Guitar Fingerstyle Techniques
Guitar fingerstyle techniques refer to a right-handed playing method using the fingers instead of a guitar pick. Often, the terms fingerstyle and fingerpicking are used interchangeably. Fingerstyle techniques are played on classical guitars with nylon strings, whereas fingerpicking refers to rhythmic patterns played on classical or folk guitars. Choose a guitar that fits the music genre you’re interested in playing.
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Fingerstyle Techniques
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Fingerstyle techniques have become increasingly popular, and refer to a method of playing in which the strings are plucked with the fingers on the right hand. Playing the guitar with the fingers allows the musician to combine chord fragments, bass and melodic pieces, resulting in the orchestration of each part into a single, fluid piece of music. Fingerstyle techniques are used across musical genres, including classical, flamenco, jazz and blues.
Fingerstyle Guitar
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A fingerstyle guitar is a lighter acoustic model, conducive to a gentle touch using the fingers instead of a flat pick. A fingerstyle guitar is typically either a classical or orchestra size acoustic guitar with a slightly wider neck, and proportionate from the bass to the treble strings. The fingerstyle guitar’s design offers a defined yet compact tone. It permits the musician to use a wider range of musical versatility, and to play pieces that are intricate and complex.
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Fingerpicking
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Fingerpicking is a fingerstyle method in which single notes on the guitar are picked individually and the thumb plays alternate bass, while the index and middle fingers play the melodies on the treble strings. It’s typically used with arpeggios, the single notes that make up a chord played in an ascending or descending pattern. Fingerpicking became popular in the late 1800s when the guitar was used in ragtime pieces originally written for piano. It has become a popular technique for country, blues and folk.
Classical Fingerpicking Guitar Patterns
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Fingerpicking typically uses specific patterns in a variety of combinations, and offers an endless array of tones and variations. The musician holds his right hand perpendicular to the strings so the fingers don’t drag across them and the fingerpicking is clear and consistent. There are five plucking patterns for classical guitar: double plucking, which uses two fingers simultaneously; tremolo, a pattern requiring three fingers and played quickly; rasgueado, a complicated method of strumming generally associated with flamenco music that uses the thumb, forearm and all five fingers in a variety of rhythmic patterns; sweep plucking, which requires that the wrist remain close to the strings because all fingers excluding the pinky strum over the strings; and the four-finger pattern, which allows all strings to be played together in a rapid and distinctive pattern.
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References
- Guitar for Beginners and Beyond: Finger Picking/Finger Style
- Vision Music: Fingerpick vs. Flatpick
- Ring Music: What is a Fingerstyle Guitar?
- Guitar Chords Magic: Finger Picking
- GuitarNick.com: What is the Difference Between Fingerstyle and Fingerpicking?
- UltimateGuitar.com: Classical Guitar Patterns using Fingers (No Pick)
Resources
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