Intro to Fingerstyle Guitar Lesson
Intro to Fingerstyle
This lesson serves as an introduction for Fingerstyle Guitar with Jim Deeming. Come on in and get started!
Taught by Jim Deeming in Fingerstyle Guitar seriesLength: 24:32Difficulty: 0.5 of 5
Fingerstyle History
The guitar was first played with the fingers. The pick didn't come into popularity for hundreds of years. Fingerstyle playing has been applied to countless genres of music over the years. Fingerstyle playing is almost exclusively used in classical guitar playing. This is where fingerstyle techniques and principles originated. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, new forms of music began to evolve that utilize fingerstyle techniques. A large amount of bluegrass, blues, jazz, country, folk, and rock music combines two or more parts into a single guitar arrangement.
Advantages of Fingerstyle
Like Jim mentions, there are many specific benefits to playing with your fingers. Playing fingerstyle allows you to play rapid arpeggios with the right hand. You can play a bass line, or chordal accompaniment in conjunction with a melody. You can also play two songs at the same time!
Fingerstyle Heavyweights
Jim lists several of the guitarists that have pioneered the style that he will teach in this series. The style in which Jim plays was largely pioneered by Merle Travis in Kentucky and Chet Atkins in Nashville. The styles of these players gradually spread throughout the southern United States and eventually the rest of the country. Since then, many amazing guitarists have followed in their footsteps. Players such as Tommy Emmanuel, Buster B. Jones, Laurence Juber, and Doyle Dykes have kept fingerstyle playing alive and flourishing. Check out the music of these players for some inspiration and guidance.
What You Should Already Know
This is not a beginner guitar series. With that in mind, you need to be familiar with several basic guitar concepts in order to receive the full benefit of these fingerstyle lessons. You must be comfortable with basic chords, keys, basic scales, chord progressions, left hand technique, as well basic right hand strumming patterns. Chapter 3: (17:03) Fingerstyle Choices Thumb Pick
Jim will perform the vast majority of musical examples in this series with a thumb pick. These exercises can be played without a thumb pick, but this will not achieve quite the same effect. Playing with a thumb pick enables you to play a bass line with a more forceful sound. It is also much easier to palm mute a bass line when playing with a thumb pick opposed to playing with the thumb nail.
Nail Care
Playing fingerstyle requires that you take proper care of the fingernails on your right hand. The nail in conjunction with the fleshy tip of the finger makes contact with the string and produces a tone. If you are playing a classical guitar with nylon strings, your nails are probably strong enough to withstand the strength of the strings. However, in this series, most of the music is performed on a steel string acoustic. Steel is much stronger than your fingernails. As a result, you must either learn to play without nails, or keep your nails very short when performing fingerstyle music on a steel string guitar. Many fingerstyle players apply nail hardener to keep their nails from breaking. Others glue acrylic nails on top of their natural nails. Regardless of whether you are playing classical or steel string, it is easiest to play accurately and with a solid tone if your nails are kept very short. If you turn your hand so that your palm is facing you, your nails should just barely extend above the fleshy tips of the fingers by about a millimeter.
Guitar Setup
If you intend to play a lot of fingerstyle guitar on a steel string acoustic, you want to play with a fairly light set of strings. Changing the gauge of your strings requires that you perform a new setup. Take your guitar to a trained repairman or luthier and explain what you want done. Explain the different contexts in which you will be playing the guitar. For example, do you intend to tune down, play with a slide, or play with your fingers? Make sure that you discuss your needs thoroughly to ensure that you get the exact result that you are looking for.
Supplemental Learning Material
Fingerstyle Guitar
Found in our Beginner Lesson SetsFingerstyle guitar allows you to play the bass, harmony, and melody of a song all within the context of a single guitar part.
Lesson 1
Intro to Fingerstyle
This lesson serves as an introduction for Fingerstyle Guitar with Jim Deeming. Come on in and get started!
Length: 24:32 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
Basic Fingerstyle
Jim demonstrates a basic fingerstyle exercise that you can use with any of the chords you know.
