If you're into fingerpicking today I've got a great one for you.
Hi I'm Tomas Michaud from Real Guitar Success. This is day 12 of my 30-day
guitar coaching series and I really spent some time and thought out
little by little what it would take to get somebody up to playing
some cool fancy fingerpicking patterns then I made some exercises
that incrementally added some steps and give you a lot of practice.
So it's kind of like instead of jumping up a story or two to get to
up a building you just have to take one foot after the other
and I think you'll love it. So let's get on to the lesson portion
and I'm gonna start with what I call lesson one. I should give you a heads up.
There is a part 1 of this video, this is
part 2. If you haven't done part 1 yet and you're
kind of new at fingerpicking guitar, you're going to want to go there first.
I'll put a link down below somewhere. In any case you'll want to come back to
this over and over until you get it. Have fun.
One of the movements that's common among many of the
cooler fingerpicking patterns is this pinching motion
where your thumb goes down and one of your other fingers pinches
another node so we're going to practice in this exercise
that pinching motion. And having some experience with this
when it comes to one of the fancy finger pickingpatterns that uses this motion
it'll feel natural but in fact it's because you practiced.
Let me show you the movement. We're going to use that same G
chord and we'll go to the C also. I'm going to pinch on the bass note the
sixth string and pinch on the second
string.
I call it the pinchy exercise. Clever, huh. No, maybe not. Okay, pinch.
Try that with me. Thumb. Remember that thumb should go
on the down sides. It's basically the same motion
if you've done my other exercises. So we pinch.
Thumb goes down and the finger goes into your palm as we make them both
strings ring.
So that's the motion. Come on. Try a couple times with me and then we're
gonna go on. Pinch. Sixth string second string. You got
it? Again. Okay, not bad.
Let's go on. We're going to add the alternating base to that so we're going
to start pinching on the sixth string and those t's are
kind of rough, huh. We're going to start pinching on the
sixth string and then
your thumb's gonna move over to the fourth string and pinch
again. Oh I'm sorry, we're not gonna pinch again.
We're gonna alternate. Pinch, alternate, alternate,
alternate. Okay so there's one pinch. Hey, you can do two if you want
that's the exercise.
I think I'm just coming up with an advanced version. It goes
2 pinches totally up to you. I'll be happy if you do this way, okay.
Like that. Okay. Let's try it nice and slow. So remember we got the alternating
thing going and one pinch. Ready, hit it. Pinch
fourth string, 6 - 4 . Now I pinch again. Pinch 4 -
6 - 4. Let's try it on the C chord. Move your 2 fingers over in the
left hand. We've got a C or also known as Cadd9.
We're going to pinch the fifth string
now with the thumb and the same second string with the -
I'm using my second finger on the right hand. You could easily do this with the
third finger. You could do it first too but I'm most
comfortable with the second. The problem with the first is you're
gonna need it for something else but you could use the third if you prefer.
Try to use one and get used to it. It'll mess you up if you're
alternating. Your hand at some point will get confused.
Here we go. Ready, go. Pinch. Now alternate with the fourth string
5 - 4 pinch again.
One more time pinch 4 5 4. So if you want, stop this video
and practice a little bit and let's try it together when you're
ready either right now or when you come back.
From the G chord and we'll do a few times each chord. Okay.
I trust you've done what you need to do. Here we go - 1
2 ready, hit it. Pinch 4 - 6
4. Again pinch 4 6 4. Now onto the C chord,
go. Pinch 4 5 4 and then again.
Not bad. Now for the next exercise, I'll call it exercise number 2. For
this video for part 2 really since there's a part 1,
there's 3 other exercises. Ah I won't get into that. I'm getting
confused. Exercise 2 here we are. We're gonna use that same G
chord. Convenient, huh and we're gonna add to it. Listen.
Cool, huh. We're gonna pinch just like you did
then thumb goes to the 4 - 6. On the upbeat of this beat you're gonna
hit the first string. I'm using my second finger again so
listen and I'll count as I play it - 1 2 and 3
4 1 2 and 3 4. This is actually where
counting kind of comes in handy this rhythm thing.
We're aiming at the end of 2 - 1 2 and 3 4.
Try that with me nice and slow - 1 2 ready hit it.
Pinch 4 and I'm calling out the string names.
