a little finger picking advice...

mattroutley
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Sun Dec 20, 2009 10:57 am

Hi guys,

over the last two months of using this site i have become a huge fan of finger picking; where i used to solely play rhythmn guitar and ignore the whole finger picking game.

However, I'm finding it difficult to get to grips with walking bass lines and getting my fingers to play a melody while keeping my thumb in time. Even the songs on the simpler side of the mark like Neil's arrangement of let it snow are causing me to struggle.

I have learnt how to play 'nothing else matters' and 'fire and rain' so i'm not completely useless but it's just those damn walking bass lines that are killing me.

Anyway, does anyone have any tips or recommend any lessons that would help me to get over this problem?

Thanks,

Matt


willem
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Sun Dec 20, 2009 11:04 am

I think you mean ''FROSTY THE SNOWMAN''??


reiver
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Sun Dec 20, 2009 11:16 am

Matt

I've been finger picking for about thirty years and I find it difficult too. The problem is that I've always had a lazy thumb when I play, so I'm struggling with it too. Like everything else though - it's just practice. Whenever you pick up the guitar make sure you work on it. Even without playing a chord. Or find a simple progression to make it more enjoyable. I can feel it improving slowly, it just takes time.

r


dennisg
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Sun Dec 20, 2009 11:28 am

Matt,

I break my practice time into two sections: the stuff I'm good at (fun) and the stuff I'm not good at (learning). In the latter part, I work on getting my fingers around new chords and cleaning up chord transitions. I'm a decent fingerpicker, but I'm always experimenting with a new pattern, so what I generally do is keep playing the bass (thumb) part over and over until I can do it in my sleep. Then I'll add one treble note to the pattern until I'm comfortable with that. Then another, until I can practically carry on an unrelated conversation with someone while playing.

Hope this helps.

- Dennis


mattroutley
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Sun Dec 20, 2009 11:53 am

willem wrote:
I think you mean ''FROSTY THE SNOWMAN''??
I actually meant Winter Wonderland :huh:


BigBear
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Sun Dec 20, 2009 12:04 pm

Matt- we all suffer from the same problem. The alternating bass is the key to Travis picking (fingerpicking). The problem is few of have the patience to train our brains to the patterns we need.

I've worked for years on Travis picking because I love the sound of it but I'm certainly no expert. But I do believe strongly that the key is to start slow and simple. Get a picking book and learn the basic patterns, inside out, outside in, multiple string plucks, walking bass, alternating bass etc. And spend time just literally beating these patterns into your head. I'll sit and watch TV and just do patterns over chords to train the muscle memory.

And go super slow at first. Once you get one pattern down pretty well, try changing patterns in mid-song. Slowly and accurately. You can add speed later! The problem with playing a particular song is we hear it in our head and want to play it at that speed. That will just cause sloppy picking habits.

Fire and Rain is not a basic Travis picking song and frankly is a poor place to start. James Taylor is not really a Travis picker but is more a true fingerstylist like Neil. I'd work on songs a little easier at first like Puff the Magic Dragon, or Leaving on a Jet Plane, then work up to more challenging fingerpicking songs like Scarborough Fair or the ultimate alternating bass song Windy and Warm!

Learning to Travis pick is a very rewarding goal. You can play songs you don't know very well just by finding a pattern and applying it. Good luck with this Matt, it's well worth the effort!

Cheers! :cheer:


Lavallee
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Sun Dec 20, 2009 12:46 pm

I have been playing finger picking since I came back to guitar about 3 years ago. The song that have really open the door for me is Babe I, am gonna leave you.

For each chord you have a double bass. Neil had recommend to use your thumb for the 2 bass notes and keep the other 3 fingers for the home position (E.B.G strings) . At first I thought it was quite challenging, and drop it for a while because iI did not see the need since when I played it with my method (which was no method).

Then I decided to give it a go until it would be under control. I am really happy I did. Since then having the thumb a little more independent has improved many songs like Romanza and Is there anybody out there.

If you learn Babe I am gonna leave you (at least the finger picking part) like Neil showed it, I guaranty that you will see many doors opening in finger picking.

Marc


mattroutley
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Sun Dec 20, 2009 1:13 pm

Thanks guys. The forum alone is worth the money on this site! :)


jayswett
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Sun Dec 20, 2009 1:15 pm

I agree that Babe I'm Gonna Leave you is a great song to start with as a beginner fingerpicker. I think Neil mentioned in his instructional video that he has all of his students learn this song in one form or another.


mattroutley
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Sun Dec 20, 2009 1:36 pm

so the gauntlet has been thrown down!

i'll get to work on babe, i'm gonna leave you (really nice sounding song that i've never listened to before), and hopefully once ive got that down i'll aim towards windy and warm....

should keep me busy until july!!


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