Hey guys welcome to another lesson. We’re already in lesson number six, so the time basic lessons brought to you by the guitarlesson.com. I'm Tom Fontana and today we’ll be learning finger pickings. So you just put your plectrum aside for now you won’t be needing in this lesson at all we’ll just be using our bare fingers to pluck the stings.
Okay and then we’re going to learn finger picking by playing our arpeggiated chords which means that will be holding them chords that you already know that we already learned back in lesson number two, and backing the chords individual notes instead of strumming it as in the biggest lessons. And then you’ll see that you can produce amazing music through finger picking chords. You just have to get your finger used to the plucking patterns use in plucking the individual strings.
So let’s just get started with that. We’re going to concentrate on your picking hand now. And first of I want you to place your thumb on to the low E string, your index finger on to the G string, your middle on to string B and your finger on the High E string. Now use your thumb to pluck the low E string, and your index finger on string G, your middle finger on string B, your ring finger string E, then go back to pluck B with your middle finger and string G with your index finger and now join it up.
[Demonstration]
And just make sure each finger is only hitting strings that supposed to be hitting, okay? I just want you to practice step for now, and make sure you’re doing it correctly so your fingers are on one or not to get the string. And then just practice at them I want your fingers get use to the movement, and while you’re practicing this and before we move on to the arpeggiated chords, I just want to tell you the basic rules of finger picking. The first one is that your thumb will usually be picking below bass string on top. And if you're arpeggiating a chord, it will usually pick me picking the lowest string in that given chord. The second rule is that your index and middle and the ring finger will usually be picking the treble strings, so it means G, B, and D respectfully. And the third rule is that unless you get very proficient, your pinky won’t be doing any fill, it will just be along for the ride sticking out of the way of the other fingers actually, or just providing an anchor, a point of balance on it, so your pick up for the high string or where is not on the way.
As I hope some of you use to the finger picking the open strings, and now I'm going to you to whole down an E major chord. And you wont be picking the E string with your thumb since basically it will be minor as the E string. And if you change the D your thumb will move down to the D string. So you can’t arpeggio any chord like this you get a really nice metal sounding arpeggio by picking each string in order. For example the House of the Rising Sun uses the same finger picking pattern on chords that you already from the previous lessons.
[Demonstration]
Okay so that was just an encouragement to show that what you can achieve with finger picking. We don’t have enough time to learn all that right now, but there’s a sample lesson on the website on the guitarlesson.com teaching you how to play the House of the Rising Sun. Just check it out if you feel you like it. It’s also fun and it’s a great song for beginners.
And then I want to introduce you to another picking pattern this one is called the Travis out finger picking named after Menard Travis who made this now finger picking famous back in the 1940s, 1950s, and I’ll just show you quickly on a D major chord, okay.
[Demonstration]
So this style of finger picking is also called ultimate thumb picking simply because your thumb alternates between two different strings that you saw, and this can be used on any chord I’ll teach you using D Major, but I want you to spare move with the after the lesson on other chords as well. So hold on to D Major and pluck the D string with your thumb then the high E string with your middle finger, and then move your thumb down to string G and finish with your index finger on B. And just review it for now.
[Demonstration]
So this one takes a bit more I'm getting used to them the first picking pattern that we learn since your thumb has to alternate between two strings. And you’re not picking those strings in there in their natural order. But you’re moving it—I almost dropped my guitar, you're moving in between them, so it will take some time I get used to it, but don’t get frustrated if you mess up just try it again and it will work out the next time or the time after that. So don’t get frustrated keep on practicing it okay.
Now I want to give you some more encouragement by playing Spanish sounding finger picking pattern. This one in particular is not our arpeggiating chords but it does a great old song, just listen to it.
[Demonstration]
That was actually a short section of the song you’ve been learned on the guitarlesson.com, and that was just another of the tons of patterns that already exist not to mention the ones will be making up soon. But for now just stick to practicing the normal finger picking pattern we learned at the beginning of the lesson, and once we get the movement program that is your fingers into your hands try changing for one chords to other. And keep them and then your thumb always has to pluck the bass note of the particular chord like I showed you. So let you practice all these on your own now. But I want to give you a few pointers before I sign off.
First, as you can see this finger picking pattern just rely on repetitions, so repeated finger movement. The key to learning them is repetition just repeat the pattern over and over and over until your fingers almost moved by themselves without you having to pay attention okay, that’s the first. My second advice to you would be that you should practice this pattern slowly at first. And build speed only when your fingers are plucking the string position before plucking. So do increase your speed but only gradually -- at your own pace. You want it much more important to learn these techniques correctly. You’ll find that speed will come with time anyways, so you don’t need to force it okay.
You know also keep in mind that all just to be fun and then it cause you personal pleasure and satisfaction. And I know this is cheesy a bit, but by really if you get frustrated then why don’t you take a break and resume later on when your fingers have had some rest and you’re full of energy again okay. So we wish to end of lesson I hope you have fun and learn the couple of various things. Just keep on practicing and I’ll see you on the next lesson where will be learning the different types of bar chords. It will mean a huge step forward and your advanced as a guitar player since bar chords, they're used in tons and tons of great songs so you can go out and download it from the guitarlesson.com. I’ll see you then, that will be lesson number seven I think. Well, time really flies isn’t not? Almost that lesson number 10, so okay just keep on practicing and I’ll see you on the next lesson, bye!
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