Hi, everyone. I wanted to start us off with a comment to get the ball rolling. I would LOVE it if you could leave a short comment introducing yourself to the other members. I’m Dan Thorpe, from Birmingham, UK (not Alabama!). I love fingerpicking – Paul Simon, James Taylor, Tommy Emmanuel and about a gazillion others! My favourite thing about playing guitar is having some quiet time to play for myself (music is a great outlet for everything in life) and to jam with my 4 year old boy, Archie! I used to be terrible at guitar but after years… Read more »
Hey everyone, I would love to know what lessons you would like to learn. More on fingerpicking, Travis picking, chord changes, theory, jamming???… you name it, leave your ideas below!! This is the place to do so.
Hi Dan, I am an intermediate player, but am fascinated about finger style, and very anxious to get started. But i must admit i do struggle a bit with the dreaded Barr Chords, but am improving a bit. I am a Viet Nam vet, who suffers from PTSD, I am very private, so if you don’t hear much from me please understand. Thanks
Steve
Hi Steve, thanks for getting in touch. It`s great to have you here. Barre chords are tough but do make sure you take your time and use good technique with them.
No problem at all regarding being private and I hope you are doing well regarding the PTSD. Just know that the comments section and the mini-forum is there for you when needed. All the best.
Cool, for sure, let us know some more details. What sort of slaps and slides? The crazy stuff or solid on beats 2 and 4 type thing? What sort of guitarists have inspired this? (I ask, so I know I’m on the right path). 🙂
No particular artist comes to mind but I would say on beats 2 and 4 nothing crazy (yet). Slapping all the strings I find okay, it’s the thumb slap I have trouble with on the low E A strings.
I have come across slaps in the odd piece of music, done right sounds amazing. Just something I would like to add to my repertoire.
Ah, okay cool, thanks for letting me know. The slaps on beats 2 and 4 are very cool. The grooves these can add are great. Will get something ready on this. 🙂
If you would like to submit a video, you can add it to your comment by including a video LINK (for example, a YouTube, Vimeo, or Dropbox link). (Email Dan for help if you get stuck uploading a video)
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So…I found level three the easiest because my hand didn’t have to move up and down the fretboard. In my head, I know that the last pluck is open which gives me time to move, but it is like I can’t get over the hiccup that happens when I play it leaving me with the dreaded silence/break in any kind of musicality when my hand moves. My way to possibly work through this is to make sure I have the pattern down, and then play with you on the video with the aim of synchronizing my hand fretting hand moving… Read more »
Hi Dan and members my name is Mark Sedunary playing for 5 years and 70 years old, retired would classify myself as a mid way intermediate player can strum songs play chords quite well and my fingerpicking skills are not to bad but struggle to play and change chords but working on it.
My aim is to be a solid player by October 2025 in both categories, I practice approx 1-2 hrs a day, so if any advice on how to achieve my goal please submit.
I am hoping that dans course will help.
I was trying to find a practical application to apply this lesson. I found it playing the song “If” by Bread. I play a pattern similar to the “Ultra”Flexible” pattern. The 8th bar is an E7 chord and the last note is on the high E string. I found if I use a rest stroke on that note and hold it for a couple of beats, it adds a dimension to the song and a nice lead in to the next bar.
This is a slow go for me. I’m having trouble getting the palm mute to sound right, plus the coordination of the picking is a little difficult. I didn’t have any trouble with the syncopated E, though, so I will get this with practice.
I did this lesson yesterday and reviewed it today. I tried to concentrate on getting a nice ring on the high E string by making sure I kept my left-hand fingers pressing on the string for the full beat. It’s much more musical that way. I’m also trying to memorize the notes on the fretboard, but as a pianist, I find it very hard compared to how the piano is laid out in patterns of black and white keys!
I love the beautiful sound of the G to Cm7 chord. It’s such a nice chord change I could play it all day long. Also it’s easy enough so that I don’t have to worry much about what the right hand is doing.
That’s very common but good you are honest about it. It’s no deal breaker for progress but a little can go a long way. Hope this helps encourage you. 🙂
That’s still good stuff, Denise. You can always sing the majority of the piece using level 1 strumming and when there is room to, or as you start getting more comfortable with it, you can bring in bits from level 2. Keep up the good practice. 🙂
Level 1 and 2, no problem. Level 3 is another story. I have to keep it very very slow and still found it difficult to add in that half beat on the high E.
