How to Learn Finger Style Guitar

Learning fingerstyle guitar allows you to play in a wonderful solo style, though it can take some time to master. If you're used to playing with a pick, fingerstyle can seem quite difficult at first, but with a little sweat and a lot of practice, you can make the guitar seem like an entirely new instrument. Follow these tips to get started.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Guitar
• Fingerpicks (optional)

1. Start by using your thumb to play the bass note of a chord while plucking the upper strings with your fingers. This is a common form of blues and folk fingerstyle playing.

2. Practice using your thumb to keep a steady bass line going while using your index, middle and ring fingers to play a melody.

3. Finger a chord and try playing each note to a rhythmic pattern. Most folk songs use this method of accompaniment. The "Travis pick" is the most common type of chord picking. This is a style of fingerpicking that uses an alternating bass underneath a simple arpeggio on the treble notes of a chord. (Find further information under "Resources.")

4. Practice arpeggios until you can play them smoothly. You can also start to practice changing chords in the middle of a measure.

5. Listen to many acoustic-guitar fingerstyle masters. You can often find tablature for pieces you especially like and learn these pieces to enhance your skills.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't worry if you can't keep a steady rhythm at first. It will take some time for the fingers of your right hand to become used to their new tasks.
• Consider growing your nails longer or investing in fingerpicks, which fit over your fingers and are used to pluck the strings. While it is possible to play with the pads of your fingers, the sound will be quite muted, and you may also sometimes find it difficult to keep a steady rhythm.

Resources

• Standard "Travis pick"
• A good resource for fingerstyle tabs and information