Basic Fingerstyle Guitar Lesson
Basic Fingerstyle
Jim demonstrates a basic fingerstyle exercise that you can use with any of the chords you know.
Taught by Jim Deeming in Fingerstyle Guitar seriesLength: 16:05Difficulty: 1.5 of 5
Rhythm Guitar
The MOST important component of any musical performance is rhythm. If a performance loses its rhythmic feel, a musical train wreck is inevitable. Rhythm is what makes the audience dance, bob their heads, or even start a mosh pit. Without rhythm a performance ceases to be music. Achieving a steady rhythmic feel will enable you to play as part of a group with other musicians.
Alternating Bass Pattern
In Phase 1 lessons, you learned how to apply a basic alternating bass line to open chords. When you initially learned this concept, you were most likely playing the bass line and chords with a pick. Now it is time to learn the same process with the right hand fingers. In this case, the thumb will play all of the bass notes. When a chord is struck, it is plucked by the index, middle, and third fingers. These three fingers pluck the three treble strings respectively. Also, when a chord is plucked, the thumb comes in to help out. The thumb will pluck the D string note involved in the chord. Practice this pattern very slowly using an A major chord. Once you feel comfortable playing the pattern with an A chord, practice it with the other chords that you know. Be sure to review the root and fifth locations within these chords. You want to master this exercise to the point that you can do it without even thinking about it. After this lesson, additional parts will be added to this basic technique.
Note: Open the "Supplemental Content" tab for tablature to these patterns.
Proper Right Hand Technique
Observe the following rules whenever you play fingerstyle guitar:
1. The fleshy part of the finger where it meats the nail is what makes contact with the strings. Do not dig your fingers too far into the strings! This will produce a poor tone and reduce accuracy.
2. Keep the right hand wrist as straight as possible at all times.
3. Keep the tips of your right hand fingers loose and relaxed.
4. All plucking movement should come from the knuckle joint. The finger should pass directly through the string into the palm of the hand.
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.
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Member Comments about this Lesson
Discussions with our instructors are just one of the many benefits of becoming a member of JamPlay.Jim- Once more I'm gonna give fingerstyle a try. Not knowing anything and developing bad habits are obstacles I need to overcome. Question: Is the style you are teaching where the thumb joins the fingers on the two ( or the &), pinching, the standard. I'm guessing there are all kinds of variations but I want to learn correctly. Just ends up with thumb doing "double work" in that it plays on every beat- bass note, pinch, bass note. Tell me the effort pays off. :-)
great lesson! extremely easy to follow and very clear just need to do the practice now!
having trouble dropping my third fingure on the right hand while i am playing the D chord....
istarted about 6mo ago i wish i had this site 6 mo ago you guys rock thanks
This was helpful from the standpoint of learning the pattern and how it applies to the various chords Jim showed us - great lesson!
I broke down and bought a Thumbpick. Man is it awkward 8*( I had the alternating bass down using my bafe thumb, but now it is back to the beginning. Going to get it if it kills me (My wife said if i don't stop with that "do da do da" she will kill me instead). If I alternate between practicing bass and scales that at least breaks the monotony.
Jim, I noticewhen picking, that you're getting a really nice muted country sound occassionally as opposed to a fuller ringing tone at other times. What are you doing with the palm of your hand to achieve that?
Did he hit the high e note when playing the A picking?
Jim, I am following your course 2 ok except for one thing, on the thumb pick I cannot make out in the video the direction of travel, is it down on 1 and then up on the top or all down, in other words you do not mention the direction of the thumb pick when hitting the strings. thank you
what's that black thing beside the sound hole?
How do you get over the transition from the d to the g string. I keep trying to use all three fingers when I get to the D and muddle up the thumb everytime!!
great lesson, as they all are ! I am curious as to how you have the Blue Ridge strung, you get such a beautiful and long lasting ring?
is it better to have a plastick thump pick or a metall ?
what is a good thumb pick ?
Jim.....I looked ahead at all of the lessons.....and decided that this is where I am starting.....I'm going to do it right this time.... Thanks for the great lessons.... Joe
Hi Jim, Great lesson. But I'm wondering why you're alternating between G and B node while playing G chord. I thought i should be G and D.
Thanks Jim i got my thumb rockin
Nice to get an understanding of how this works. Need to go and practise some more
This was a great lesson. Prior to this, someone told me to sit down and learn "freight train" by Chet Atkins. Tried it for weeks and was too frustrated. I think this lesson will eventually lead me into that song. Thanks Jim!
That was weird...just went back to the lesson set and noticed Lesson 7 is a Chet Atkins style lesson. Whoops.
I don't think I'm going to go any further until I master this technique; it feels like im trying to make circles on my stomache, while making circles on my head!
I think in the back of my mind, I always knew I was missing something from the fingerpicking style that was keeping me from advancing. The idea of bringing the thumb along with the other 3 fingers is what I've been missing to build a solid foundation! Once again; excellent lesson from an excellent teacher!
This lesson was a big eye opener for me as I've been fingerpicking for a few years on and off and getting the alternating bass notes was always a challenge for me. I could pick out a decent melody but as for playing alternating bass with melody I always got stuck. At least now I know where to start practicing.
Great lesson! I love the muted bass notes. I'm trying to do it but it's definitely going to take a lot of practice to get it right.