It throws everyone at first. That’s “syncopation” for you! You will get it though, keep coming back to it, that one note feels weird at first (it did for me too) but at some point, with focused practice, it will click. 🙂
Glad to hear that you are getting there. Yeah, you can use other fingers – it’s a good exercise to practice this with multiple fingers to give them all a good workout. 🙂
This was fun! I have a question that is going to be awkward in wording. In the tab/notation are the parentheses and carrots standard throughout scores to show free and rest strokes–or did you only do it to help us learn? Another way to ask might be, if I picked up a piece of classical guitar music, would I be likely to find those types of notation or symbols and then I would now know that means to play the notes as free or rest strokes?
Yeah, the reason for that was to make it clear which are free strokes and which are rest strokes. Unfortunately, most notation doesn’t do that but usually a good rule of thumb is this – if the notes are being played across multiple strings in a picking pattern way, use free strokes, but if there is a distinct phrase (usually played on one or two strings), it’s likely it’s a melody and rest strokes can be used. I hope that makes sense? 🙂
Glad to hear it. Love how you have taken the pattern and applied it to some chords of your own choosing. Always a good thing to do when you’re ready to. Keep it up. 🙂
Em, Gmaǰ scale, same scale different reference point. Playing along the string really enhances the interval spacing as opposed to the vertical pattern, it’s starting to click with a big a-ha moment. Thanks!
Good stuff, Allan. Very true that and yeah, the linear method of playing along one string makes it more like a piano in some ways and that can help us understand the intervals nicely. Keep up the good practice 🙂
Em scale? I’m still playing around with the C Major scale. I was not much for learning scales, just chords with base notes and what you term embellishments. However, I am plucking along and slowly acquiring the note locations along the fret board. Thanks!
Yeah, the Em scale. Very useful as many songs use it and we can combine some bass notes such as the open low E with the scale for new melodies. I hope this adds a new string to your bow. Glad you are acquiring the note locations and keep up the good practice. 🙂
I love to just do some fingerpicking patterns with no chords to warm up the right hand and then I strum through some chords to warm up the left hand. The other day my warmup was more than successful when I suddenly found I could strum the modern strum pattern by accident.
That’s some good stuff there, and especially good stuff with how the modern strum pattern came together. Keep up the good practice! Pleased to hear it 🙂
“That simple”, he says! HA HA This is frustrating. My version sounds nothing like yours.
The more I practice, the more “travisy’ it sounds… however, my index finger always want to play the last note. Is that okay or should I get used to using the thumb?
You will get there for sure. It sounds like you are. It’s not an easy skill but I wanted to throw it in early on in the course to give you time to develop it. I’d definitely try to build the habit of playing that note with the thumb. Slow it down, do it 10x in a row and your thumb will play ball. You’ll nail it! 🙂
The palm muting is a bit tricky for me since it changes my hand shape and placement for the other strings. I think I will work on that later when I go through the program again….or maybe later today. lol. Who knows. I’ll save it for a day when I feel more adventurous or at least when it is the only skill I am working on.
Small changes in position make such a difference with palm muting. I’d say, experiment with hand position for 30 seconds or so each day as you go through the rest of the course. By the end of it, you’ll likely find a position that works for you, and of course, come back and revisit the lesson in more detail when you’re ready to. Also, remember, you can play this pattern without palm muting too for a more free flowing sound. 🙂
Great lesson Dan!!! I especially like that you actually show the positioning of your feet, chair, etc… Additionally enjoyed the demonstration on the thumb. This was a wake up for me as I realized I was positioning my thumb on the far left of my fingers. Placing it in the middle of them helped me straighten up my fingers instead of having them at an angle. Plus, it helps stretching to further frets!! SOO looking forward to the remainder of this course!!
Cheers, Logan. Yeah, the world even got to see my socks, haha, but seriously, yeah, the little details like feet placement all matter. Very pleased that the thumb tip made such a difference. All the small details make such a difference. Keep up the great practice 🙂
Dan, I still find the “lazy” position with the guitar resting on my raised right leg most comfortable. But…will begin warming up in the classical position and see how that works. Can’t emphasize enough your recommendation on using correct pressure with the fretting hand. I was camping last month with friends and a jam session ensued. After nearly two hours most had quit stating their hands were sore while I was continuing on. Fun times.
That’s good that you are trying it, J.P. If you’ve played for quite some time, which I know you have, the “lazy” position can certainly still be okay but no harm in giving the classical position a good try as over time it can work better. Whichever position you use, the key is to follow all the other technical details – which you have. Super pleased to hear it about the jam session. Great stuff and sounds like lots of fun! 🙂
While noodling around on this scale, I can hear so many songs that use these notes! I’ve been focusing on chords for so long that I forgot about the lovely music that can be played on one string. Great reminder. Great stuff, Dan. There is one song that is on the tip of my tongue using the high E string and for the life of me, I can’t get it!!! 70s/80s? ARGH!!! Rolling Stones?? Paint it Black?
