Suggestions for finger pickers?

[Bill_Brown]

Hi @Mrfredsporty , In the days gone by, TAC had a “Song Vault” where you could learn flat picking & finger picking songs and instrumentals. I don’t know why it’s been retired, but it’s not a part of this current rendition of TAC. However, it still exists, hidden away on some old server somewhere in Montana and it’s accessible by a link:

https://app.searchie.io/hub/254V7grV3m/

If this is something that you’re looking for then I strongly suggest that you bookmark this link!

[Mrfredsporty]

WOW! Thanks so much,Bill! You absolutely nailed it with that suggestion. I went there a few minutes ago and bingo! That is why this site is valuable. People like you who want to help and will help if at all possible. Thanx again, Bill.

[Bill_Brown]

Glad to help, make sure that you “Bookmark” the link!

[Cadgirl]

I still don’t know why TAC took the song site off? I thought it was very helpful for students to learn an actual song. Lucky for the few of us that saved off the address to it. I just pulled it up and what a lot of songs, i forgot how many. Thanks for the post @Bill_Brown.

[N-lightMike]

Yeah, so @Mrfredsporty ;

I’m very glad that @Bill_Brown was able to give you something that you found valuable. But I would like to take a stab at filling out the picture for you.

When I joined, I wanted to do finger style also. In fact, I didn’t want to use a pick at all. I did use a flat pick for the flat pick lessons for a long time. At least a year and a half, if not closer to 2 years. And I really put some effort into some of the beginner finger picking songs. But somehow, I still didn’t feel like I had my direction and goal.

There are so many different ways to finger pick, so many different styles, and all I was learning was a few specific patterns that hardly scratched the surface of the larger picture.

As I sit here thinking about how I can explain this, I am reminded of an intention I had previously. And that is to make a YouTube video about finger picking. Cause, how do I explain in words what can be difficult to demonstrate? I will come back and link to my video, which I will post in the “Show Us Your Routine” section.

But in the meantime, I can make suggestions for the TAC “warmups”, which Tony now calls “Technique”, that will help you develop the skills to play guitar using finger picking like others play using strumming. What I mean is, playing chords, playing rhythm, but no using a specific pattern. But like strumming, your fingers have to start somewhere.

Now these lessons used to have the designation WU for “warm up”. I haven’t saved all these, but I printed them out and have hard copies, so I can give you the name. Before Tony started adding new ones, there were 30 of them. All the odd numbered ones were flat picking (FLP), and all the even numbered ones were finger picking (FP).

The first FP is WU2. That’s a really good exercise to learn alternating thumb.

Then there is WU1, which is for flat pick. However, if you are going to play with your fingers you need to know how to do alternate picking. Tony demonstrates this in “Tax Refund New Guitar Day“. Once you know how to use your thumb and index to alternate pick, then the flat picking exercises can be used for general finger picking skill.

Then there is WU4, which is a great exercise to learn one of the best 4/4 time alternate thumb finger picking patterns.

The only other thing I would suggest here is to use all three fingers. Tony has the WU12, Ring Finger Roll, and the WU26, Ring Finger Roundup, that help to get the ring finger involved.

The final thing I will say here is to do all the flat picking lessons with your fingers. Figure out how to do everything others do with a flat pick with your fingers.

I hope this helps.

MG 😀

[Mrfredsporty]

What a great reply! Btw I can Travis pick etc but(!)I don’t have the pat the head rub the belly of playing independent melody with treble strings.

[N-lightMike]

Hey @Mrfredsporty , I’m glad you found my comment useful.

Playing melody is something I have done with songs I have learned by rote, like the songs in the Song Vault. As far as just picking out the melody as you play without learning a song by rote, I am a long way from that. What I do know is that the farther down the finger picking road I have gone, the more independent and natural my picking has become. My fingers and thumb seem to be able to do their own thing without having to synchronize.

And “Travis” style, as far as I can tell, is a very broad range that basically means “alternating thumb”. There are a number of different categories within alternating thumb. That’s one of the things I will cover in my video when I get around to doing it.

MG 😀