Guitar Lesson - Relaxed Fingerpicking

http://www.goldhat.net

My method of playing with a relaxed right hand.

To watch this video in high quality mode click
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G7HVm4J6Gk&fmt=18

Note to beginners:

Many beginners have asked me how to get started on the guitar. I think one good way for a beginner to learn guitar is to start learning some of your favorite songs. It is fun and will encourage you to practice. There has never been a better time to learn guitar, with so many great guitar lessons available on YouTube and around the web. You can do it! Here's how:

Get a cheap but decent guitar (there are many good ones in the $150 to $350 range), an electronic clip-on tuner, and a capo. Get a guitar chord book and a book of beatles songs or other familiar favorite songs with chords from a music store or amazon. You can also search for lyrics and chords for your favorite songs on the web. Always use your tuner to tune up before you practice. Watch the lessons on youtube using the pause button and rewind slider. Learn all the major, minor, seventh, and minor seventh chords in the keys of C,A,G,E,D, and other chords as you need them for particular songs. (Use your capo to play in other keys and to match the original key of songs you are learning.) Practice one hour or more every day on your chords, and use them to play your favorite songs. In a couple of months you will be playing some of your favorite songs, and in a year you will be a pretty good guitar player. Have fun with that one!

If you want to see a perfect example of the relaxed fingerpicking technique please watch this video of German guitarist Ulli Bögershausen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG7GVZbxTuA

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• goldhat3
• guitar
• lesson
• relaxed
• fingerpicking
• fingerstyle

[johnconnatty]

The stability from having the heel down feels good, thanks. But that makes my thumb parrallel with the strings which feels slightly awkward, particularly on the D string. Is that how it should be? Maybe I just need to get used to it. Don't get a day job - you're needed here!

[goldhat3]

OK, no day job for me! I like the sound of that. You are right, the thumb is parallel, so many people use a thumbpick when playing this style, I have gotten used to using the side of my thumb or a thumbpick. Keep practicing and you will get it.

[UKToneHunter]

I use my thumb for the bass line, my index, midex and ring finger for the melody, is that still classed as travis picking, I used to just use my thumb, index and midex like mark knopfler does for a long time, but I got to thinking if I use my ring finger as well it would be less work moving my hand up and down the strings, I am a dire strates fan, but my playing has to come first, and using all 3 fingers seems like the best way ?

[lucasprust1]

Thank you for this video, was exatly what i need (:

[ottou22]

1) Don't plant your hand on the bridge... You become limited in where you can place your right hand, you'll only be able to play very near the bridge and not closer to the neck. Plant your pinkie or go with a floating hand, but make sure you can move your picking position to get more mellow or bright tone. 2) A better technique and more speed can be achieved by having the fingers on a more parallel angle to the strings, not all the way parallel, but more than you show in this video.

[DrakaChan]

Thanks I am starting to play again now that I'm retired and you are JUST what I've been looking for. Don't leave us please and keep them coming. Off to practice what you've taught me and thanks again.

[Gyggesakka666]

19 pplz cant play guitar

[mytbp26]

well yeah! but you have short arms.

[rustik13]

she not have a guitar school :D