Again pinch 4 and 6 4. Again, pinch
4. And so rhythmically it would be play along with me and I'll
count - 1 2 and 3 4. It's not the strings
that's the rhythm - 1 2 and 3
4. A lot of counting here huh. Okay so we're gonna try it now with the C
chord. Same pinching pattern and same strings
actually except the thumb on the fifth string.
Here we go. Pinch. Go to the fourth string then
and on the first string back to 5 and 4 - 5 4 and 5 4 - 5 4 and ...
too much to say. So let's try it all together 2 times
on G and 2 times C. You ready? I'll count
4 - 1 2 ready, go. Pinch.
To C now.
Starting to sound like something huh. And let's do it again. Come on, get this.
Pinch
again pinch
and to C.
Oh good, good. Okay. It's starting to sound like music. On to
exercise number 3 and you guessed it same chords almost
the same pattern but we're gonna add something
so listen first and see if you can tell what I've added.
You hear it? I mean coming back and hitting that second string again
and the beat would be 1 2 and 3 and so the AND on 3 it's the
addition - 4 1 2
and 3 and 4. Let's try it nice and slow. So you're
just gonna come back same as exercise number 2 but you're
gonna come back and hit that second string on the end of 3.
I think I'll count the strings first. Let's try that.
Ready, go. Slow. Pinch 4 1 back to 6
and then 2 and 4. How was that? Kind of confusing. Do it again. Ready,
hit it.
I'll count out the rhythm this time. Let's try it. Ready,
go - 1.
You have to let me know in the comments which works better calling out the
string names or the rhythm pattern. I'm not really sure.
I'll try it again with the rhythm. Ready, go. Pinch 2
and 3 and 4. Again 1 2 and 3 and 4. Let's try that on
the C chord almost exactly the same and I'm
adding the second string again. Here we go. So it's alternating on the
fifth string. The thumb now. Ready, go. Pinch
again pinch 2 and 3 and 4.
Okay, we're gonna try it together. I won't stop in between but I might slow down a
little. Start with your G chord. There we go
1 2 ready, hit it. Start with a pinch. Pinch.
Now to C, go and back to G
and C.
Got creative there.
And by the way, if you hit another string that sounds okay
really. It's good. It's fine and really when I'm fingerpicking I don't
exactly stay to one pattern the whole time.
I'll add some strings and change it up a little add some variety
but it really helps to get some consistent pattern going and then you
can kind of move it and control it. If you're always changing ,you're bound
to kind of get kind of twisted up when you start going fast . Okay, now for
the final exercise number 4. Listen.
It's not only called exercise number 4, I call it the
pinchy pattern plus 3 because it's got 3 extra notes
from the original pink G pattern but it's also called
Travis picking. You've probably heard of that and there's variations on Travis
picking so it's not the one and only Travis picking but it
is a full out Travis picking pattern. Let's do it and you're more than
three-quarters of their way there. We're just going to add one note. Listen.
I'll go slow so you can hear the individual notes. Keep in mind
that you can't really think this out and do
it right. You use the thinking to get it but then you
gotta do repetitions to where it becomes
natural and you don't have to think about it.
So a caution here we go,
That's the extra note. It's the third string. I'm using my first finger
so the first finger is free because the second finger is doing the the first and
second strings. Let's try it. So let's go slow first just
so you can kind of think it out. Ready, start with a pinch. Pinch, bass note
to the 4, high string back to 6
2 back to four 4. And now the first finger on the third string
and that finishes it and then you start over. Again. Pinch.
that was the first finger there at the end. Go.
Okay. Let's try it on that C chord same pattern.
Now you can use the fifth string for the thumb. Ready, pinch.
Third string again. Go.
Okay. So you might want to practice that a few times kind of get comfortable
and then come and play along with me. We'll do it a few times.
I'm not expecting you to get it right off the bat. You have to practice it
that's why we called it an exercise. Here we go 1 2
ready, play along.
Do one more time. I'm gonna count.
I think I can do it - 1 2 and 3 and 4 and 1.
Not so good. Here we go 1 2 and 3 and 4 and 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 - 1 2 and 3 and 4 - 1 2 and 3 and 4. Get it.
I want to play it a little faster partly to redeem myself but
I want you to hear what we're aiming at. It sounds much better when
it's faster. Here we go.
So that's it for today's lesson. Could I ask you a favor?
Could you please put something in the comments. Let me know how easy or hard
this was? I'd really like to know. And let me know
if there's something else you'd like to see me make a video on as well.
Thanks for joining me. I'll be back tomorrow with day 13.
I hope to see you then. Bye for now.