Fingerpicking

BASIC FINGER PICKING PATTERNS

I don't quite remember when it was I decided to stop using a pick and start using my fingers, but I think it had something to do with watching a guitarist with a pick literally sawing the guitar in half. Not a good sound! In any case, using your fingers instead of a pick opens up a whole new world of guitar sound. Imagine not being limited to a strum. Being able to highlight individual notes, instead of the whole chord. Being able to play melodies, and not just accompaniments. All of this is possible with finger picking.

The question now becomes: How many fingers should I use? Traditional classical technique uses four fingers--thumb, index finger, middle finger, and ring finger, with no support on the guitar. Travis picking, used for a lot of folk and bluegrass music, uses just the thumb and the index finger, with support provided by the pinky, which lodges itself firmly on the pick guard while you are playing. I like the Chet Atkins style: Use your thumb, index finger, and middle finger, and provide support from your pinky on the pick guard. There are no hard and fast rules about this; choose the style that is most comfortable for you. But in the following diagrams, it is the Atkins style that I will be referring to.

Please feel free to modify anything that I say in this section. There are guitarists that sound just fabulous using classical style. Others sound terrific using Travis style. Yet others swear by Atkins. The choice is yours. Any style can be used to reproduce the following picking patterns. Choose the one that you like best and have fun with it!

PETER, PAUL, AND MARY

I first started finger picking after listening to such folk music icons as Peter, Paul, and Mary, and Joan Baez. I was really young! In any case, the pattern that I heard most was the following. Try it on open D tuning, if you have already visited my page on that subject. If you haven't, click on Open D Tuning below.

The right hand picking fingers in the illustration below are indicated by t=thumb; i=index finger; m=middle finger. Remember to keep the tip of your pinky anchored on the pick guard (or that area of the guitar where the pick guard would be) if that is most comfortable for you.

The line above the tab will give you some indication of the rhythm (R):

q=quarter note (1 beat); e=eight note (half beat):

R|-q---e--q--e---q-------q---e--q--e---q---|



1|-0(m)------0(m)------|-0(m)------0(m)----|

2|--------0(i)---------|--------0(i)-------|

3|-----0(t)------0(t)--|-----0(t)------0(t)|

4|---------------------|-------------------|

5|---------------------|-------------------|

6|-0(t)----------------|-0(t)--------------|

Listen to the midi file to get the rhythm. Click here.

If you're still having trouble with the rhythm, think of it like this: One full measure (the area between the vertical lines) consists of four beats, or eight half beats. A measure can be counted like this:

one and two and three and four and

Each number plus the and equals a full beat (quarter note). Each number or the and equals a half beat (eighth note). Any note will fall anywhere on these numbers or the word and between them. Assuming you are counting evenly, the bold face words would be where the notes in the above diagram fall:

one and two and three and four and

Think Puff the Magic Dragon! Start slow, and then try to do it a little bit faster each time. Be patient. It really takes a lot of practice! And whatever you do, don't give up! Believe me, you'll get it!

If you're still wondering about how to time your picking, this is how it is most often played:

The first notes in each measure are quarter notes (one beat). The second is an eighth (half beat). The third is a quarter note, the fourth is an eighth note, and the last is a quarter. If you were clapping and counting, it would look like this, where X is the clap (or the notes):

X.......X...X.........X...X.......

one and two and three and four and

TRY A SONG

There are thousands of songs that use the picking pattern shown above. Try the following, which would make a great accompaniment to Puff the Magic Dragon, and thousands of other songs that use the same chord structure. Each measure uses one complete measure of the picking pattern noted above. Each slash (/) below equals one beat. With the chord, each measure equals four beats. If you are unfamiliar with the chords, here they are. Your guitar should be in standard tuning for this one. (eadgbe). I'll show you how to do it in an alternate tuning at a later date. Maybe you can figure it out and we can compare ideas!

G Major

1|-3----------|

2|-0----------|

3|-0----------|

4|-0----------|

5|-2----------|

6|-3----------|

B Minor (barre this one on the second fret).

1|-2----------|

2|-3----------|

3|-4----------|

4|-4----------|

5|-2----------|

6|-x----------|

Where X means (mute) don't play the string.

C Major (X means mute).