I always appreciate you giving us pretty exercises. Learning to play is such a marathon and only focussing on scales is not satisfying for me. When we get a pretty exercise like the Level 3, it provides fuel while allowing me to feel like I can play a song.
Cheers, Ashlie. Yeah, scale practice purely for the sake of it is not very inspiring – playing music and bringing the theory stuff to life is so much better. Pleased you enjoyed it. 🙂
Thank, Steve. It’s easy to just dive in but taking those few minutes to get the fingers going is so important – especially on those colder days or when the fingers are feeling stiff! 🙂
Great course! I have learned how to fingerpick one of these songs. What I am interested in learning is playing the cords on my looper then playing the melody along with it. I am pretty good on playing melody’s but need to work on strumming and timing. especially the timing! This is just what I needed, Thanks Dan for a well put together course.
Cheers, Art. You’ll have loads of fun doing that with the looper. It’s a really good musical skill to be able to play both parts and nail the timing. Cheers and pleased you’re enjoying it. 🙂
Interesting approach. I usually warm up with the “Going Up” pattern. At first without using my fretting hand. Then slowly begin adding chords with the fretting hand, C, G, D, E, A and F. Then try to play a few songs by memory. Looking forward to the next three weeks with this added motivation. Thank you Dan!
Good stuff, there are many ways we can warm up of course and your way of doing it sounds good. Adding this in, switching things around or alternating between the ideas you mentioned and these, could be very worthwhile. Feel free to adapt. Good stuff, looking forward to hearing of your progress too. 🙂
Yikes! I was just messing around, warming up, this morning and I suddenly got the Modern Strum pattern! I have been trying to get it for close to a year now without success. I wasn’t even consciously trying to get it, just messing with fingerpicking patterns and then strumming a bit and I realized I was doing the modern! I feel like I won the lottery. I guess my subconscious had been working on it while I was working on other things.
That’s great to know. It’s funny how sometimes, things “click” and often it’s just a case of trying, taking a break, and repeating over and over. Eventually, the subconscious gets us there – as long as we feed it the right stuff (i.e. good effective practice). Well done! 🙂
One of my favorite things you’ve taught me through this last year is alternating the index and middle fingers when playing the same string. It improves the musicality immensely.
Super pleased to hear it. It’s such a powerful way of playing melodies for sure and that will give you a solid foundation for everything in the rest of this course and of course, all your fingerpicking playing. Keep up the good practice 🙂
I really appreciate that this exercise does one finger at a time. It makes a lot of sense. A lot of the warm-up or strengthening exercises I’ve come across often require a lot of learning/skill which makes me less likely to do them. These are simple and really work. And it makes it very easy to work on the quality of my tone in picking.
Glad to hear it, Ashlie. Most “warm-ups” out there are more like complex technical exercises that leave the fingers and the mind scrambled I also find. One finger at a time is so simple but much more effective – pleased you like it. 🙂
This is super hard for me but I know I just need to keep practicing. Not coming from a strumming background makes this more challenging for me. I do love the sound of it and want to keep trying until I get it. Thanks for something different!
My pleasure, it is not easy for sure. Nothing is at first (something I always try to remind everyone). As usual, break it down into the smallest chunks, work on the weaker areas, and gradually put it together – enjoy the process too 🙂
Teresa posed an interesting question as I too am often curious about the technical aspects. I was wondering if you could maybe do a session on some of the more technical aspects of guitar playing. For example guitar maintenance, amplifying the acoustic guitar and things along those lines. Just a thought.
Jim
Good stuff, Jim. Thanks for the comment. I’d be happy to do this for sure. Do let us know if you have more specifics as there’s so much we could cover here (feel free to email or comment below). Same for everyone. More than happy to cover this stuff. 🙂
You have mentioned these tips before, but I haven’t taken them to heart. I tend to try to learn a song all at once and even though I play it I don’t know how many times, it seems not to stick. I am going to practice the Waltz just as you recommended!
Glad to hear it, Tammy. It’s easy to want to rush and do it that way – I certainly made that mistake a lot. The wise way is often the patient and methodical way. If you can play it in your mind, you’re half way there with both the memory and movements, I find. 🙂
This is probably a question most people wouldn’t have to ask but . . . I notice that in some videos your guitar sounds different. What is making your guitar sound like it does? Are you using an amplifier with some sort of sound changing thing? (Coming from someone who has never plugged a guitar in so knows nothing about equipment).