Length: 16:05 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
More Picking Patterns
Jim expands on lesson 2 and teaches several different picking patterns. He also covers the basics of muting.
Length: 14:23 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Using Syncopation
Jim Deeming explains how to integrate basic syncopation into your rhythm playing.
Length: 17:00 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Picking Melody Notes
This lesson is all about picking melody notes. Fingerstyle guitar really gets interesting when you combine bass, harmony, and melody.
Length: 33:00 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Aura Lee
Jim Deeming teaches a fingerstyle version of the classic Civil War era song "Aura Lee."
Length: 43:23 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Chet Atkins Style
Jim explains key components of Chet Atkins' guitar style.
Length: 18:12 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
3/4 Time and a Song
Jim Deeming teaches a fingerstyle arrangement of "Bicycle Built for Two." He uses this piece as an example of 3/4 or waltz timing.
Length: 37:34 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Two Songs at Once
Jim Deeming teaches a fingerstyle arrangement of "Yankee Doodle" and "Dixie." Both songs are played simultaneously!
Length: 30:03 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Open G Tuning
Jim Deeming teaches the basics of open G tuning. He also teaches a song entitled "Spanish Fandango" to show how the tuning can be used.
Length: 39:58 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Carter Family Style
Jim Deeming introduces a playing style called "Carter Family Style." The technique is also referred to as "Frailing" or "Clawhammer" style.
Length: 13:07 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
DADGAD Tuning
Jim Deeming teaches the many wonders of DADGAD tuning.
Length: 32:25 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 13
Thumb Independence
Jim Deeming tackles the topic of thumb independence.
Length: 31:51 Difficulty: 1.5 FREE
The JamPlay Song
Jim Deeming teaches a more advanced version of the aptly named "JamPlay Song."
Length: 7:24 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
The Wayfaring Stranger
Jim Deeming teaches a fingerstyle version of the classic song "The Wayfaring Stranger."
Length: 31:27 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
The Official Thumbpick Guide
Jim Deeming answers one of the most common fingerstyle questions, "which thumbpick should I use?"
Length: 13:03 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Fingernail Guide
Jim Deeming presents his thoughts on how to properly grow and groom your fingernails.
Length: 7:07 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
The Entertainer
Jim Deeming teaches a fingerstyle arrangement of "The Entertainer," a classic piano song ported over to the guitar.
Length: 20:40 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Arranging Fingerstyle Songs
Jim Deeming teaches the skills necessary to transform any song into a solo fingerstyle masterpiece.
Length: 37:04 Difficulty: 4.0 Members Only
Arranging Fingerstyle Songs Pt. 2
Jim talks more about arranging fingerstyle songs. This time around he discusses harmonization and chord inversions.
Length: 13:35 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Arranging Fingerstyle Songs Pt. 3
Jim Deeming demonstrates alternate ways to play the CAGED chords that can be very useful when playing melody and accompaniment simultaneously.
Length: 30:38 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Arranging Fingerstyle Songs Pt. 4
In this lesson Jim Deeming talks about a simple way to add harmony notes to the melody section of fingerstyle songs. This technique is quite simple and can add a whole new dimension to your playing.
Length: 5:51 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
About Jim Deeming
View Full Biography
Jim Deeming got his first guitar when he was only six years old. His Dad was taking fingerpicking lessons, and Jim wanted to be just like him. The Mel Bay books didn't last very long before he strapped on a thumb pick and added the Chet part to Red River Valley so it sounded better.
Most of Jim's early learning was by ear. With unlimited access to his Dad's collection of Chet Atkins albums, he spent countless hours decoding his favorite songs. They were never "right" until they sounded just like Chet. Around the age of 12, Jim heard Jerry Reed for the first time and just knew he had to be able to make that "Alabama Wild Man" sound. The styles of Chet & Jerry always have been a big influence on his playing.
More recently he has pursued arrangements by Tommy Emmanuel and Doyle Dykes, in addition to creating some of his own and writing originals.
Jim has performed in front of a variety of audiences, including concerts, competitions, weddings and the like, but playing at church has always been a mainstay. Whether playing in worship bands or guitar solos, gospel music is deep in his roots and is also the driving theme behind his debut CD release, titled "First Fruits".
