As
you improve in your finger picking you don't have to feel that you must
keep your
little finger stuck to the top of your guitar as that "anchor." In
fact to have better
rhythm you'll find that having your hand "loose" will help.
Once you "find" your
right hands position in relation to the strings that's all that you really
need. Use
your little finger just to orient yourself to the strings and then
"float" your hand
as much as you would like. I keep my little finger out there to
touch the top of
the guitar from time to time as I play, but I don't have it
"glued" (so to speak) to
the guitar top or bridge. Just a slight touch or so with the little
finger when making
pattern changes or when skipping strings, is usually all that I need to
get oriented.
Move your hand.
It’s also good to learn to move your right hand
position "forward and back" on the strings.
What I’m saying is that you don’t have to have your right picking hand
over the sound
hole at all times. You’ll notice that as you pick the strings with your
right hand closer
to the bridge it gets a different sound quality about it then when the
strings are picked over
the hole. The closer to the bridge the "higher, and brighter the
overtones". The closer to the hole
the deeper the bass overtones. This will prove to be a desirable skill as
you want to change
the "mood" of a song. You can change not only the force
with which you play but where
you play the strings too. It’s part of making your guitar
"talk and sing". Make MUSIC!
Note this about the way your picks hit the strings.
It's best if the wrist of your picking hand
has enough bend downward to make the
pick part of your picks (the tongue) come up almost flat against the
strings. This
is discussed on the finger picking hand position page. I also
mentioned that you can
turn the picks slightly on the fingers so that the tongue of the pick
is somewhat on the
side of the finger rather than flat on the ball of the finger tip. Also when sizing your
picks (Instructions included with picks
purchased off this web. site.) you can twist the
tongue slightly to improve this angle (described below). It is very important that your
hand position be comfortable as discussed earlier. If you're having trouble keeping your
hand in a particular
position because it's awkward or doesn't feel right that isn't good.
This is because you must be able to play for long periods of time without fatigue.
Your
guitar position has a lot to do with the your hand position. The further
down you hold your
guitar the less bend you will need in the right hand wrist. Use a
combination of these
three subtle things - 1. Bend in wrist. 2. Pick position on your
fingers. 3. Shape of the
pick itself. (described next, below) - to get the picks to come up on the strings properly with
the way you hold your guitar. This is all
strictly a feel thing. What feels good to you not me.
You may prefer
to change the position of the guitar raising or lowering it to what's
comfortable for you. Also keep in mind that if the finger picks come up
at a slight angle
so the edge of the pick strikes the string first it's not that
critical when using plastic picks.
This is bound to happen occasionally no matter
what, but it's best to get it as close as possible.
How to make the twist in the Finger Picks to help avoid
"scraping the strings"
You want the picks to come up onto the strings as much as
possible with the flat surface of the
pick laying flat on the string. This is sometimes needed to
avoid "scraping" the wound guitar
strings with the "edge" of the pick. Some people don't
have this problem, others do and to
different degrees because of their playing style as I have explained.
Plastic picks help reduce the
annoying sound but if this problem is extreme for you, it could cause
some other problems too.
Here is something that can help. As part of the fitting process
(instructions provided with picks
purchased on this site) you can actually "twist" the pick
tongue slightly at the base, so that the flat
part of the tongue comes up flat against the string. Usually though,
this isn't necessary, especially
with the "custom" finger
picks. Most times you can solve this problem
of "scraping" by simply
turning the picks on your fingers and wearing them slightly
on the side of the finger tip as
described in the section above.
Sometimes students have this problem
"scraping", especially when trying to pick faster. This
is
a problem with picking technique. Sometimes, students
exaggerate the movement of the fingers
as they try to pick faster, as they do this it changes the way the finger
picks come upon the
strings. The solution here is to simply "slow" down.
Don't try to rush your learning. It is VERY,
VERY IMPORTANT not to learn bad habits. Go slow and get
it right from the start. Practice
slow for a long time until it becomes "deeply" ingrained.
Increase speed slowly and if your technique
begins to suffer - STOP! Speed
will come in time. Not today perhaps, but it will come in time.
One of the biggest problems that students have is they what to do it all
right now!
Remember to practice using those "rules for
learning" at the bottom of the finger picking page.
Read them each time before you practice and follow them for the best
results.
Finger Picking Tab. Picking Pattern # 10 - 13
(Travis finger picking)
It's best to download the Audio samples.
Use them to help you get the rhythm of the finger
picking pattern.
(These samples are mp3 formatted at 64kbps, 10 to 15sec. in length, and
average about 100KB)
Picking Pattern
#10 (Travis pick)
Play a
G chord as you learn this finger picking pattern.
Now your using all six
strings.
This is when
it really pays to have three finger picks.
