Fingerstyle/ Necessary to learn?
Question:
I can tell you, all fingerstyles are different as to where some are self created, which has allways seemed to be the best Learn to feel for what your after, as opposed to doing a whammy bar lick, or fingertap, which you may usually use a pick, or pull-off to perform, with fingerpicking, nearly each situation, seems differntly. There are no rules, only a few guidlines. Search in your area for a qualified classical guitar teacher. Now, keep in mind that I am pofessional guitar instructor, with a Billboard top rating. I have taught private lessons, going on my 3rd decade. I can tell you how to get the most out of your private lessons, so that you only need to take a few, not a lifetime worth. Prepare a list of your questions, the things you wish to learn. Be patient with your instructor. Realize that he or she , also has a life. But also keep in mind, that like a truely good ISP, will offer 24/7 online , and phone support, so will a not only qualified, but yet truely caring guitar instructor not only want to help you, he will make or find time. This is usually the case only for those who show and put forth the most extreme effort, and really try hard to practice. Scott www.guitartabbooks.com
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Hey there. >I am wondering if I should go back and take the time to learn how to properly >be able to play fingerstyle, is it important? >I don’t especially play any fingerstyle, but have a sweet acoustic I’d consider >perhaps a good instrument to learn it for….? >Or is it really not too important to be able to do? >I understand it, and all, I just never practiced it much at all. >Thanks, >bill >fell free to write me >bill w >remove "xxx" > I sometimes find it to be more fun than using a pick. Right now I’d > say my fingerpicking skills are progressing faster than my skill with > a pick. There are some great songs out there you’d be missing if you > don’t learn it. > Todd
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Have we got the same book or just different editions ? the one I have (which I ordered from sheetmusicplus in US) is ISBN079353082-2 published by Hal Leonard. It doesnt have that song in it.. Dave – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> That would be "Fingerpicking Beatles" and I’ve got it. Kinda strange, > though. The version of "Blackbird" my teacher taught me sounds better > than the one in the book. I guess sometimes these things are hit and > miss. I think the teacher’s version is closer to the original. > I do agree it’s a great book, though. > Todd
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > spake: >> spake: >> >IMO its as important as you want it to be. I sort of fell into it when >> >playing solo as strumming chords sometimes feels a bit limiting. >> >Learning some familiar tunes for fingerstyle (eg Beatles) works >> >wonders when satisfying the ‘play us a song crowd’. It also sounds a >> >lot more refined and interesting when backing vocals… >> >Enjoy >> >Dave >> I agree. If only I could pick up other Beatles songs as quickly as I >> did Blackbird. :-) >> Todd >Get a copy of ‘Fingerstyle Beatles’ TAB & notation book arranged by >Fred Sokolow. It’s a Meisterwerk IMHO. >Dave > That would be "Fingerpicking Beatles" and I’ve got it. Kinda strange, > though. The version of "Blackbird" my teacher taught me sounds better > than the one in the book. I guess sometimes these things are hit and > miss. I think the teacher’s version is closer to the original. > I do agree it’s a great book, though. > Todd
The TABledit stuff has some good ragtime toons listed, which sound pretty impressive with syncopated and walking basslines. I always think it sounds more impressive than classical pieces, cos it seems possible to the listener (though highly unlikely) that you actually improvise or at least compose this stuff yourself… What is needed here is the ‘Bluffers Guide to FingerPicking’ (as yet unwritten). Packed full of very difficult sounding pieces that are actually quite simple to learn. Mississippi John Hurt is good for this kind of thing. ‘Pallet on My Floor’, ‘Nobody’s Bizness’, or my personal favourite ‘Richland Woman Blues’ which I got from some TAB site. There is a long posting on Usenet somewhere that contains a lot of his stuff, although ASCII TAB is not the easiest to work with. The beauty of TABledit and similar is that you have a ‘listen-before-you-spend-many-hours-trying-to-get-a-feel-for-it’ facility with the MIDI playback. Another book I’d recommend is ‘Great Songs for Acoustic’ guitar, or something like that (Solokow again). Its got a great version of ‘Just the Way You Are’ ‘Titanic’ and ‘Tears in Heaven’ which are guaranteed to generate admiring sighs from ladies present – if played as intended 