Jim has been playing for about 38 years. He also has taught private lessons in the past but believes JamPlay.com is an exciting and better venue with many advantages over the traditional method of weekly 30 minute sessions.
Jim lives in Berthoud, Colorado with his wife, Linda, and their four children. Although he still has a "day job", he is actively performing and is already back in the studio working on the next CD. If you wonder how he finds time, look no further than the back seat of his truck where he keeps a "travel guitar" to take advantage of any practice or song-writing opportunities he can get.
The opening song you hear in Jim's introductory JamPlay video is called, "A Pick In My Pocket". It's an original tune, written in memory of Jim's father who told him early on he should always keep a pick in his pocket in case he ever met Chet Atkins and got the chance to play for him. That song is slated to be the title track for his next CD, which will feature several more originals plus some of his favorite covers of Chet and Jerry arrangements.
Acoustic Guitar Lessons
Our acoustic guitar lessons are taught by qualified instructors with various backgrounds with the instrument.
Pamela Goldsmith
Pamela brings a cap to her first 13 JamPlay lessons with another original etude inspired by the great Leo Brouwer. This is...
Free LessonSeries Details
Eve Goldberg
Eve talks about the boom-chuck strum pattern. This strum pattern will completely change the sound of your playing.
Free LessonSeries Details
Mark Kailana Nelson
Mark Nelson introduces "'Ulupalakua," a song he will be using to teach different skills and techniques. In this lesson, he...
Free LessonSeries Details
Mitch Reed
Mitch teaches his interpretation of the classic "Cannonball Rag." This song provides beginning and intermediate guitarists...
Free LessonSeries Details
Jim Deeming
Jim Deeming discusses how to use a metronome for practice, skill building, and speed building.
Free LessonSeries Details
Steve Eulberg
Steve Eulberg does a quick review of this lesson series and talks about moving on.
Free LessonSeries Details
Kaki King
In lesson 6, Kaki discusses how the left and right hands can work together or independently of each other to create different...
Free LessonSeries Details
Erik Mongrain
Erik expounds on the many possibilities of open tunings and the new harmonics that you can use in them. He explains what...
Free LessonSeries Details
Hawkeye Herman
Hawkeye teaches several Robert Johnson licks in this lesson. These licks are played with a slide in open G tuning.
Free LessonSeries Details
Danny Voris
Lesson 7 is all about arpeggios. Danny provides discussion and exercises designed to build your right hand skills.
Free LessonSeries DetailsElectric Guitar Lesson Samples
Our electric guitar lessons are taught by instructors with an incredible amount of teaching experience.
Nick Kellie
Nick explains how to use scales and modes effectively when soloing over a chord progression.
Free LessonSeries Details
Kenny Ray
Albert Collins brought a lot of style to the blues scene. In this lesson, Kenny breaks down Albert's style for you to learn.
Free LessonSeries Details
DJ Phillips
Learn a handful of new blues techniques while learning to play Stevie Ray Vaughn's "The House Is Rockin'".
Free LessonSeries Details
Eric Madis
In this lesson Eric talks about playing basic lead in the Memphis Blues style.
Free LessonSeries Details
Chris Liepe
Chris brings his ingenuity to this lesson on the American folk song called "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" Also known as...
Free LessonSeries Details
Kris Norris
Kris analyzes different pick sizes and their effect on his playing. Using a slow motion camera, he is able to point out the...
Free LessonSeries Details
Allen Van Wert
Allen shows you the 24 rudiments crucial to developing finger dexterity. This is a short lesson but the exercises here can...
Free LessonSeries Details
Lauren Passarelli
Lauren Passarelli offers up her wisdom on purchasing a guitar. She also includes information regarding proper setup and care....
Free LessonSeries Details
David Wallimann
This is a crucial lesson that explains tablature, how to read it, and why it's important.
Free LessonSeries Details
Nick Greathouse
Nick starts his series with Alternate Picking part 1. Improve your timing, speed, and execution with this important lesson.
