stroke), or pick the offbeat between the thumb strokes. Picking upwards of course.
A lot of patterns have only two finger notes per bar (along with the 4 steady thumb beats) and they can basically go anywhere, as long as the rhythm is steady.

[6L6]

Look up "Travis finger picking" on YouTube. Lots of good videos there.

[Wyllys]

JT...

Most of us old-timers started from the basic "alternating" bass as used by Elizabeth Cotten (Freight Train) and Mississippi John (Spike Driver's Blues).

Play the fingers against the alternating bass pattern. Here's a video to look at:

https://youtu.be/DXokUAbU4cE

Just remember there are two things going on...the driving bass rhythm with the melody notes picked above, either straight or "ragged".

Good luck.

[51 Relic]

A really good intro would be to YouTube Guitar Fingerpicking Patterns . That search will give a LOT of results . Good luck