Enjoy Dave
Response:
>Have we got the same book or just different editions ? the one I have >(which I ordered from sheetmusicplus in US) is ISBN079353082-2 >published by Hal Leonard. It doesnt have that song in it.. >Dave
Sorry, I mistook that book for my other Beatles book (I have three of them). The one I was thinking of was The Beatles Guitar. It’s not for fingerpicking. Todd
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spake: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> > I agree. If only I could pick up other Beatles songs as quickly as I > > did Blackbird. :-) > > Todd > Get a copy of ‘Fingerstyle Beatles’ TAB & notation book arranged by > Fred Sokolow. It’s a Meisterwerk IMHO. > Dave >Sorry, just to add, when I say its a Meisterwerk, I mean its >brilliantly arranged, not that it requires the skill of a Meister to >play it In actual fact its in the late beginner to early >intermediate range. This guy seems to have the knack of decent >arrangement, he also does a good ‘Classic Blues Fingerstyle’ book, >which is great. If you’re reading this Mr Sokolow, we need more !! >While I’m on a roll here, check out the TABledit (its a guitar tab >tool) site which contains links to a load of (free) TABs in their >propriatary notation. The good thing is their viewer is free and it >allows you to hear the MIDI and see the TAB as the music plays. It >helped me a lot and I can now do a chick-pulling (in my dreams!) >rendition of ‘The Entertainer’. Cooler than a cool thing on a cool day >in Cooldom. >Usual disclaimers, I have connection with any of these >people/products. >Enjoy >Dave
LOL. You seem to be taking the same path as I am. Besides the book, I also have TableEdit and have checked out their selection of tabs. Good stuff for the classics. Who wants to hear Greensleeves? :-) Todd
Response:
spake: >IMO its as important as you want it to be. I sort of fell into it when >playing solo as strumming chords sometimes feels a bit limiting. >Learning some familiar tunes for fingerstyle (eg Beatles) works >wonders when satisfying the ‘play us a song crowd’. It also sounds a >lot more refined and interesting when backing vocals… >Enjoy >Dave
I agree. If only I could pick up other Beatles songs as quickly as I did Blackbird. :-) Todd
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > spake: >IMO its as important as you want it to be. I sort of fell into it when >playing solo as strumming chords sometimes feels a bit limiting. >Learning some familiar tunes for fingerstyle (eg Beatles) works >wonders when satisfying the ‘play us a song crowd’. It also sounds a >lot more refined and interesting when backing vocals… >Enjoy >Dave > I agree. If only I could pick up other Beatles songs as quickly as I > did Blackbird. :-) > Todd
Get a copy of ‘Fingerstyle Beatles’ TAB & notation book arranged by Fred Sokolow. It’s a Meisterwerk IMHO. Dave
Response:
> > I agree. If only I could pick up other Beatles songs as quickly as I > did Blackbird. :-) > Todd > Get a copy of ‘Fingerstyle Beatles’ TAB & notation book arranged by > Fred Sokolow. It’s a Meisterwerk IMHO. > Dave
Sorry, just to add, when I say its a Meisterwerk, I mean its brilliantly arranged, not that it requires the skill of a Meister to play it In actual fact its in the late beginner to early intermediate range. This guy seems to have the knack of decent arrangement, he also does a good ‘Classic Blues Fingerstyle’ book, which is great. If you’re reading this Mr Sokolow, we need more !! While I’m on a roll here, check out the TABledit (its a guitar tab tool) site which contains links to a load of (free) TABs in their propriatary notation. The good thing is their viewer is free and it allows you to hear the MIDI and see the TAB as the music plays. It helped me a lot and I can now do a chick-pulling (in my dreams!) rendition of ‘The Entertainer’. Cooler than a cool thing on a cool day in Cooldom. Usual disclaimers, I have connection with any of these people/products. Enjoy Dave
Response:
spake: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> spake: > >IMO its as important as you want it to be. I sort of fell into it when > >playing solo as strumming chords sometimes feels a bit limiting. > >Learning some familiar tunes for fingerstyle (eg Beatles) works > >wonders when satisfying the ‘play us a song crowd’. It also sounds a > >lot more refined and interesting when backing vocals… > >Enjoy > >Dave > I agree. If only I could pick up other Beatles songs as quickly as I > did Blackbird. :-) > Todd >Get a copy of ‘Fingerstyle Beatles’ TAB & notation book arranged by >Fred Sokolow. It’s a Meisterwerk IMHO. >Dave
