More Picking Patterns Guitar Lesson
More Picking Patterns
Jim expands on lesson 2 and teaches several different picking patterns. He also covers the basics of muting.
Taught by Jim Deeming in Fingerstyle Guitar seriesLength: 14:23Difficulty: 2.0 of 5
When playing the alternating bass line in conjunction with chords, the chords were previously played on beats 2 and 4. If you always place the chords on these two beats, your rhythm playing will lack variety and will begin to sound stale rather quickly. For this reason, it is important to learn how to place the chords on other beats. Mastering this process will also increase the coordination between your brain and hands. The alternating bass line remains unchanged regardless of where the chords are placed within the measure.
For example, Jim first shifts the chords to beats 1 and 3. Notice how the bass line remains the same. He demonstrates this pattern with an A chord. This chord is a good chord to a start with when learning this new pattern. However, it is important that you master the pattern with each chord that you know. The other chords in the key of A major (D and E) are a logical place to start.
Note: For tablature to all of the rhythmic examples played in this lesson, open the "Supplemental Content" tab.
Chords on Beats 1 and 4
The chords can be shifted to any permutation of two beats within the measure. Jim demonstrates how to play the chords on beats 1 and 4 for example. Placing the chords at the beginning and end of the measure gives the rhythmic feel strong forward movement. Practice this example as slowly as you need to at first. The most important aspect to focus on is keeping a clear, even pulse. Gradually speed up the tempo as you become more comfortable.
Chords on Beats 2 and 3
The last available combination is beats 2 and 3. Practice placing the plucked chords on these two beats. Remember that the bass line still does not change! Chapter 2: (07:05) Basics of Muting When playing a bass line in conjunction with chords, Jim applies two forms of muting. When basic muting is applied to this rhythm pattern, a few specific results occur. Palm muting the bass line enables the listener to distinguish between the tone of the bass and the tone of the chords. When the sound of the bass line differs from the sound of the chords, both parts are more distinguishable and tend to stand out more. Also, the overall rhythmic feel has much more forward momentum when left and right hand muting is applied.
Adding Palm Muting
One of the advantages of playing with a thumb pick is that it enables you to palm mute rather easily. Palm muting is achieved by lightly resting the palm of the hand across the desired strings. Your palm should rest just on the other side of the bridge. This allows the pitch of the strings to be heard with an altered, slightly muted tone. If you place your palm too far from the bridge, you will prevent the strings from ringing altogether. When practicing this technique, focus on imitating the palm muting sound that Jim is producing. Palm muting is usually applied to the three bass strings. However, there are many exceptions.
Left Hand Muting
Jim also applies some left hand muting to these rhythmic patterns. This is accomplished by very lightly lifting up the left hand fingers after a chord is played. Do not lift the fingers all of the way off of the strings. You only need to lift them enough to prevent the chords from ringing. This gives a marcato or slightly staccato feel to the rhythm. Practice all of these muting techniques with each of the chords that you know.
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
Mark Kroos
Free LessonSeries Details
Jessica Baron
Jessica kindly introduces herself, her background, and her approach to this series.
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
Orville Johnson
Orville Johnson introduces turnarounds and provides great ideas and techniques.
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
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
Nick Amodeo
Nick explains how to play some of the most commonly used chords in the bluegrass genre.
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 DetailsElectric Guitar Lesson Samples
Our electric guitar lessons are taught by instructors with an incredible amount of teaching experience.
Brendan Burns
Brendan demonstrates the tiny triad shapes derived from the form 1 barre chord.
Free LessonSeries Details
James Malone
James explains how to tap arpeggios for extended musical reach.
Free LessonSeries Details
Brad Henecke
Free LessonSeries Details
Eric Madis
In this lesson Eric talks about playing basic lead in the Memphis Blues style.
Free LessonSeries Details
Jane Miller
Jane Miller talks about chord solos in part one of this fascinating mini-series.
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
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
Nick Greathouse
Nick starts his series with Alternate Picking part 1. Improve your timing, speed, and execution with this important lesson.
Free LessonSeries Details
Nick Kellie
Nick explains how to use scales and modes effectively when soloing over a chord progression.
Free LessonSeries Details
David Wallimann
This is a crucial lesson that explains tablature, how to read it, and why it's important.
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 dont understand what bass strings you are picking because you didnt say the name of the strings every time, and every time it looks like you are picking different strings. If some body could type the sequence and order of the first excersize here that would help!
Chava,,,,, the rhythm patterns are available to view or print in the "SUPPLEMENTAL CONTENT"
Hi Jim and fellow students,I’ve been playing guitar for a while now and I never used a thumbpick.I can play most of the exercises without a thumb pick. I have a Dunlop thumb pick and I find it way to long.Do they make shorter picks or can a thumb pick be filed down and what is the best way to do that? Paul
you can just trim it down with some scissors. i know a chap that did that and it worked.
Another great lesson but am really struggling with the thumb pick, when i do the pinch im either making the d string sound too loud or if i lighten up on the d then my other fingers lighten up too to the point the g string makes no sound. Guess this is gonna take some practice.
Hi dannyw7982.I had the same problems but believe me it will come to you suddently,just keep on practice and use your ears.Jamplay and mostly Jim motivate me so mutch that i pick up my guitar every time i`ve got a minute free and i can feel and hear that i am getting better,it`s a great feeling.The way Jim plays is fantastic and if i could just play a little like that i would be more than happy.Dannyw7982 this is hard work but if you think i`ts fun practice you will learn.Jim says that you should have fu during practice,very important i think.When i practice some of this hard stuff i do it 10-15 minutes and then i play something else or put away my guitar for a while,that works for me.To you Jim thank you for teaching so well and i have to buy your first fruits cd.Forgive my english,best regards from Denmark
how much does your thumbpick go out from your thumb? cause the longer that is the higher you have to have the thumb so do you recomend some lenght or is it the same legth on all picks?
Its to hard :D What is 1-4-5?
I'm wondering this: in the end when I finally get my thumb to seperate from my fingers (if it ever happens) will I ALWAYS have to "learn" a song as to where the notes are with in the chords I'm playing or will that come naturally. For instance, one doesn't have to "learn" a song to strum it (you know, if you know the melody of it) so I wonder will I have to always learn a song as I said in fingerstyle?--Capo
Maybe this will help some folks. Find some folk songs in 1-4-5 and play them with these patterns. It's more interesting, it feels more like you're playing music, and if you have someone around who'll sing, it's a great way to practice. I've been playing Folsom Prison Blues to practice the syncopated pinch, Me and Bobbie McGee to practice the 1-4 pinch, and some others, too.
This lesson completly screws you up as it the total opposite of the last lesson, "throw the thumb a curve ball" your not kidding, but we love Jims lessons and the hard graft that goes with them as i've played guiatr before and i realise it takes hard work to get where you wanna go, rock on Jim..
Keep working! It gets easier. Muting is still tough for me, though.
Jim loves to watch us writhe in pain as our thumbs swell up, blister and fall off :)
This is fun stuff! Excellent lesson and it's time for practice! Still trying to get used to the whole thumb pick thing...
oh oh it's back to no substitute for slow practice and the metronome is your friend thanks jim i gotta work on this
I have been assuming that your tab is one measure long. But it make some sense it is actually two measure long. Is this correct/ It would help if you marked the measures on the tab. thanks
Great to see Jim getting into some gooood stuff! The chord exersizes were good but now it's starting to sound like something. Go Jim!