If it’s what I think you are talking about, it is a bit of reverb. Is it during the performance part you hear it? I used to plug the guitar into an amp with reverb to give it a bit of sparkle during the “playthrough” but now we do that using a digital plug-in during editing. Sounds more vibrant that way – let me know if that’s what you are on about though 🙂
Yes, I love reverb – one of the coolest sounds when added to a guitar I find. It’s funny, bathrooms usually have great natural reverb but filming lessons in there probably not a great idea, haha 🙂
During the pandemic Mad Fiddler – John Teer of Chatham County Line – did a series of videos in his shower. He played fiddle, mandolin and guitar in the videos and all sounded fantastic. I have a big shower and no amp . . . Maybe I will give it a try.
Ha, not sure I’ll be going that far with the lessons but that sounds like fun! The things folk did to keep everyone entertained! You’ll get great reverb there! 🙂
I did this in college, but it was a great review. I enjoyed singing with the intervals and getting a few more ideas for songs to stick the interval in your head.
Good stuff, yeah, this is one of those things that I find gets taught a lot in music schools but very rarely in the guitar world. Super useful though. Glad it was helpful 🙂
Good idea to sing the ear training. I did a lot of ear training in college, but it was with an instructor playing a piano. Singing riffs is also a great idea – that could help a lot with improvisation.
Good stuff. Yeah, the more we sing out loud what we play on the guitar the better it is for the ear. I find the voice is like a bridge between the ears and the fretboard. 🙂
I enjoyed the D and Esus chords, though the Esus is a bit of a stretch. They are very pretty, though. And it’s easy to add the first and pinky to the Dsus to make some different sounds.
Good stuff, Leslie. Glad to hear it. Yeah, the Esus is a challenge for sure, but keep at it with good technique. Quite a useful shape for developing the fingers too. 🙂
Pleased to hear it. Yeah, it is very lovely and a nice calming one to play too. Glad you like it. There’s a lot of great classical pieces out there for sure 🙂
Cheers, Rich. Yeah, that is the beauty of it. Many possibilities with one simple progression and of course, you can adapt this, what we have done here, as much as you like too. Enjoy! 🙂
Dan, thanks for this, it’s just what I wanted. I’ve been trying to learn triads and their inversions on the various strings and it’s been very confusing. On the piano it’s all right there, easy to visualize and play, but the guitar -! The most wonderful thing about the guitar – its versatility and all the multiple paths you can take and choices you can make – is of course the most flummoxing thing at times. Your notations are very helpful. I’ve been trying to find a sort of instinctive way to “feel” and remember the intervals, but it hasn’t… Read more »
Cheers, Dawna, Glad to hear it. Yeah, for sure, the piano is a more logical and linear instrument in many ways. The guitar is a little more quirky in layout but as you say, it gives us versatility and options. It means more work up front learning the notes but then a whole world of fun playing possibilities. Thanks and keep enjoying the playing. Happy to do more on this sort of stuff. 🙂
Great tips Dan super duper 😀
Cheers, Angie. Glad to hear you like the lesson. Keep coming back to it too. 🙂
Hi, everyone. I wanted to start us off with a comment to get the ball rolling. I would LOVE it if you could leave a short comment introducing yourself to the other members. I’m Dan Thorpe, from Birmingham, UK (not Alabama!). I love fingerpicking – Paul Simon, James Taylor, Tommy Emmanuel and about a gazillion others! My favourite thing about playing guitar is having some quiet time to play for myself (music is a great outlet for everything in life) and to jam with my 4 year old boy, Archie! I used to be terrible at guitar but after years… Read more »
Hey everyone, I would love to know what lessons you would like to learn. More on fingerpicking, Travis picking, chord changes, theory, jamming???… you name it, leave your ideas below!! This is the place to do so.
Hi Dan, I am an intermediate player, but am fascinated about finger style, and very anxious to get started. But i must admit i do struggle a bit with the dreaded Barr Chords, but am improving a bit. I am a Viet Nam vet, who suffers from PTSD, I am very private, so if you don’t hear much from me please understand. Thanks
Steve
Hi Steve, thanks for getting in touch. It`s great to have you here. Barre chords are tough but do make sure you take your time and use good technique with them.
No problem at all regarding being private and I hope you are doing well regarding the PTSD. Just know that the comments section and the mini-forum is there for you when needed. All the best.
I would love to see some lessons on guitar slaps and slides please. That is if you possibly find time in your busy schedule.
