Using a pick is suitable for some music styles, but plucking the strings with your fingers has a very different sound. What’s the best way to learn finger style? Do you need special skills or equipment? Is it harder on your hands? Is it all done with bare fingertips? Whether you’re a pick-player who wants to expand their sound profile or a new player, there are always so many questions. Luckily, I’ve been playing for quite some time, and I’m happy to share all the details. After using a pick and fingers, I find that both techniques are necessary. Well, rounded players need to know all the different ways to play their instrument. Otherwise, you’ll never get the full range. A simple change like dropping the pick can make a world of difference in how a song sounds. I’ll explain everything you need to know about this type of string plucking and how to learn it.
What is the best way to learn fingerstyle guitar? The best way to learn fingerstyle guitar is to pick up a book on the subject and practice. It’s a lot easier to have some reference material and tips before you drop the pick, but otherwise, you’ll find this is a simple and satisfying way to play. Expect your fingers to be sore after a good practice session, but don’t worry. They will toughen up in no time.
Is It Hard To Learn Fingerstyle Guitar
Every musician is different, though we all start somewhere. The best way to learn fingerstyle guitar is with some source material and lots of patience, but different people will advance at different paces. Some naturally have rhythm and a sense of the strings, but everything has to be learned from scratch for others.
Another thing that will affect your ability to learn fingerstyle is how much you know already. Are you a beginner who has never played a note? Have you played another instrument and learned how to read music, or are you a ‘beginner’ who has been practicing a while?
Your level of skill with music will help you learn this technique. However, a player who has been flat-picking for a long time may also struggle a bit because it feels ‘weird’ to switch up the whole method. Regardless, learning to play guitar is not easy. It will take dedication and a lot of practice to get good at fingerstyle.
When you are first beginning, you’ll find that fingerstyle’s basic idea is relatively simple to grasp. Getting to the point where you have muscle memory and the ability to look at music and play it takes time. Whether it takes you a short while or ages, fingerstyle is well worth the wait. Adding devices like fingertip picks will add depth and options to your music that you didn’t have before.
Learning fingerstyle guitar doesn’t need to be a hassle with the Fingerstyle Guitar Method Complete Edition from Amazon. You get the book plus online materials to help you get the best start or expand your skills. Not only does it cover the basics such as d-drop tuning and chord theory, but it has plenty to offer for more advanced learners as well. A truly comprehensive and well thought out text, the Fingerstyle Guitar Method Complete Edition will help you build your skills at every level. Find out more by clicking here.
What Is Fingerstyle Guitar
When you use one of the tear-drop-shaped picks, or any other flat object pinched between your fingers that is flat-picking. Before we get into the best way to learn fingerstyle guitar, I wanted to talk about what fingerstyle is. Many new musicians mistakenly think that a bare fingertip is the only thing the ‘counts’ as fingerstyle. Unfortunately, that is incorrect.
Any technique that uses your fingers but does not use a flat pick is part of the fingerstyle. While this certainly includes using bare fingertips, that’s not the only possibility. Fingerstyle playing includes fingernails and even caps you wear on your fingers to pluck your strings.
I recommend Flying Fingers: Authentic & Accurate Fingerstyle Guitar Anthology for anyone who wants to learn or expand on their fingerstyle. The bonus notes on both the history and performance of the songs inside are incredible. It offers outstanding insight and tons of music in standard notation. Best of all, this book covers everything from the roots of the style to modern masters. Have Amazon ship to your door when you click here.
Can I Learn Fingerstyle Guitar First
Posture, fretting hand technique, and reading music are far more important than which style of picking you to begin with. The best way to learn fingerstyle guitar is to dive in and get started. Many players never flat-pick a guitar in their lives. Alternately, others wouldn’t dream of dropping their pick and hitting strings with their fingers. Ultimately it is entirely your decision where to start.
