Find Your Fingerpicking Style
Рет қаралды 21,810
Күн бұрынTuesday Blues #234 - mybgi.net/2tf9zQO
Ever have this debate in your head? Which finger do I use to pluck each string?
If you're just starting out with fingerstyle acoustic blues, questions like this can paralyze your progress. I believe in establishing a framework that will help you dedicate a finger to each string.
Fortunately for us, there are (at least) three main fingerpicking styles that provide such framework.
1. Thumb and Index Finger like Etta Baker and Rev. Gary Davis
2. Thumb and Two Finger like Mississippi John Hurt
3. Thumb and Three Fingers like Tommy Emmanuel
As with any framework, there are times to step outside of it and break the rules, but limitations can be a beautiful thing, especially for a beginner.
So, if you find your fingers getting tangled up, eliminate the confusion of which finger should pick which string by finding your "home base" fingerpicking style.
In this video, we'll take a brief look at each and help you find your own picking framework.
Good luck and Play On!
John
RELATED LESSONS:
How to Get Started with Fingerstyle Blues - mybgi.net/tb233
2 Easy Exercises To Build Fingerpicking Coordination - mybgi.net/tb223
Develop Good Timing With These 3 Simple But Powerful Exercises - mybgi.net/tb149
GRAB THE TAB FOR FREE:
mybgi.net/tab234
#tuesdayblues #acousticblues #playbetterblues
► FREE: 5 Essential Fingerpicking Exercises
mybgi.net/FPExercises
► Lesson Page: mybgi.net/2tf9zQO
► Free Mini Course: mybgi.net/2ti2Pl3
► BGI Premium Membership: mybgi.net/2tjw47a
► TRUEFIRE COURSE Fingerstyle Blues Roots: mybgi.net/2EFRUKA
===============================================
POSTING SCHEDULE
New Blues-focused guitar lesson posted every single Tuesday.
SUBSCRIBE to learn how to play Great Acoustic Blues!
bit.ly/2wGVJsy
CHECK OUT ALL THE TUESDAY BLUES LESSONS:
www.bluesguitarinstitute.com/t...
LET'S CONNECT!
-- / bluesguitarinstitute
-- / johnfhatcher
-- / bluesguitarinstitute
@benstokes7964 3 жыл бұрын
Merle Travis used the Thumb+Index technique exclusively. Chet Atkins did thumb+two fingers, brah.
@BluesGuitarInstitute 3 жыл бұрын
True, true. Doh! Sorry for the flub. Pinning your comment to clear the air. Thanks!
@benstokes7964 3 жыл бұрын
@@BluesGuitarInstitute I wasn't trying to be a know it all, but I've watched and listened to those guys, and Jerry Reed, play a lot. I play some very complex stuff with just thumb and index. One of the advantages that I'm not sure you mention of that style is that the thumb drives it a lot more than the other two, and you get some very unique feel and syncopations that you don't get with the other fingerpicking styles. I mix in strums and single string lines played alternating thumb index (like alternate picking with a flatpick). It isn't just for simple picking. I play Blues, Country, Celtic, Slack Key etc. this way and it doesn't limit me. I actually tried three and four finger picking for years, but it never felt like "me". Once I tried thumb+index it was like a light bulb went off! AHA! Everyone should experiment and find what works for them. BTW Ledward Kaapana, the great slack-key player only uses Thumb and index. Great channel btw!
@BluesGuitarInstitute 3 жыл бұрын
@@benstokes7964 Thanks for the thoughtful reply and no, I didn't take it as a know it all comment, I was more embarrassed that I let that slip on camera! Sometimes no matter how many times I watch a video something gets by me :) I am constantly amazed by what Merle could do on the guitar with his style and that proves your point, it's not simple! and yep, everyone should find what works for themselves. Nice chat and thanks for pointing out the error, I mean that. Cheers!
@johnharter4599 Жыл бұрын
so did john prine
@dailybaglimit 3 жыл бұрын
You have done a wonderful job addressing this subject. Truly the best and most informative video on the matter that a beginner finger picker could find.
@chad4631 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for this awesome tutorial bro. The bottom line is to find the fingerpicking style that is right for you or that suits you as a guitarist/ musician. Again thanks, bro. 🎸🎵🎶🫶🏼
@blackieja Ай бұрын
I've just started teaching myself to use thumb and 2 fingers and I find that I make less mistakes using this method than when i use thumb and 3 fingers. But I'm still trying to find my style, I'm a 64 year young beginner. But I found your video very informative - thanks✌️🕊🇬🇧🇯🇲
@fisherman695 3 жыл бұрын
Thank you for this ... was ready to quit cause the third finger just wasn’t coming along..two fingers with thumb can sound huge ...
@stadlion Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much
@monishagowda8928 3 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for this video! I had been debating for a long time to use 3 or 4 fingers since I am a beginner!! Thanks a lot for giving a direct solution!
