Finger style guitar. Fnaar
Finger style guitar. Fnaar
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President Merkin

Original Poster:

4,297 posts

34 months

Tuesday 15th November 2022
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Like so many, when I first picked up the guitar, thirty odd years ago, I wanted to be Jimi Page, Jimmy Hendrix, Jimmy Greaves, ok not Jimmy Greaves but years of working on my fretting hand paid off but I always had a doubt in the back of my mind when I heard Bert Jansch, john Martyn etc. It sounded impossibly complicated to me but really all that happened was I'd failed to develop my picking hand.

Roll on the lockdown & with nothing to do for a couple of weeks, I decided to put some proper effort into learning. Undoing years of strumming & lead habits was tough but I stuck with it & now can Travis pick pretty well, I've nailed The Boxer, Kathy's song, Anji, Streets of London, Hearbeats & a few others.

Anyone else into it? And if so, any tips on taking it up a level? Travis picking is ground floor level in my mind. I may be worng about that but wondering where to go next with it & I'm hungry for more, it's such a lovely form of guitar to my ears.

otolith

61,855 posts

219 months

Tuesday 15th November 2022
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I’d love to have the time to get better at it. I would love to play most of the songs on the American Pie album. As you say, unlearning the bad technique you already have is a stumbling block. Hopefully there will be some point in my life when I have time to do it before arthritis sets in laugh

President Merkin

Original Poster:

4,297 posts

34 months

Tuesday 15th November 2022
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Vincent is dead easy. The rest maybe not so much. One of the helpful things is your fretting hand is often not that busy - so much of it is around basic voicings & simple chord extensions. Just don't mention Davey Graham. laugh

Fitz666

679 posts

157 months

Tuesday 15th November 2022
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The tip that worked the best for me, play in the dark, as dark as you can. Stops you looking where you are playing. Takes a while but so worth it.

otolith

61,855 posts

219 months

Tuesday 15th November 2022
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The other problem I have is that songs I can fingerpick tend to go to pieces when I sing and I end up reverting to just playing the chords. But again, it's just practice, when I first started singing and playing strumming the chords went to pot. All of it is just practice at the end of the day.

Ronstein

1,530 posts

52 months

Tuesday 15th November 2022
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Streets of London was the first fingerpicking song I learned back in the day. i then added a couple of Incredible String Band songs and then attempted (with limited success) a Martin Carthy version of 'The Gallant Poacher'.

littleredrooster

5,955 posts

211 months

Tuesday 15th November 2022
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Glad to heat that you're trying, and succeeding!

I come from completely the opposite direction; in 56 years of playing, I've never mastered a plectrum! Everything I play is finger-picked, even the rock classics that we used to play in the band.

I started with the likes of the Boxer, Man of the World and then Davey Graham, moving on years later to Knopfler etc. The last open mike night at the pub, I did a solo slot with Substitute and Won't Get Fooled Again (melody and bass lines and evryfink) and am now listening more to Brothers in Arms to see if I can get to grips with it.

President Merkin

Original Poster:

4,297 posts

34 months

Tuesday 15th November 2022
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Intuitively you'd think Knopfler should be easier than classic Travis picking with his three finger claw technique. Not that I've tried much of his stuff but I would imagine it isn't easier at all. But it's a new direction to try.

Skyedriver

20,617 posts

297 months

Tuesday 15th November 2022
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I find all finger picking falls apart after about two bars (that's music bars not pubs).
Likewise plectrum, I've tried all methods of getting a decent hold but find using the nail on my forefinger for strumming best. Teacher used to get angry with me....
Guess I'm just useless

cherryowen

12,169 posts

219 months

Tuesday 15th November 2022
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I started out when I was 18 (52 y.o. now) with Spanish classical "pima" fingerpicking, but then discovered Led Zeppelin so plectrum was required. I can still do Babe I'm Gonna Leave You and Bron-Yr-Aur, but only because they use versions of the Spanish style.

I tried Travis style a couple of years ago, and sort of got to grips with it but fk me it took concentration. I've lots of time for those that can easily do Weedon / Travis / Knopfler fingerpicking.

paulguitar

30,551 posts

128 months

Tuesday 15th November 2022
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I did a few years of classical training, and still enjoy playing some of those pieces. I put them into my gigs now and then. There's one called 'Classical Gas' that I do which really impresses people, although it's not horribly difficult. I find 'Cavatina' much more of a challenge to play really well.





President Merkin

Original Poster:

4,297 posts

34 months

Wednesday 16th November 2022
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I'm going to take a guess that picking is similar to what drummers call independence of limbs, reaching a point where you can control your fingers individually & without conscious input. That's how it feels to me at least but it was hard to get there. I can only liken it to learning to drive where you can't coordinate the clutch, gears & accelerator for what seems like forever but when you finally can, you wonder how you couldn't before.

That said, a new song with a challenging or varying picking pattern feels like starting again. I'm learning Never going back again & it has something like seven or eight different patterns within it together with barrres held throughout & it's definitely a big hill to climb.

Nico Adie

654 posts

58 months

Wednesday 16th November 2022
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I was obsessed with Nick Drake for a time in my late teens - Cello Song is a good one, very satisfying to play. No youtube in those days of course, but there's a few tutorials on how to play it on there now.

Also well worth checking out Nathaniel Murphy's videos on youtube, he can really play any style but his fingerpicking stuff is incredible.

Also this Danny Gatton lesson is a hive of information

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqqbFmgOFHs

Roofless Toothless

6,609 posts

147 months

Monday 21st November 2022
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Chet Atkins is the master of this style for me.

paulguitar

30,551 posts

128 months

Monday 21st November 2022
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Roofless Toothless said:


Chet Atkins is the master of this style for me.
I used to do that arrangement, might dig it out and learn it again.


I can't compete with that shirt though.



Ronstein

1,530 posts

52 months

Monday 21st November 2022
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Martin Carthy - still going strong at 80



Ronstein

1,530 posts

52 months

Monday 21st November 2022
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And then, of course, there's Martin Simpson


languagetimothy

1,425 posts

177 months

Monday 21st November 2022
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When I started out decades ago the handful of lessons I had at school were fingerpicking classical. I can still do a bit now and teach myself a somethings, I also do some accompanying a singer, but then I see Tommy Emmanuel and get depressed…

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S33tWZqXhnk

paulguitar

30,551 posts

128 months

Monday 21st November 2022
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languagetimothy said:
When I started out decades ago the handful of lessons I had at school were fingerpicking classical. I can still do a bit now and teach myself a somethings, I also do some accompanying a singer, but then I see Tommy Emmanuel and get depressed…

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S33tWZqXhnk
He's an extraordinary player, but I do wonder whether he sort of hangs himself with his own rope sometimes. That's a great piece as it was originally written, not sure it needs to be on steroids.

Skyedriver

20,617 posts

297 months

Monday 21st November 2022
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Came back from a practice attempt over the weekend with the comment " I haven't a musical bone in my body..."