Cool, for sure, let us know some more details. What sort of slaps and slides? The crazy stuff or solid on beats 2 and 4 type thing? What sort of guitarists have inspired this? (I ask, so I know I’m on the right path). 🙂
No particular artist comes to mind but I would say on beats 2 and 4 nothing crazy (yet). Slapping all the strings I find okay, it’s the thumb slap I have trouble with on the low E A strings.
I have come across slaps in the odd piece of music, done right sounds amazing. Just something I would like to add to my repertoire.
Ah, okay cool, thanks for letting me know. The slaps on beats 2 and 4 are very cool. The grooves these can add are great. Will get something ready on this. 🙂
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So…I found level three the easiest because my hand didn’t have to move up and down the fretboard. In my head, I know that the last pluck is open which gives me time to move, but it is like I can’t get over the hiccup that happens when I play it leaving me with the dreaded silence/break in any kind of musicality when my hand moves. My way to possibly work through this is to make sure I have the pattern down, and then play with you on the video with the aim of synchronizing my hand fretting hand moving… Read more »
hi dan having softy touch with fretting hand also lightens the grip of the picking hand doesn’t take long to get used of it almost makes you relax.
Mark Sedunary
Hi Dan and members my name is Mark Sedunary playing for 5 years and 70 years old, retired would classify myself as a mid way intermediate player can strum songs play chords quite well and my fingerpicking skills are not to bad but struggle to play and change chords but working on it.
My aim is to be a solid player by October 2025 in both categories, I practice approx 1-2 hrs a day, so if any advice on how to achieve my goal please submit.
I am hoping that dans course will help.
Regards
Mark Sedunary
Adelaide
Australia
I was trying to find a practical application to apply this lesson. I found it playing the song “If” by Bread. I play a pattern similar to the “Ultra”Flexible” pattern. The 8th bar is an E7 chord and the last note is on the high E string. I found if I use a rest stroke on that note and hold it for a couple of beats, it adds a dimension to the song and a nice lead in to the next bar.
I admit not being a fan of the click, either. Very accessible presentation. Working for me.
Good info, somehow i had either missed, or never saw rest/free strokes before.
Level 3 just sounds nice, makes me want to just keep rolling along.
This is a slow go for me. I’m having trouble getting the palm mute to sound right, plus the coordination of the picking is a little difficult. I didn’t have any trouble with the syncopated E, though, so I will get this with practice.
I did this lesson yesterday and reviewed it today. I tried to concentrate on getting a nice ring on the high E string by making sure I kept my left-hand fingers pressing on the string for the full beat. It’s much more musical that way. I’m also trying to memorize the notes on the fretboard, but as a pianist, I find it very hard compared to how the piano is laid out in patterns of black and white keys!
I love the beautiful sound of the G to Cm7 chord. It’s such a nice chord change I could play it all day long. Also it’s easy enough so that I don’t have to worry much about what the right hand is doing.
I’ve started doing this warmup every day, along with a few other warmups that I do. I can feel that it helps me get my left hand ready to go.
Really enjoyed today and the bonus melody. Thank you
Great stuff – super pleased to hear it. Keep up the great practice 🙂
I admit that I actively avoid the metronome. I’ll try to do better.
I look at it everyday. That’s about it for me, too.
Hopefully this will help! 🙂
That’s very common but good you are honest about it. It’s no deal breaker for progress but a little can go a long way. Hope this helps encourage you. 🙂
I can play Level 2 strumming but it’s really hard to strum and sing at the same time. I could do it with the Level 1 strumming but not with Level 2.
That’s still good stuff, Denise. You can always sing the majority of the piece using level 1 strumming and when there is room to, or as you start getting more comfortable with it, you can bring in bits from level 2. Keep up the good practice. 🙂
Thanks!
Level 1 and 2, no problem. Level 3 is another story. I have to keep it very very slow and still found it difficult to add in that half beat on the high E.
It throws everyone at first. That’s “syncopation” for you! You will get it though, keep coming back to it, that one note feels weird at first (it did for me too) but at some point, with focused practice, it will click. 🙂
Meant my ring finger !
Glad to hear that you are getting there. Yeah, you can use other fingers – it’s a good exercise to practice this with multiple fingers to give them all a good workout. 🙂
Getting there with this but my little finger doesn’t seem long enough! Can I use my index finger instead? Thank you
This was fun! I have a question that is going to be awkward in wording. In the tab/notation are the parentheses and carrots standard throughout scores to show free and rest strokes–or did you only do it to help us learn? Another way to ask might be, if I picked up a piece of classical guitar music, would I be likely to find those types of notation or symbols and then I would now know that means to play the notes as free or rest strokes?