@btrull6018 3 жыл бұрын
Thank you for such a concise video and so well explained . As a beginner, who splits practice time between " Cowboy Chords " and strumming and finger picking this video has been extremely helpful to remove some of the fog .
@PeterJohnsonWales 5 жыл бұрын
Great discussion - thanks. I learned thumb and three fingers and strangely, while I can play thumb and index without too much trouble, I find thumb and two fingers confuses the hell out of me. Pity, cos I'm a big Mississippi John Hurt fan, and the one style I can't handle is his!
@BluesGuitarInstitute 5 жыл бұрын
Ha! Yeah MJH is one of my favorite pickers but I mostly play thumb and three on his stuff. Maybe I need an extra finger to do what he did :)
@richarddavis7487 5 жыл бұрын
Nice video. After flatpicking for the last few decades, I'm getting back into finger picking (with three fingers). However, my go to has been my thumb and index because it just seemed a bit more natural for me and I'm a Reverend Gary Davis fan.
@BluesGuitarInstitute 5 жыл бұрын
Thanks, he's a fantastic picker and for me it's just amazing that he made all those sounds with two fingers, you know? Thanks for the comment!
@WillBill2857 Жыл бұрын
I've been searching for a good explanation of thumb and 2 finger versus thumb and 3 finger so great to find this, I've played for decades with thumb and 3 fingers and the thin tone I get from the ring finger drives me nuts. I've been working with the thumb and 2 finger approach for a while now and it sounds much better although I can't say I've found a logic for which finger plays the b string, finding it best not to overthink it !
@TheYoudhruv 3 жыл бұрын
Damn I searched for this and lqnded here. Thanks for making this video. I am 3 + T player. Very happy with that.
@BluesGuitarInstitute 3 жыл бұрын
Glad you found me :) Tons more fingerpicking stuff on this channel. Thanks for the comment and have a great day!!
@stevedouglas7375 5 жыл бұрын
Excellent lesson John. For years I played with thumb and three fingers and at some point I morphed into thumb and index. However, there are a few exceptions when I still use two, or three fingers. Like the title of your video states, a person should experiment and eventually they will find which style they prefer. They might even switch fingerings sometimes depending on what they're playing.
@BluesGuitarInstitute 5 жыл бұрын
Thanks, Steve! Agree, you'll find the need to switch at times and I really like having that home base to go back to and I think it helps beginners especially. Did you change to thumb + index to get a different sound going? I'm interested in what led you to that change.
@stevedouglas7375 5 жыл бұрын
@@BluesGuitarInstitute Well John, it happened more by accident than anything. At some point I realized I had a quick index finger that gets around quite nicely. Also, I'm extremely particular about the length of my nails and one day I cut all of them short except my index nail to save time dealing with all of that and it stuck. Also, I do in fact get a different sound because of how I like to pinch and pop (so to speak) the strings on the up stroke. I believe I get better syncopation by using my index finger. I lean more towards an economical style anyway, so it seems to work. Thanks!
@BluesGuitarInstitute 5 жыл бұрын
Thanks for that, Steve. Makes sense to me and good for you with that quick index finger :)
@stevedouglas7375 5 жыл бұрын
@@BluesGuitarInstitute Cool. Thanks John.
@davewebb3847 5 жыл бұрын
Helpful. I've been using three fingers, sometimes even four, as my default for many years without really thinking about which does what. I'm developing some neuropathy that's making it harder to use my ring finger (impossible to use my pinky). If I have to adapt to two-finger picking, this is a great starting point.
@BluesGuitarInstitute 5 жыл бұрын
Hi Dave, glad to hear that this video is helping. When I play with the thumb and two finger style, I usually dedicate the stick to index on the third string and middle on the top two. I tend to anchor my ring finger on the guitar body with that picking style whereas otherwise I don't.
@davewebb3847 5 жыл бұрын
@@BluesGuitarInstitute Hadn't thought about anchoring that way. I'll give it a try.
@andrewbeattieRAB 4 жыл бұрын
3+T is the way to go. I am legally blind, It keeps me from having to look at my picking hand.You always cut one out like 2+T for banjo picking.
@fredward_thick5686 3 жыл бұрын
How would you do alternate picking with the 3 finger method
@cotymanery Жыл бұрын
What song is this?
@BluesGuitarInstitute Жыл бұрын
Hey Coty, it's an original composition called Morning Cup that I teach in my membership. Cheers! John
@Shayne_Mushin 2 жыл бұрын
Where’s the tab?
@BluesGuitarInstitute 2 жыл бұрын
Tabs for my lessons are available for my students in my membership. But you can grab a free pack of tabs on my site blues guitar institute dot com. Cheers!
@El_Pimpin_Shizz Жыл бұрын
I keep trying to find videos explaining delta blues riffs. Not licks, i wanna learn how to keep and improvise a beat. Every time i find a vid it either teaches me a song or licks. I want to learn a pattern not a song so i can create my own.