Fingerstyle guitar?

fluffypants · #1 03-06-2011, 08:53 AM

Hello again!

I've realized that one of my basic weaknesses in music is maximizing the use of chords. Recently, I've watched a cover of one of my favorite animes on guitar (I am not an avid fan of animes though) and this was really uplifting. YouTube - ‪Hidamari Sketch on guitar‬&rlm; I never knew how chords could sound so good alongside a joyous melody.

I have been practicing what I've learned from the 5 expensive sessions of classical guitar, but those I've learned from them were the "correct" posture, "correct" fingerpicking method, and some sight reading tips.

I really wanna start right this time and know how to fingerstyle in the correct manner and be able to improvise chord melodies the most efficient way possible.

Can anyone tutor me/give me tips/post lessons here?

PM me if interested.

Thank you very much!

cravingmusic · #2 03-26-2011, 03:02 PM

I started off as a fingerstyle guitarist, I still am but Im focusing a lot more on Jazz and Improvisation right now. If you want to play fingerstyle you have to listen to it. Check out players such as Merle Travis, Chet atkins, Tommy Emmanuel, and Pete Huttlinger. Learned to use your thumb to play the bass notes, and learn Travis Style Pickin. There are plenty of self teaching books on it. Dont get down if you cant get it at first, it took me 2 weeks before I could finally just play a simple blues fingerstyle piece. The trick to fingerpicking is to 1.) know your chords. 2.) Make the full chord and learn to hold it and not move around so much. 3.) Practice everything slowly at first and always make sure your thumb is hitting the bass in the right places and at the right time.

Start slow and go slow! (: Fingerstyle is a great style to get into!

fingerpicking · #3 03-29-2011, 10:48 AM

If you're into jazz standards, I've got some arrangements on my site for fingerstyle guitar that may help you Fingerpicking Guitar

tele jazz · #4 04-10-2011, 03:51 AM

check out joe pass and martin taylor for some fingerstyle heroics!

brad4d8 · #5 04-10-2011, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Argentein

... the link is not working.

Works for me.
Brad

fluffypants · #6 10-26-2011, 01:40 AM

I want to be able how to fingerstyle the songs I hear without any use of tabs or anything.

Lately I've been practising technique, but it's still difficult for me to mix the "singing" parts of a song and the main melody that's accompanied by it. Please help!

Fast Bebop · #7 10-26-2011, 09:15 AM

Your problem is very simple to resolve :

- Work with theorical support, books, do exercises, etc
- or take lessons
- or transcribe by ear the things you like
- or suck it all from yourself (this is going to take time :-D)
- or, this is the best advice, do all these things.

Take five lessons, espacially with a classical musician (who was very right by the way to teach you how to have a good posture, good hand position, and to give you tips about sight reading) is not very much, progress is a long process.

Good luck !

FB

ronjazz · #8 10-26-2011, 09:43 AM

There is no guitar pill.

fingerpicking · #9 10-31-2011, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fluffypants

I want to be able how to fingerstyle the songs I hear without any use of tabs or anything.

Lately I've been practising technique, but it's still difficult for me to mix the "singing" parts of a song and the main melody that's accompanied by it. Please help!

My advice would be to learn the melody really well in a key where it's sits nicely for the guitar. After you've got the melody strong, start fitting in some bass notes. I find if I pick a key where the melody is sitting around C on the 3rd string 5th fret to C on the 1st string 8th fret then I'll generally have plenty of good bass fingering options. It's a big subject but I think to begin with the melody and bass notes is a good way to get yourself started.

jazzuki · #10 11-01-2011, 10:00 AM

Try 99centguitar lessons Rich Severson plays alot of fingerstyle standards and has a range of"How to's".

Guitar · #11 11-10-2011, 02:53 AM

Fingerstyle is my background. I'm an editor here --> Fingerstyle Guitar

It's like everything else. The 'more right' you start off, the better you'll be. The foundational elements of fingerstyle are just so critical as your skill level progresses.

I'd suggest Buster B Jones "Fingerstyle Guitar From The Ground Up" Vols. 1&2, and Pete Huttlingers "Essential Exercises for Fingerstyle Guitar". The goal is attaining a very unnatural level of digital autonomy, which requires breaking down a lot of muscle-memory barriers and relearning them. If you start fingerstyle wrong, you'll find your picking hand will get like a brick. It's hard to get out of that slump, so it is hugely important to start fingerstyle off right, as far as technique goes. While oriented more towards the Travis/Atkins styling, those DVDs are great for general 101 level fingerstyle theory.

Jweele01 · #12 11-10-2011, 04:00 AM

Some good stuff to study are Frantz Casseus' pieces. There's an sheet musicbook available here.

Here's a video so you can get an idea of the type of music:

YouTube Video

I think it's especially interesting timing/phrasing wise.

eddy b. · #13 11-10-2011, 08:20 AM

It's sounds to me like you are asking,How to Arrange the Song so that the Chords and Melody can be played at the same time? If that is your question you may want to check out the advice in the Chord/Melody section of this forum. Also just for pure amazement checkout Martin Taylor and Tuck Andress...WOW!