Monday, January 5, 2009

Fingerpicking Technique (Arpeggio)

Fingerpicking allows the guitar’s symphonic qualities to come out. Fingerpicking involves using the thumb and fingertips together. You’ve already started to use the thumb, so let’s refine the technique. You use the junction of where your nail meets the skin to hit the string. The nail helps project the tone, while the skin gives the tone warmth.

Try a G chord. Your thumb plays the 6th string, while your first and second fingers play the 3rd and 2nd strings, respectively. First, let the thumb fall as it plucks the 6th string. You don’t have to pull up on the string. Allow gravity to pull the thumb down. Use the first finger to play the 3rd string. The finger should simply close in to the palm of the hand, without lifting the hand from the surface of the guitar. Notice the top of the hand doesn’t rise.

Now, use the second finger to play the 2nd string. Again, the finger should simply close in to the palm of the hand. You’ve just played an arpeggio, a broken chord figure in which notes are played individually (one string at a time) instead of simultaneously. Repeat this pattern several times to create a cyclical, rhythmic effect

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