Audio samples / Slow / Fast
/
G
chord
E
II-------------3--------------I-----------3----------------II
B
II-------0-----------0--------I-----0-----------0----------II
G
II-*-----------------------0--I-----------------------0--*-II
D
II-*--------0-----------0-----I--------0-----------0-----*-II
A
II----------------2-----------I--------------2-------------II
E
II----3-----------------------I--3-------------------------II
T 2 T 3 T 2 T 1 T 2 T 3 T
2 T 1
Picking Pattern
#11
(Travis pick)
This finger picking pattern is a variation that combines #6 with #10
The first measure being different than the second.
Learn to make these changes from one to the other
smoothly, and continuously flowing as you pick.
Audio samples / Slow / Fast
/
G
chord
II----3--------------------I-----------3----------------II
II----------------0--------I-----0-----------0----------II
II-*-(------0-----------0--I-----------------------0--*-II
II-*-----0-----------0-----I--------0-----------0-----*-II
II-------------2-----------I--------------2-------------II
II----3--------------------I--3-------------------------II
3 T 1 T 2 T 1 T
2 T 3 T 2 T 1
T
Picking Pattern
#12 (Travis pick)
This
finger picking pattern you'll see is different in the first measure than the second.
Audio samples / Slow / Fast
/
C
chord
II---------------------I-----------0----------------II
II------------------1--I-----1-----------1----------II
II-*----------0--------I-----------------------0--*-II
II-*----2--------2-----I--------2-----------2-----*-II
II---3-----------------I--3-------------------------II
II---------3-----------I--------------3-------------II
T T T 1 T 2 T 2 T
3 T 2 T 1
Picking
Pattern
#13 (Travis pick)
Learn to
"hammer" notes of the chord as you finger pick.
This takes timing and practice. The actual hammering
of the "d" string to the "e" note happens just
before
your thumb picks the "e"
note.
Audio samples / Slow / Fast
/
C
chord
II----0-----------------I-----------0----------------II
II-------------------1--I-----1-----------1----------II
II-*-----------0--------I-----------------------0--*-II
II-*-(---2--------0-----I-------h2-----------2-----*-II
II----3-----------------I--3-------------------------II
II----------3-----------I--------------3-------------II
3 T T
1 T 2 T 2 T 3 T 2 T
1
T (hammer)
If you've gotten this far and have learned to play these 13 patterns of the
"Travis" pick, you must be serious about learning how to finger pick
your guitar. Now you will be wanting to put this new knowledge to use
and incorporate it in songs.
As I suggested on my "Why Learn to Finger Pick" page, a good way to
do this is to listen to how others employ these techniques. On my CD,
Relax and Reminisce, you will find all of these picking patterns and more
incorporated in the arrangements of those songs. In some songs, the
picking is used to accompany strumming as in "Did She Mention My Name"
and "Wherefore and Why". Listen to how the finger picking enhances the
strumming rhythm and isolates harmonic themes throughout the songs.
In other songs, the main style featured is the finger picking itself. An
example of this can be seen in "Ribbon
of Darkness" or "Bitter Green".
The
most enjoyable way to learn to finger pick is to learn
to play songs,
not just boring picking patterns. Relax
And Reminisce incorporates all of these
13 patterns throughout the different well known songs on that album. If you have
mastered these
basic "Travis" style patterns you can learn to play the songs on
that CD. A young child can learn the complicated patterns of speech and grammar
simply by listening to others talk. If exposed to two languages the
child can learn to
speak both of those languages and do it without a lick of an accent.
There have been
some who were exposed to up to seven different languages while growing up
and they
can speak all seven tongues, fluently and all without an accent. Incredible!
Yes it
certainly is! The mind has incredible ability to learn simply by listening.
As a
"young child" to the art of finger picking you can learn a lot simply by listening closely
to the guitar playing of accomplished guitarists who finger pick.
By using this CD Relax
And Reminisce
and the lyrics and chords pages of this site you too can learn
to play those songs
similar to Paul Smith.
Think about this - How much would you have paid to have these guitar lessons?
Please show
your appreciation by making the
purchase.
Your finger picking will benefit if you do and you'll have helped me.
Relax and Reminisce
CD Price
$12.95 Free
shipping *
Includes standard
size jewel case,
with two panel insert, polywrapped.
(Due to licensing laws and all the cover songs on this
album, Relax and Reminisce is available only on CD)
Cover of CD
Tray card (back)
Paul
silhouetted against sunset. With
customized 12 string Yamaha FG-2500
Copyright 2003
* Red Asterisk means
this only applies to shipping in lower
48 United States.
Outside the United States click shipping
cost. (New window)
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without
having a PayPal account. Please show
your appreciation and make the purchase!
Early Morning Rain is the first track on
this CD. There is a sample of it on
the Samples page. Tablature
- for the way Paul Smith plays this classic song.
If you have questions or problems please feel free to ask.
I give FREE advice to customers.
Or have any comments about my site.....
Sorry but I have removed my email address from my site
because I had 9242 spam emails today. I can't take
that kind of abuse anymore.
If you make a purchase I will send you my
email
address.
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