Complete amateur trying to learn finger picking (Simon and Garfunkels 59th street bridge song)

Feel free to get outside the box here.
dsmarion
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Sun Sep 04, 2011 6:32 am

Jim,
I am going to recommend that you might want to at least look at Blackbird (it's in the "partially free" section down the "free lessons" page a bit). This song, while rated at a 5 difficulty is really a beginning fingerpicking exercise for using "travis style" alternating bass notes and also is a song that (for the most part) only requires using the thunb and one other finger (there are a couple notes played using the third finger, but only a couple). This song really helped me get the hang of keeping the thumb going and lots of other songs use this technique. Also pretty much everyone here has tackled this song at one time or another so you can get lots of advice on it. I know it really helped me. If you find it too tough you can always revisit it later on.

Scott


Lavallee
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Sun Sep 04, 2011 7:27 am

HI Jim, if you are going to join Target lite, you should consider getting the Mauro Giuliani right hand exercises in the instrumental section of the Target program . This is an excellent lesson to practice the home position that Neil mentioned in most fingerpicking lesson (Thumb traveling on the 3 base strings, index to hit the 3rd string, middle to hit the second string and ring finger to hit the first string). There are 14 exercises in the lesson (the original is 120 exercises) that are explained by Hector Garcia, the resident classical lessons teacher). In my humble opinion, it is the best lesson to get you on the right track for fingerpicking as the right hand fingers will be used to be the right position and it will be easier to learn the songs. The lesson tells you where to put your finger for the left hand as well (as most tab do).

Marc


jimlard
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Sun Sep 04, 2011 11:19 am

@Scott, thank you once again, I will take a look at Blackbird which happens to be one of my favourite songs. cheers.

@Lavallee, thanks for pointing me in that direction, that sounds like just what I need.

Does anyone know if there is anywhere I can ask for help about Target Lite membership please? I have just signed up for target lite and tried to access the Mauro Giuliani Right Hand Studies - Hector Garcia lesson but I just get the video of Neil which says to sign up to the Target program to gain access to this lesson. I'm wondering if I have to be a full member or if I have done something wrong?

Jim


dekotaj
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Sun Sep 04, 2011 11:24 am

Hey Jimmy-Put in A ticket at support.Those folks cant help with anything.

Peace Brother.

Kevin


jimlard
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Sun Sep 04, 2011 11:38 am

Thanks Kevin, still finding my way around and didn't notice the support button.

Jim


jimlard
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Sun Sep 04, 2011 2:56 pm

All sorted with the Target lite lessons, I was being a bit thick but 'support' got straight back to me and put me on the right track.
I've got the Hector Garcia lessons and the Blackbird lesson.
Thanks once again for all your help and advice.

Cheers
Jim.


BigBear
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Tue Sep 06, 2011 11:17 pm

Jim- at the risk of beating a dead horse... start very, very slowly. Beginning players have a tendancy to want to get to tempo right away because that's how they hear the song in their minds. Abandon that thought!! Speed will come later. You want to learn to finger pick very slowly with perfect accuracy. You can't teach accuracy, it is inherent to the process. So build accuracy and then very gradually build up speed as your confidence improves. If you start getting sloppy, slow down again. Use speed as a treat to yourself for a perfectly played measure or section.

I have said this many times on this forum before but learn which fingers go on which strings. Learn to use your index, middle and ring fingers on the G, B and E strings. Glue those fingers in thos e strings unless you are picking a four string pattern like a D chord where you can use a two finger pattern. And work equally hard at having your thumb hit the correct bass notes.

I believe that finger and Travis picking is all about discipline. Most starting players don't have it and they don't have the patience to get the muscle memory for it. They want to cheat and because almost any note in a chord sounds good who cares if the right finger plucked the right string, right? Absolutely NOT! Neil did not become the player he is by learning shortcuts. Most/all of us will never play like Neil but the dscipline he used when he was learning is same for us.

