| Using finger picking techniques to play guitar makes | | | | Here is your chord . . . |
| your music more interesting and varied. Flat picking | | | | E -0--------------------------------- |
| does not give the guitar player the chance to pick | | | | B -1--------------------------------- |
| several notes at the same time, to play in octaves or | | | | G -2--------------------------------- |
| explore the possibilities of the finger style technique | | | | D -2--------------------------------- |
| known as Travis picking. A skilled finger picker can | | | | A -0--------------------------------- |
| create the illusion of the sound of more than one guitar | | | | E -0--------------------------------- |
| being played. Playing the guitar finger picking style is | | | | . . . and here is your picking pattern on the fifth and |
| said to have originated with ragtime music. This was | | | | fourth strings: |
| part of the early blues music era and was very | | | | 1 2 3 4 |
| popular played on the piano. It was not long before | | | | D ------2----------2 |
| guitar players were using their fingers to pick out | | | | A -0----------0----- |
| melodies in imitation of the ragtime pianists. | | | | Now you can use your index finger or the middle and |
| When you use finger picking guitar playing technique | | | | ring fingers to throw in random notes that fit in with |
| you can use the flesh of your fingertips to pluck the | | | | your alternating bass pattern. To start you off, here is |
| strings, or you can grow the nails slightly longer on your | | | | your alternating bass with a few notes thrown in. Just |
| right hand to give a sharper sound which is similar to | | | | use your index finger to pick the melody notes on the |
| that of flat picking. You also have the option of fitting a | | | | first and second strings. Note that you start this pattern |
| thumbpick and/or fingerpicks on your picking hand. This | | | | with a "pinch" where you play your bass and melody |
| is the best option if you are playing an electric guitar or | | | | notes simultaneously. |
| a steel string acoustic because steel strings can be | | | | 1 2 + 3 + 4 + |
| hard on the nails. | | | | E -0--------------------0 |
| Travis Picking was developed by a country guitarist | | | | B ---------1-----1------- |
| named Merle Travis. It is a simple technique that | | | | G ----------------------- |
| sounds more technically demanding than it really is. As | | | | D ------2------------2--- |
| a general rule the thumb plays the bass strings which | | | | A -0----------0---------- |
| are the fifth and sixth strings using an alternating bass | | | | E ----------------------- |
| pattern. The index finger plays the third string, the ring | | | | As you begin to see what can be done with finger |
| finger the second string and the third finger plays the | | | | picking guitar techniques, you will also see that your |
| first string. Or you can simplify your playing by using | | | | playing of single note runs will be slower than if you |
| the index finger or the index and ring fingers to play | | | | were using your plectrum. This limitation on speed of |
| the melody notes. Assigning strings to particular fingers | | | | playing can be overcome by working on your thumb |
| is just a way of starting off your finger picking in a | | | | picking. The thumb can be quite fast if you use the |
| disciplined way rather than a hard and fast rule. You | | | | "rest stroke". This is technique used in flamenco and |
| will find as your technique and your confidence | | | | classical guitar where the thumb picks a note and |
| progress that you will want to use chords where your | | | | comes to rest on the string below it. The resulting note |
| bass notes might be on the fourth and third strings so | | | | will be much stronger than if you simply used free |
| you will be varying your technique accordingly. | | | | stroke where your thumb moves outward from the |
| To get the hang of Travis picking just fret an A minor | | | | string. As you become more familiar with finger picking |
| chord and start picking an alternating bass on the fifth | | | | you will develop the confidence to use pull-offs and |
| and fourth strings. | | | | hammer-ons to augment your finger picking. |