Yeah, the reason for that was to make it clear which are free strokes and which are rest strokes. Unfortunately, most notation doesn’t do that but usually a good rule of thumb is this – if the notes are being played across multiple strings in a picking pattern way, use free strokes, but if there is a distinct phrase (usually played on one or two strings), it’s likely it’s a melody and rest strokes can be used. I hope that makes sense? 🙂
Yes, it does make sense. Thank you!
Great stuff. Thanks 🙂
Bonus pattern rolls nice, sounds nice over a C F G also.
Haha took a few passes to smooth out, then niiice.
Walk away and come back reminds me this variant is not fully in my muscle memory just yet, lol.
Glad to hear it. Love how you have taken the pattern and applied it to some chords of your own choosing. Always a good thing to do when you’re ready to. Keep it up. 🙂
Em, Gmaǰ scale, same scale different reference point. Playing along the string really enhances the interval spacing as opposed to the vertical pattern, it’s starting to click with a big a-ha moment. Thanks!
Good stuff, Allan. Very true that and yeah, the linear method of playing along one string makes it more like a piano in some ways and that can help us understand the intervals nicely. Keep up the good practice 🙂
Em scale? I’m still playing around with the C Major scale. I was not much for learning scales, just chords with base notes and what you term embellishments. However, I am plucking along and slowly acquiring the note locations along the fret board. Thanks!
Yeah, the Em scale. Very useful as many songs use it and we can combine some bass notes such as the open low E with the scale for new melodies. I hope this adds a new string to your bow. Glad you are acquiring the note locations and keep up the good practice. 🙂
I love to just do some fingerpicking patterns with no chords to warm up the right hand and then I strum through some chords to warm up the left hand. The other day my warmup was more than successful when I suddenly found I could strum the modern strum pattern by accident.
That’s some good stuff there, and especially good stuff with how the modern strum pattern came together. Keep up the good practice! Pleased to hear it 🙂
“That simple”, he says! HA HA This is frustrating. My version sounds nothing like yours.
The more I practice, the more “travisy’ it sounds… however, my index finger always want to play the last note. Is that okay or should I get used to using the thumb?
You will get there for sure. It sounds like you are. It’s not an easy skill but I wanted to throw it in early on in the course to give you time to develop it. I’d definitely try to build the habit of playing that note with the thumb. Slow it down, do it 10x in a row and your thumb will play ball. You’ll nail it! 🙂
The palm muting is a bit tricky for me since it changes my hand shape and placement for the other strings. I think I will work on that later when I go through the program again….or maybe later today. lol. Who knows. I’ll save it for a day when I feel more adventurous or at least when it is the only skill I am working on.
Small changes in position make such a difference with palm muting. I’d say, experiment with hand position for 30 seconds or so each day as you go through the rest of the course. By the end of it, you’ll likely find a position that works for you, and of course, come back and revisit the lesson in more detail when you’re ready to. Also, remember, you can play this pattern without palm muting too for a more free flowing sound. 🙂
Great lesson Dan!!! I especially like that you actually show the positioning of your feet, chair, etc… Additionally enjoyed the demonstration on the thumb. This was a wake up for me as I realized I was positioning my thumb on the far left of my fingers. Placing it in the middle of them helped me straighten up my fingers instead of having them at an angle. Plus, it helps stretching to further frets!! SOO looking forward to the remainder of this course!!
Cheers, Logan. Yeah, the world even got to see my socks, haha, but seriously, yeah, the little details like feet placement all matter. Very pleased that the thumb tip made such a difference. All the small details make such a difference. Keep up the great practice 🙂
Dan, I still find the “lazy” position with the guitar resting on my raised right leg most comfortable. But…will begin warming up in the classical position and see how that works. Can’t emphasize enough your recommendation on using correct pressure with the fretting hand. I was camping last month with friends and a jam session ensued. After nearly two hours most had quit stating their hands were sore while I was continuing on. Fun times.
That’s good that you are trying it, J.P. If you’ve played for quite some time, which I know you have, the “lazy” position can certainly still be okay but no harm in giving the classical position a good try as over time it can work better. Whichever position you use, the key is to follow all the other technical details – which you have. Super pleased to hear it about the jam session. Great stuff and sounds like lots of fun! 🙂
While noodling around on this scale, I can hear so many songs that use these notes! I’ve been focusing on chords for so long that I forgot about the lovely music that can be played on one string. Great reminder. Great stuff, Dan. There is one song that is on the tip of my tongue using the high E string and for the life of me, I can’t get it!!! 70s/80s? ARGH!!! Rolling Stones?? Paint it Black?