1|-0----------|

2|-1----------|

3|-0----------|

4|-2----------|

5|-3----------|

6|-X----------|

E Minor

1|-0----------|

2|-0----------|

3|-0----------|

4|-2----------|

5|-2----------|

6|-0----------|

A Seventh

1|-0----------|
2|-2----------|
3|-0----------|
4|-2----------|
5|-0----------|
6|-X----------|

D Major

1|-2----------|

2|-3----------|

3|-2----------|

4|-0----------|

5|-X----------|

6|-X----------|

And here's the chord structure. Four beats to each measure, or one measure (between the vertical lines) of the pattern illustrated above.

|G///|Bm///|C///|G///|C///|G/Em/|A7///|D///|G///|Bm///|C///|G///|C///|G/Em/|A7/D7/|G///|

IMPORTANT NOTE: In the finger picking pattern above, the indication for the sixth string represents the root tone of whatever chord you are playing (G for a G chord, C for a C chord, etc.) But you will notice in some of the chords illustrated above (the D Major, A Seventh, C Major, and B Minor, for example,) the root tone does not occur on the sixth string. In the case of the D Major, it occurs on the fourth string; with the A Seventh, it's on the fifth string; with the C Major it's on the fifth string; and with the B Minor it's on the fifth string. So, when using the picking pattern above, let the chord determine the string your right-hand thumb will play. For example, the basic pattern for a D Major chord would be as follows:

R|-q---e--q--e---q-------q---e--q--e---q---|



1|-0(m)------0(m)------|-0(m)------0(m)----|

2|--------0(i)---------|--------0(i)-------|

3|-----0(t)------0(t)--|-----0(t)------0(t)|

4|-0(t)----------------|-0(t)--------------|

5|---------------------|-------------------|

6|---------------------|-------------------|

Listen to the Midi by clicking here. To see tab, click here.

Do you get the idea? I'm pretty sure you do! But if you don't, e-mail me and ask. I'll be happy to answer your questions!

MORE FINGER PICKING PATTERNS

Here's another finger picking pattern that I think you'll like. This one is adaptable to many songs. Each note gets an equal amount of time. Try it slow, and then gradually bring it up to speed. The following tab is on a D major, chord, but try this on any chord. Just make sure that your first note and your fifth note are the root of the chord your are playing. For example, here they are D, because this is a D major chord. If you were playing a G major chord, they would be G. If your were playing a C major chord, they would be C, etc.

1|--------2(M)--------------------2(M)------------------|

2|--------------------3(I)--------------------3(I)------|

3|--------------2(T)--------------------2(T)------------|

4|--0(T)--------------------0(T)------------------------|

5|------------------------------------------------------|

6|------------------------------------------------------|

Here's the same pattern in C major, just so you see what I mean:

1|--------0(M)--------------------0(M)--------------|

2|--------------------1(I)--------------------1(I)--|

3|--------------0(T)--------------------0(T)--------|

4|--------------------------------------------------|

5|--3(T)--------------------3(T)--------------------|

6|--------------------------------------------------|

FINGER PICKS OR NAILS

Lot's of people use finger picks and love them. Me, I prefer to use my fingers and nails. The acoustic guitar is such a natural instrument that I feel the natural sound of your flesh and nail compliments it perfectly. Grow your nails until they're a bit above the pads of your fingers. Some people like to file their nails so they're angled slightly up to the right. Others just keep them shaped to a nice arc. In any case, use both the fleshy part of your finger and the nail to achieve a beautiful and expressive sound. Of course, some people can't grow their nails. They break easily or bend too easily because they are too soft. Then, by all means, use finger picks. Even if you're nails are prone to breaking, if you can grow them just a little, try the Alaska picks. They act pretty much like natural nails, and can be shaped and filed. And remember, there are guitarists who use nothing but the flesh of their finger pads to play and still sound great. Finger pads? Finger pads plus nails? Finger picks? It's up to you. Do whatever works for you. Remember, guitar playing isn't about rules, it's about fun and making beautiful music. Do whatever it takes to make it work for you. It's your music!

FUN

I hope you've had fun with this. I love finger picking! More picking patterns to come soon! And more tunings. If you're liking this, let me know by e-mailing me at (see home page). I'd love to hear from you! And happy finger picking!

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