Like others have suggested, find some easier finger picking songs to start with like House of the Rising Sun, Puff the Magic Dragon, etc. Paul Simon is a master of finger and Travis picking. One of the best all time. His songs are WAY over your head at this point. It's okay to take a stab at them, but you will probably become frustrated or start cheating if you pour all your energy into 59th Street Bridge Song. It seems deceptively simple but it is harder than it sounds.

I bought a couple of books on Travis picking and I would sit on the couch and play those patterns for hours until they started to sound musical. I don't recommend playing with the TV on but when learning picking patterns you just have to out in the time.

From the responses you got, you can tell you have tons of support here so when you get stuck, or frustrated, just post a note and we'll try to get you unstuck!!

Good luck and Happy Pickin'!! :cheer:


jimlard
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Wed Sep 07, 2011 8:15 am

Thanks BigBear, I have found a free online metronome that I am using to try and keep tempo with my fingerpicking, at the moment I have it set to 50 (I'm guessing that's beats per minute).
I am currently doing the Mauro Giuliani Right Hand Studies - Hector Garcia lesson which were recommended to me, I am still struggling with the first exercise although it is slowly getting easier. My right hand is getting quite accurate at that first exercise now (at 50 bpm), the more I practise the less I have to think about my right hand positioning which means I can concentrate more on the left hand chord changes which I am still struggling with if I am honest, my left hand is still not very accurate or fast when I am fingerpicking (although I can change chord no problem when strumming)
I will certainly look at House of the rising sun (another favourite of mine) and I'm sure my young lad will appreciate Puff the magic dragon although my current attempts are causing him much hilarity.
I wish I had found this site a long time ago, It certainly is a friendly place and a great way to learn.

Jim


BigBear
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Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:02 pm

jimlard wrote:
Thanks BigBear, I have found a free online metronome that I am using to try and keep tempo with my fingerpicking, at the moment I have it set to 50 (I'm guessing that's beats per minute).
I am currently doing the Mauro Giuliani Right Hand Studies - Hector Garcia lesson which were recommended to me, I am still struggling with the first exercise although it is slowly getting easier. My right hand is getting quite accurate at that first exercise now (at 50 bpm), the more I practise the less I have to think about my right hand positioning which means I can concentrate more on the left hand chord changes which I am still struggling with if I am honest, my left hand is still not very accurate or fast when I am fingerpicking (although I can change chord no problem when strumming)
I will certainly look at House of the rising sun (another favourite of mine) and I'm sure my young lad will appreciate Puff the magic dragon although my current attempts are causing him much hilarity.
I wish I had found this site a long time ago, It certainly is a friendly place and a great way to learn.

Jim
Jim- Excellent! You are already on your way toward become a fingerpicking pro! 50 bpm is good, even slower if it helps accuracy. Think of it as learning to type.

If you are really just learning the guitar I would not work on finger picking just yet until you have a solid left hand and know all the basic chords (major). Neil may disagree but I'm a huge fan of keeping it simple and learning one skill moderately well before taking on another. It's just too much overhead for a new player. I feel the same about playing and singing too.

House of the Rising Sun is a good one to start because you can play it with a pick and it uses basic chords and chord changes. Then when you get the chord changes down you can switch to finger picking and the song takes on a whole new feel.

Don't feel bad about Puff. I've played that song so much that my whole family lets out a collective groan when they hear the first few notes!! "Not that damned song again!!"

But the absolute single MOST important thing about learning the guitar is to HAVE FUN!! Sometimes we get so caught up in learning this beautiful instrument that we forget why we took it up in the first place!! Always make time in your practice schedule to just play some songs that you like.

Cheers! :cheer:


willem
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Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:22 pm

Hi Jim,,i see you got a lot of good advice and i gave the big fellor many times a big hug on his speakings,,for me ''the house of the rising sun'' was also a starting point on fingerpickin and the many common chords in it and i just want to tell if you can play that song then you can also play ''hallelujah'' by Leonard Cohen so if you learn that one you get two (songs).. A nice song for study travis pickin i would suggest ''landslide'' by Fleetwood Mac also a target lesson here,,,so goodluck on your yourney..


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