I always appreciate you giving us pretty exercises. Learning to play is such a marathon and only focussing on scales is not satisfying for me. When we get a pretty exercise like the Level 3, it provides fuel while allowing me to feel like I can play a song.
Cheers, Ashlie. Yeah, scale practice purely for the sake of it is not very inspiring – playing music and bringing the theory stuff to life is so much better. Pleased you enjoyed it. 🙂
Got to admit that I tend not to warm up so that’s got to change. Thanks for this Dan.
Thank, Steve. It’s easy to just dive in but taking those few minutes to get the fingers going is so important – especially on those colder days or when the fingers are feeling stiff! 🙂
Great course! I have learned how to fingerpick one of these songs. What I am interested in learning is playing the cords on my looper then playing the melody along with it. I am pretty good on playing melody’s but need to work on strumming and timing. especially the timing! This is just what I needed, Thanks Dan for a well put together course.
Cheers, Art. You’ll have loads of fun doing that with the looper. It’s a really good musical skill to be able to play both parts and nail the timing. Cheers and pleased you’re enjoying it. 🙂
Interesting approach. I usually warm up with the “Going Up” pattern. At first without using my fretting hand. Then slowly begin adding chords with the fretting hand, C, G, D, E, A and F. Then try to play a few songs by memory. Looking forward to the next three weeks with this added motivation. Thank you Dan!
Good stuff, there are many ways we can warm up of course and your way of doing it sounds good. Adding this in, switching things around or alternating between the ideas you mentioned and these, could be very worthwhile. Feel free to adapt. Good stuff, looking forward to hearing of your progress too. 🙂
Yikes! I was just messing around, warming up, this morning and I suddenly got the Modern Strum pattern! I have been trying to get it for close to a year now without success. I wasn’t even consciously trying to get it, just messing with fingerpicking patterns and then strumming a bit and I realized I was doing the modern! I feel like I won the lottery. I guess my subconscious had been working on it while I was working on other things.
That’s great to know. It’s funny how sometimes, things “click” and often it’s just a case of trying, taking a break, and repeating over and over. Eventually, the subconscious gets us there – as long as we feed it the right stuff (i.e. good effective practice). Well done! 🙂
One of my favorite things you’ve taught me through this last year is alternating the index and middle fingers when playing the same string. It improves the musicality immensely.
Super pleased to hear it. It’s such a powerful way of playing melodies for sure and that will give you a solid foundation for everything in the rest of this course and of course, all your fingerpicking playing. Keep up the good practice 🙂
I really appreciate that this exercise does one finger at a time. It makes a lot of sense. A lot of the warm-up or strengthening exercises I’ve come across often require a lot of learning/skill which makes me less likely to do them. These are simple and really work. And it makes it very easy to work on the quality of my tone in picking.
Glad to hear it, Ashlie. Most “warm-ups” out there are more like complex technical exercises that leave the fingers and the mind scrambled I also find. One finger at a time is so simple but much more effective – pleased you like it. 🙂
Important to warm up and a good reminder. Looking forward to Lesson 2.
Pleased to hear it. Yes, an essential foundation for all the exciting things to come 🙂
My first try, I got 105
Andy Sciacca
Good stuff, well done. Hope you enjoyed it 🙂
I’m so excited to begin this! It’s the jump start I need.
Ace. Super pleased to hear it. Excited to hear how you get on. Enjoy and let us know how you get on. 🙂
Oh, you know I will! lol ,,, I woke up a smidge early and waiting for my 1st lesson. Like a kid at Christmas!
Ha, good stuff, hope you’re enjoying it so far (and I know it’s early but Merry Christmas) 🙂
Hi Dan, I’m Anthony from Quebec City, Canada, and I’m a complete beginner at fingerpicking
Hi Anthony, welcome aboard. I hope you love it here. Enjoy the process and have fun! 🙂
This is super hard for me but I know I just need to keep practicing. Not coming from a strumming background makes this more challenging for me. I do love the sound of it and want to keep trying until I get it. Thanks for something different!
My pleasure, it is not easy for sure. Nothing is at first (something I always try to remind everyone). As usual, break it down into the smallest chunks, work on the weaker areas, and gradually put it together – enjoy the process too 🙂
Teresa posed an interesting question as I too am often curious about the technical aspects. I was wondering if you could maybe do a session on some of the more technical aspects of guitar playing. For example guitar maintenance, amplifying the acoustic guitar and things along those lines. Just a thought.