Free LessonSeries DetailsAdditional Lesson Features Available to Members
While we have attempted to provide you with an accurate rendition of our video lesson experience, there are some features which
require a membership with us!
Custom Progress Reporting
At JamPlay, we give you the ability to monitor your own progress for any lesson! If you watch one of our lessons and feel as though you understand around half of it, mark your progress at 50%. This adds the lesson to your customized Progress Report, and gives you an incredible ability to document what you need to work on, and where you left off.
Progressive Bookmarking
With thousands of lessons at your fingertips, JamPlay can be a touch intimidating to a first-time user. With Progressive Bookmarking, we give you the ability to systematically bookmark sections of any lessons you are working on to quickly access later. After all, what is the point of all this content if it isn't easy to use?
Save Your Notes
JamPlay also gives you the ability to leave notes for yourself on any lesson. Just like in any educational system, taking your own notes while learning gives you the ability to highlight the instruction that is important to you. Leave your notes, and we store them in our database for you to reference each and everytime you come back to the lesson.
Join the Thousands of Members at JamPlay
Signup today to enjoy access to our entire database of video lessons, along with our exclusive set of learning tools and features.
Unlimited Lesson Viewing
A JamPlay membership gives you access to every lesson, from every teacher on our staff. Additionally, there is no restriction on how many times you watch a lesson. Watch as many times as you need.Live Lessons
Exclusive only to JamPlay, we currently broadcast 8-10 hours of steaming lesson services directly to you! Enjoy the benefits of in-person instructors and the conveniences of our community.Interactive Community
Create your own profile, manage your friends list, and contact users with your own JamPlay Mailbox. JamPlay also features live chat with teachers and members, and an active Forum.Chord Library
Each chord in our library contains a full chart, related tablature, and a photograph of how the chord is played. A comprehensive learning resource for any guitarist.Scale Library
Our software allows you to document your progress for any lesson, including notes and percent of the lesson completed. This gives you the ability to document what you need to work on, and where you left off.Custom Chord Sheets
At JamPlay, not only can you reference our Chord Library, but you can also select any variety of chords you need to work on, and generate your own printable chord sheet.Backing Tracks
Jam-along backing tracks give the guitarist a platform for improvising and soloing. Our backing tracks provide a wide variety of tracks from different genres of music, and serves as a great learning tool.Interactive Games
We have teachers covering beginner lessons, rock, classic rock, jazz, bluegrass, fingerstyle, slack key and more. Learn how to play the guitar from experienced players, in a casual environment.Beginners Welcome.. and Up
Unlike a lot of guitar websites and DVDs, we start our Beginner Lessons at the VERY start of the learning process, as if you just picked up a guitar for the first time.Our teaching is structured for all players.
Member Comments about this Lesson
Discussions with our instructors are just one of the many benefits of becoming a member of JamPlay.I didn't think I would like a mostly talking lesson as much as this one. Very good. I also lost the tip of my index finger as a kid. You give me hope. I'd like to re-iterate the Bojangles request.
Hi Jim- I just completed (& continue to practice) Phase 1. I went through your lessons & Eve Goldbergs. I just started your phase 2 lessons today. The other day I purchased a Fender T Bucket CR 400. Are you familiar with this guitar & what do you think of it?
LOL YEP, JIM DEEMING SHOULD BE PAID BY THUMBPICK MAKERS! AFTER 10 YEARS OF PLAYING (2 OF ACOUSTIC , 8 ELECTRIC) HE MADE ME BUY AN THUMBPICK...AND A NEW ELECTRO ACOUSTIC GUITAR!!
made me buy 1 too (me four)
Made me buy a thumb pick too.
me three
I'm 82 years old and I started playing guitar with a professional classical, jazz teacher. I was asked to play and sing "Silent Night" and "Holy Night" this coming Xmas but I Play these in an arpeggio style which was not what they wanted, I was browsing the Internet and , by chance, came upon Jim Deeming playing "Silent Night". That's exactly what I was looking for so I bought the course. Already I've learned how to string a guitar, and I'm hoping to play Silent Night finger style just like you. Thanks Gerry
Hey Jim, I use a Herco Medium thumb pick but it's a bit bulky, yours looks more compact, what type is it? Thanks, Ed
Some one that is huge right now that uses a lot of fingerstyle and has since he first started on the scene is John Mayer. In a lot of his songs, he has started utilizing both a pick and playing fingerstyle at the same.
great introduction, i really think this is what i'm looking for. much love!
