Fingerstyle Guitar
Hey there, welcome for Beginner Guitar 101 for Grownups. This is lesson #10. I�m gonna
give you an introduction to fingerstyle guitar. Now if this is not something you�re interested
in, feel free to pass on this lesson but I think its a lot of fun. I�m using my nylon
string guitar. You can use it on a steel string just as well. I prefer my nylon string for
fingerstyle.
First of all, I�m gonna start with the fingerstyle strum. We�ve done the D chord, the Cadd9
and G chords with the pick. You can also strum it with your fingers. Now to get a good sound
with your fingers, you need to get your nails involved a little bit. So what I�m gonna
do is actually strumming down with the top nails of my first two fingers I�ll say.
I might hit my third occassionally and it doesnt matter and then up with the back of
my thumb nail. So the motion looks like this, take a look. I�m hitting the fifth string
but you can go fast a little here (1:05) Its down and then up with my ... I am turning
my wrist so that my thumbnail is facing the strings and then turning this way as I go
down. There�s more twist in my wrist than the rest in this motion with my elbow but
there is some motion with my elbow.
So with the same chords that we just learned, go ahead and try this with me. Make your D
chord. Were gonna do the same exercise now with the fingerstyle strumming. Were gonna
go four beats but its gonna be a 1 and in other words two strums per beat, down and
then up 1 and 2 and so on. Start with the D chord, play along, here we go � 1 and
2 and 3 and 4 and down, up , down , up 3 and 4 and go to the Cadd9 1 and 2 and 3 and 4
and then the G and back to D just like with the pick. First
my thumb is a little rough but you practice it and get better a little at a time. The
nail brings out a little bit of the treble that makes them more smooth brushy sound.
The thumb is kinda muted (2:43) and of course if you want that sound you can use the flesh
of your thumb but I preferred this.
Okay now the next one a little bit more fun I think. Were gonna do a little basic fingerpicking.
The fingerpicking is of course everybody wants to play fingerstyle guitar. And your gonna
use your right hand, put your thumb on the fourth string, your first finger that�s
this one on the third string, your second finger on the second string and then your
third finger on the first string. Fingers down, thumb on the fourth string, third string
as your first finger, second finger on the second string and third finger on the first
string. Now your gonna pull this strings up one at a time. The motion is down on the thumb
and then up with the first finger, up with the second and up with the third and then
you start over. Place down, up, up , up. By the way, I�m not plucking out. I�m pulling
my fingers into my palm. Plucking out sounds like this. Did you hear that tiny sound. We
dont want that. We want this (strumming) smooth round sound so try it with me now � D chord.
Place your fingers, thumb. First finger, second, third and start over thumb. First finger,
second and third. Good. Again � and one more time thumb. Okay so the action is place
and then thumb down and pull in one at a time. Let�s start over place and then pull in.
Now let�s try with the C chord Cadd9, go ahead and put your pinky down, move the two
fingers over to the fifth and fourth strings. Thumb goes on the fifth string for this one
and the first three strings are covered by your three fingers the same as the D chord.
So now, thumb down here we go thumb down, first finger, and again
two more times. It�s okay if your thumb hits the next string like that. I�t didn�t
make a sound, okay.
Now go over to the G chord, two fingers over, thumb on the sixth string, covering the first
three strings with my fingers. Here we go thumb down first, ready go � down, do it
four times and last time, okay. Now were gonna do the
(6:01) instead I want you to practice. Were gonna do the chords in order with the fingerpicking.
D, Cadd9, G and D. It�ll be four fingerpicking patterns per chord 1 2 ready start. Hit it.
That�s one, again 2, again, and the last one. Change to the C now pinky down, good.
Again, to the G. Go on pretty slow, right. Better to get it slow and get it right and
then pick up a little at a time. Last one and then do the D and end with the D that�s
2, 3 okay and then that�s the end. Okay then practice it slow. You can play along
with me. Then change it to just two strum picking patterns per chord. It sounds like
this, that�s one and then to the C. You can tell it sound better already but I�m
giving lots of practice picking on the first one and then D. That was a little faster by
the way. And then little by little, pick up the speed. If you find yourself fumbling,
go back and do it slower and then keep pushing it up little by little a little each day.
So you�re looking more for something like this. Pretty huh.
Thanks for joining me in this lesson. Were almost there at the end. In this next lesson,
I�m gonna show you how to use something called a capo which will allow you to change
the song a little bit so when you�re singing along, it�ll match your voice better. It�s
a great tool to have and I want you to have this as a part of your tool kit. See you in
the next lesson.