That would be "Fingerpicking Beatles" and I’ve got it. Kinda strange, though. The version of "Blackbird" my teacher taught me sounds better than the one in the book. I guess sometimes these things are hit and miss. I think the teacher’s version is closer to the original. I do agree it’s a great book, though. Todd
Response:
my picking ways are a bit backwards you might say. i started to learn to play the electric guitar with my fingers as i had no plectrum and so can strum and pick relativly fast just using my fingers, i did this for about 5 months, progressing really fast. during this time i had hardly used a plectrum becuase it didnt feel natural enough, so am finding it difficult to play with a plectrum at the times when i have to because i just dot have the volume or note definition coming from my fingers, when i want a really clean sound for example. personally, i think that finger picking is a great advantage if you cna learn it, because it allows you more freedom to play more songs, and you can also play when no plectrum is to hand! just make sure you also learn how to use a plectrm, then you can play electric and acoustic in any situation Neil (my views – so sue me)
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Hey there. >I am wondering if I should go back and take the time to learn how to properly >be able to play fingerstyle, is it important? >I don’t especially play any fingerstyle, but have a sweet acoustic I’d consider >perhaps a good instrument to learn it for….? >Or is it really not too important to be able to do? >I understand it, and all, I just never practiced it much at all. >Thanks, >bill >fell free to write me >bill w >remove "xxx" > I sometimes find it to be more fun than using a pick. Right now I’d > say my fingerpicking skills are progressing faster than my skill with > a pick. There are some great songs out there you’d be missing if you > don’t learn it. > Todd
Response:
IMO its as important as you want it to be. I sort of fell into it when playing solo as strumming chords sometimes feels a bit limiting. Learning some familiar tunes for fingerstyle (eg Beatles) works wonders when satisfying the ‘play us a song crowd’. It also sounds a lot more refined and interesting when backing vocals… Enjoy Dave – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Hey there. > I am wondering if I should go back and take the time to learn how to properly > be able to play fingerstyle, is it important? > I don’t especially play any fingerstyle, but have a sweet acoustic I’d consider > perhaps a good instrument to learn it for….? > Or is it really not too important to be able to do? > I understand it, and all, I just never practiced it much at all. > Thanks, > bill > fell free to write me > bill w > remove "xxx"
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Thanks everyone…. I have decided that going back and learn my fingerstyle on my Acoustic. Totally grateful to all who replyed… bill w bill w remove "xxx"
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Without doubt, this seperates the truly great guitarist from the average. Everything I’ve read points in this direction. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Hey there. > I am wondering if I should go back and take the time to learn how to properly > be able to play fingerstyle, is it important? > I don’t especially play any fingerstyle, but have a sweet acoustic I’d consider > perhaps a good instrument to learn it for….? > Or is it really not too important to be able to do? > I understand it, and all, I just never practiced it much at all. > Thanks, > bill > fell free to write me > bill w > remove "xxx"
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Hey there. >I am wondering if I should go back and take the time to learn how to properly >be able to play fingerstyle, is it important? >I don’t especially play any fingerstyle, but have a sweet acoustic I’d consider >perhaps a good instrument to learn it for….? >Or is it really not too important to be able to do? >I understand it, and all, I just never practiced it much at all. >Thanks, >bill >fell free to write me >bill w >remove "xxx"
I sometimes find it to be more fun than using a pick. Right now I’d say my fingerpicking skills are progressing faster than my skill with a pick. There are some great songs out there you’d be missing if you don’t learn it. Todd
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Yes. It will set you apart from the pack, big time. I play almost exclusively fingerstyle unless I am just involved in a fun jam situation doing "Gimme Three Steps" or something equally musically mindless. I made this decision 35 years ago and never was sorry.
