Finger Picking Patterns for Guitar

Video Transcript

"Hi this is Jeff Isbell on behalf of ExpertVillage.com. And today, we’re going to take a look at some picking patterns, so let’s get right into it. Generally speaking on all of your picking patterns, you’ll want to use your thumb to play the top three strings. So, six, five and four, that would be your thumb. Strings three, two and one, you generally want to play with your fingers here, so your first finger, your second finger, your third finger. However, there are always going to be exceptions, for example here, I’m playing in C chord, if I do a roll like that, now I’m using my index finger to play the D string, the fourth string. That violates the rule already, but that’s okay I mean there really are no rules, these are just say exercises that help get you further along. So speaking of rolls, let’s start off talking about that. I’m going to move down here to the first four strings, so my thumb is going to be here on the D string. Now, this first pattern, I’m going to go very very slowly, and I want you to watch closely. Thumb, index, second finger, second finger, index, thumb. And you want to practice that very slowly, so that you can’t make a mistake. You’ll definitely go faster later. For now. Now, the second half of this roll is to go forward and backward, without pausing, in other words, watch. Thumb, one , two, one thumb. It doesn’t matter which strings you do that on, it just matters that you get the right hand exercise. Eventually, you’d like to be able to do this. keep it going, even while you talk. Okay. "