Hi Jim!! I've been on jamplay for a week now and I am loving it. It's really the best bet for me. I've been wanting to advance my guitar skills but can't afford to take private lessons (neither time nor money) at this time. I am a visual lerner and do not do well with learning from books. I never knew what this style of playing the guitar was called. But, seeing your intro sold me on jamplay and fingerstyle guitar. Here's my question for you in regards to "setup" - I use my guitar a lot for basic strumming & accompaniament while singing. If I alter the setup of my guitar by lowering the action for fingerstyle playing what are the negative implications (if any) for basic strumming / rhythm guitar? P.S. - i too just purchased a thumb pick today. :)
I've been noodling and doodling on guitar for 40 yrs since I was 10. I got a thumb pick Fri then Sat I went to a family reunion and dropped my thumb picks and lost them. the family organizer found them and gave them to me and insisted I play. I obviously didn't do too well. I can't wait to go again next year with my new guitar skills. I've been playing all day with renewed enthuseasm!
Great Lesson! Valuable information. Thanks a lot.
how about a tutorial on the intro song? or at least tabs.. it's so awesome.
Question about thumbpicks and paste-on false nails (my nails split every time) vs. a flat pick, bare fingers, or something else -- There are lots of ways to play, and I don't want to put the cart before the horse, but I like finger picking, in addition to strumming and flat picking. I want to have the the full range of playing though. I want to sort of blend all the styles together as the spirit moves me -- not just fingerstyle -- all. I especially don't want to learn based on the mechanics of my choice of pick. Any thoughts you can share? Thanks. (Hope this is the place for this question.)
I grew up listening to Chet Atkins music and have always held him in the highest esteem....I've got a feeling that you do as well......you're a fantastic instructor and i am so happy to find someone to teach me the finer points of Chets style. I was wondering if you would consider teaching us Chets version of yesterday
Thanks Kenny. I play a simplified version of Yesterday. Chet's is pretty enough that it would be worth the extra time for me to hunt down some of the prettier chords he adds in there. I'll take a look at that - good call!
Hi, Who is the rocket scientist that Jim mentioned? I just did not get it :-)
Leo Kottke - take a look on youtube. Lots of complex tunings, rhythms, slide guitar, and 12 string stuff.
Mate... I so need a thumb pick. I don't think I can go on without one. Where are all the thumb picks when you need them? AAAGGHHH!!!
Got my first Thumb Pick this weekend.. :-) I can't wait to get going on this.. Please keep the lessons coming.. Your teaching style is awesome !
I just got a thumbpick. Yay! But I also have thin, weak nails. I'm trying Sally Hanson's Hard As Nails on them. So far, so good.
Jim will be happy to know he's converted someone else :) He's going for world domination, one thumb pick at a time.
I was conscious of the neck width when I bought my guitar; but it turns out I didn't really know what I was supposed to be looking for. You mentioned in the video that your 2" classical was too wide. You also mentioned your Gibson ES335 being very narrow. How wide is that? How wide is the acoustic you play in this video?
Hello, Just so you know Jim will currently not be able to answer as many questions as usual as he is currently in the Ukraine adopting a child. He will get back to this message as soon as he can. As far as necks go they come in SOOO many shapes and sizes the only real way to figure them out is to play them. It's amazingly difficult to find the PERFECT fretboard, but once you do, oh my goodness your playing will be so much easier.
I waited to get used to my thumbpick, that done, now I am here. Long live the thumbpick revolution, lol
Great lessons! Will you be adding more anytime soon? How about teaching your opening song, "Mr. Bojangles"? Thanks, Art
A new fingerstyle lesson from Jim should be coming this week, and we will be filming more within the next two :) Stay tuned!