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I agree with Tony and Paul, it may not be "necessary" but it’s fun and rewarding. For the simple stuff that Paul refers to, you might want to try pattern picking (Travis picking). It sounds good, can be used to accompany lots of songs, and is a good intro to more free-form solo fingerstyle. Mike – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > This is similar to what I was going to say. > Fingerstyle brings you so much in "touch" with the guitar that there is nothing > like it. There is so much nuance and feel that you can invoke in even the > simplest piece of music that it is very rewarding, at any level of competence or > skill. > It is definetly a struggle, but if you start out with simple stuff, you can be > doing something in a short amount of time. > For me too it is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. > Paul D. > Neccesary? No. Worthwhile? IMO, absolutely, yes. Rewarding? >HUGELY, once you catch on (and unless you are Mark Knopfler, it does >take a bit of time to catch on). I finally devoted myself to *really >learning* fingerstyle about 10-12 years ago. I got it down pretty well, >and for a few years, played fingerstyle and flatpick in pretty equal >proportions. Last five years, I find myself playing fingerstyle more >and more – you are so *one* with the guitar playing fingerstyle. I >haven’t – and never will – abandon flatpick (surf is still my first >love), but I can’t express how glad I am that I stuggled through >learning fingerstyle. >The Old Guy >—–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– >http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! > Check out our new Unlimited Server. No Download or Time Limits! >—–== Over 80,000 Newsgroups – 19 Different Servers! ==—–
Response:
This is similar to what I was going to say. Fingerstyle brings you so much in "touch" with the guitar that there is nothing like it. There is so much nuance and feel that you can invoke in even the simplest piece of music that it is very rewarding, at any level of competence or skill. It is definetly a struggle, but if you start out with simple stuff, you can be doing something in a short amount of time. For me too it is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. Paul D. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Neccesary? No. Worthwhile? IMO, absolutely, yes. Rewarding? >HUGELY, once you catch on (and unless you are Mark Knopfler, it does >take a bit of time to catch on). I finally devoted myself to *really >learning* fingerstyle about 10-12 years ago. I got it down pretty well, >and for a few years, played fingerstyle and flatpick in pretty equal >proportions. Last five years, I find myself playing fingerstyle more >and more – you are so *one* with the guitar playing fingerstyle. I >haven’t – and never will – abandon flatpick (surf is still my first >love), but I can’t express how glad I am that I stuggled through >learning fingerstyle. >The Old Guy >—–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– >http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! > Check out our new Unlimited Server. No Download or Time Limits! >—–== Over 80,000 Newsgroups – 19 Different Servers! ==—–
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Hey there. > I am wondering if I should go back and take the time to learn how to properly > be able to play fingerstyle, is it important? > I don’t especially play any fingerstyle, but have a sweet acoustic I’d consider > perhaps a good instrument to learn it for….? > Or is it really not too important to be able to do? > I understand it, and all, I just never practiced it much at all. > Thanks, > bill > fell free to write me > bill w
Neccesary? No. Worthwhile? IMO, absolutely, yes. Rewarding? HUGELY, once you catch on (and unless you are Mark Knopfler, it does take a bit of time to catch on). I finally devoted myself to *really learning* fingerstyle about 10-12 years ago. I got it down pretty well, and for a few years, played fingerstyle and flatpick in pretty equal proportions. Last five years, I find myself playing fingerstyle more and more – you are so *one* with the guitar playing fingerstyle. I haven’t – and never will – abandon flatpick (surf is still my first love), but I can’t express how glad I am that I stuggled through learning fingerstyle. The Old Guy —–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! Check out our new Unlimited Server. No Download or Time Limits! —–== Over 80,000 Newsgroups – 19 Different Servers! ==—–
Response:
Hey there. I am wondering if I should go back and take the time to learn how to properly be able to play fingerstyle, is it important? I don’t especially play any fingerstyle, but have a sweet acoustic I’d consider perhaps a good instrument to learn it for….? Or is it really not too important to be able to do? I understand it, and all, I just never practiced it much at all. Thanks, bill fell free to write me bill w remove "xxx"
Response:
>Or is it really not too important to be able to do?
Its all up to whether you want to or not. It isn’t necessary, but it is an awesome skill to have (imo), and my friends who can’t finger pick well are dissapointed they didn’t spend more time learning when they first started — mike anderson http://www.mp3.com/mikeanderson <–Oodles of new demos now available!!! my guitar lessons–> http://us.geocities.com/flabellifoliate No one wants to know the truth about their heroes.
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