Mr

[Ray Eastham]

Hello from down under. I have been attempting finger style for nearly a year now and want to get my fretboard skills up to speed, or at least smoother. My question here is as a total muppet when it comes to music, can I substitute finger picking in the lessons (guitar 101) or do I now have to learn to pick strings with a guitar pick. I do not wish to learn a skill that I do not need if I do not have to. Advice please I have semi acoustic not full electric guitar. Or am I about to run into more issues than I expect.

Ray from North Queensland Australia

[Alan Desmond]

Hi Ray in Aus' you say 1 year in now, I'm surprised ur work'g on 101. however I do refer to early units myself time to time. Alan here in Malaysia., Been using the BTG course over 18 months now. guess you've learnt a lot like me. Guitar. So many ways & styles to play both using a pick or your fingers. Of course you get a harder sound using a pick. For me any way, it's just what you personally feel best with. Don't think it matters what guitar ur using semi hollow, acoustic or strat, can play finger style (if you want) on any. Just get a different more mellow sound from acoustic. For me it's nice to play finger style & I like to mix picking notes fr chords or triads, adding strums where I want body, then position play a melody & end back with a home chord.

But there's no rules, just what sounds good to you.  Just recently I posted a response to a guy Geraldo who asked for help with Bill Withers Ain't no Sunshine. From Ultimate Guitar on web you'll see it's Am, Em, D so easy chords. I worked my own version playing the first notes of phrases with fingers ending In strums. Then position playing the melody. If it helps you can try that. Just look in the last few posts in forum for my sheets.

[Alan Desmond]

Hi Ray. You're talking of maybe wanting to play finger style. I decided some time ago that for me I like to mix picking with chords & position play to get the best of styles. Last week I saw a relatively easy nice web lesson posted that you may like. The poster calls it Samuria chord. He uses 2 basic chords Am & Em

The A base is played at d7 with picking the triad (for CEA) on gbe strings fret 5.

The Em is played using 3 different base note on the D string followed by open gbe. I didn't twig it myself before that playing gbe strings open is in fact, Em.

Anyway it's a very nice approach you can pick / play nice sounding chords & use his melody using the notes on the A and D strings. I'm a bit hooked on this piece myself and work'g up my own play sheet for it. If you would like a copy I'll happily send to you.

Alan

 

 

 

[Ray Eastham]

On 9/9/2022 at 1:46 PM, Alan Desmond said:

Hi Alan, thanks for the reply. Any info or links are highly valued and appreciated. My IT skills are not the best. Yes I have been learning to finger pick most of this year, right hand is working well but fretboard skills are mechanical to say the least. I have been avoiding strumming and guitar picking, but have come to the conclusion that all a valued skills and one needs to explained. I have decided that what practice and lessons I have been following to date have not been a total foundation not just something missing a lot missing, so I have decided to start from scratch in regards fretboard 101 and it is starting to make some sense, I am now more confident with the lesson package and the info flow. I need to change my title I, stoped being called Mr when I retired from service. Again thanks for the info.

Ray

 

 

[Alan Desmond]

Hi Ray, I'm a senior citizen. Like you don't feel comfortable when people call me Sir /Mr much prefer just plain Alan. If you send me an e mail some time I can dig out some help for you on picking. When I started guitar a long time ago (1990's) I just learnt to strum 1st posit'n chords, But been doing BTG for abt 18 months now and I can mix various technics. Always learning & room for improvement, but happy with progress I'm making. email is alandesmond2014@gmail.com