Jim
Good stuff, Jim. Thanks for the comment. I’d be happy to do this for sure. Do let us know if you have more specifics as there’s so much we could cover here (feel free to email or comment below). Same for everyone. More than happy to cover this stuff. 🙂
Yes! This! I wanted to ask for this in my question but wasn’t even sure what to ask.
Good stuff, thanks for letting us know 🙂
You have mentioned these tips before, but I haven’t taken them to heart. I tend to try to learn a song all at once and even though I play it I don’t know how many times, it seems not to stick. I am going to practice the Waltz just as you recommended!
Glad to hear it, Tammy. It’s easy to want to rush and do it that way – I certainly made that mistake a lot. The wise way is often the patient and methodical way. If you can play it in your mind, you’re half way there with both the memory and movements, I find. 🙂
This is probably a question most people wouldn’t have to ask but . . . I notice that in some videos your guitar sounds different. What is making your guitar sound like it does? Are you using an amplifier with some sort of sound changing thing? (Coming from someone who has never plugged a guitar in so knows nothing about equipment).
If it’s what I think you are talking about, it is a bit of reverb. Is it during the performance part you hear it? I used to plug the guitar into an amp with reverb to give it a bit of sparkle during the “playthrough” but now we do that using a digital plug-in during editing. Sounds more vibrant that way – let me know if that’s what you are on about though 🙂
I think so. I thought it was reverb I was hearing. I love the sound of it.
Yes, I love reverb – one of the coolest sounds when added to a guitar I find. It’s funny, bathrooms usually have great natural reverb but filming lessons in there probably not a great idea, haha 🙂
During the pandemic Mad Fiddler – John Teer of Chatham County Line – did a series of videos in his shower. He played fiddle, mandolin and guitar in the videos and all sounded fantastic. I have a big shower and no amp . . . Maybe I will give it a try.
Ha, not sure I’ll be going that far with the lessons but that sounds like fun! The things folk did to keep everyone entertained! You’ll get great reverb there! 🙂
this is a really fun piece. i really like the melody part at the end!
Pleased to hear it and thanks, Denise. That’s cool and glad I added that. A little melody is always fun 🙂
I did this in college, but it was a great review. I enjoyed singing with the intervals and getting a few more ideas for songs to stick the interval in your head.
Good stuff, yeah, this is one of those things that I find gets taught a lot in music schools but very rarely in the guitar world. Super useful though. Glad it was helpful 🙂
This was very fun. I actually did quite well. My ear is very good – I just don’t trust it enough sometimes.
Really glad to hear it. All that training must have come in handy – now trust those ears. Sounds like they know what they’re doing. 🙂
Good idea to sing the ear training. I did a lot of ear training in college, but it was with an instructor playing a piano. Singing riffs is also a great idea – that could help a lot with improvisation.
Good stuff. Yeah, the more we sing out loud what we play on the guitar the better it is for the ear. I find the voice is like a bridge between the ears and the fretboard. 🙂
I enjoyed the D and Esus chords, though the Esus is a bit of a stretch. They are very pretty, though. And it’s easy to add the first and pinky to the Dsus to make some different sounds.
Good stuff, Leslie. Glad to hear it. Yeah, the Esus is a challenge for sure, but keep at it with good technique. Quite a useful shape for developing the fingers too. 🙂
I love this – it is such a pretty piece and super quick to learn. I have a fondness for classical pieces.
Pleased to hear it. Yeah, it is very lovely and a nice calming one to play too. Glad you like it. There’s a lot of great classical pieces out there for sure 🙂
Dan, this is really interesting…there ends up being a lot of music coming out of this 4-chord progression.
Cheers, Rich. Yeah, that is the beauty of it. Many possibilities with one simple progression and of course, you can adapt this, what we have done here, as much as you like too. Enjoy! 🙂
Dan, thanks for this, it’s just what I wanted. I’ve been trying to learn triads and their inversions on the various strings and it’s been very confusing. On the piano it’s all right there, easy to visualize and play, but the guitar -! The most wonderful thing about the guitar – its versatility and all the multiple paths you can take and choices you can make – is of course the most flummoxing thing at times. Your notations are very helpful. I’ve been trying to find a sort of instinctive way to “feel” and remember the intervals, but it hasn’t… Read more »
Cheers, Dawna, Glad to hear it. Yeah, for sure, the piano is a more logical and linear instrument in many ways. The guitar is a little more quirky in layout but as you say, it gives us versatility and options. It means more work up front learning the notes but then a whole world of fun playing possibilities. Thanks and keep enjoying the playing. Happy to do more on this sort of stuff. 🙂
Excellent lesson. Thanks Dan. I played the melody in rhe pat and it never seemed right. Your insight made me sound musical.