It will be easier on your fingertips if you use a flat pick or fingertip picks, but that isn’t always important. If you’re worried about a few calluses, this is not the instrument for you. It would be best if you considered the piano, which has nice smooth keys to press instead. However, if you want to play fingerstyle and understand that a few calluses are part of toughening your fingers up so you can play, by all means, start here.
I recommend learning various picks, using fingernails, and bare fingertip playing. Especially for beginners who are only starting their musical journey, it’s important to understand your body and instrument’s limits so you can find your sound. Everyone is unique, and your style will develop based on what you know, so learn everything you can.
How Long Does It Take To Learn Fingerstyle Guitar
For those who have never used a pick, it takes no time at all to begin learning fingerstyle guitar. Your level of fingerstyle play will depend on how fast you learn and the best way for you. Everyone needs a book and a guitar to play. However, some people also need assistance from teachers or at least videos to get the idea visually.
You can play your first fingerstyle song now if you choose. All you need is a song, your hands, and your axe. How well you do is up to you and practice. Someone with a little natural talent, who practices for hours a day, will learn fingerstyle in weeks. Meanwhile, a dabbler who only plays an hour or two per week and doesn’t have any background or rhythm may find it takes years quite literally.
Commitment and your ability to spend time are the most significant factors. Even a person with no knowledge or skill and no sense of rhythm can surpass a natural player if they work harder and practice more often. Understanding and muscle memory trumps just about everything.
Ken Pearlman’s’ Fingerstyle Guitar from Amazon is a great way to learn fingerstyle fast. You’ll get all the essential knowledge you need to play folk, blues, fiddle tunes, or ragtime on the guitar, with dozens of songs to work on. Additionally, you’ll learn guitar and fingerpicking basics, background, and technique. Plus, there’s a video available to help you get the most out of your book. You’ll love the songs and useful information. Grab yours by clicking here.
How Do You Practice Fingerstyle
There are many exercises and ways to play fingerstyle guitar. However, the best way to learn fingerstyle guitar is to start with the basics. In this case, I mean that there are two crucial things to consider. First, your thumb position, and second is the position of your fingers.
First, hold your thumb in front of your fingers, almost as though you were using just the fingers to grasp a roll of quarters. Strumming is easy in this position. Keep in mind that traditionally, only the thumb and first three fingers are used for bare finger playing.
Secondly, your fingers should be at a roughly forty-five-degree angle. You want to move your finger away from the string and downward with the primary knuckle that connects to your hand, then curl the finger in to pluck with the smaller knuckles. You will always pluck toward your palm with this technique.
Once you have this method down, you can move on to other more complicated practices, but you need to learn to pluck and strum first. Just as you have to learn finger positions on your fretting hand for chords and songs, you must train your plucking hand to hold the right place. When you’re ready to start trying pieces, get a good book full of options for different skill levels and use what you know to make music.
When you’re ready for more songs to practice, I suggest getting 100 Most Popular Songs for Fingerpicking Guitar. You get a huge variety of songs from different genres in one easy-to-read compendium. There’s enough fingerpicking music here to keep you busy for weeks. Read the outstanding Amazon reviews right here.
Final Thoughts
Learn Fingerstyle in 5 Minutes – YouTube
Whether you play electric or acoustic, you can learn fingerstyle. Sadly, some new guitar players don’t realize there’s a difference between using a guitar pick and playing fingerstyle. There’s a different sound to the strings when you take away the hard plastic pick and make finger contact instead. With a keen ear, you’ll hear the difference right away. Adding fingerpicks, the right fingernail grooming, and bare finger touches to your strings can help you find your own unique sound.
Some incredibly famous guitar players are well known for playing fingerstyle. Bob Dylan, for example, played this way. Regardless of which musicians you like or what types of guitar music, there’s a fingerstyle player in the mix somewhere. Anyone can learn fingerstyle. All it takes is fingers. Plus, practicing without a pick means you can play even if you forget yours or accidentally break it.
One of the most excellent things about fingerstyle is its versatility. Since fingerstyle includes everything except holding a standard pick between your fingers, there’s a lot to explore, but you can still get started quickly.