Help me regarding finger picking..

I think you're a little confused here.

Travis (The Invisible band) and Merle Travis (Fingerpicker) are not similar in any way. This thread is about fingerpicking and The Invisible Band (TIB) has no songs I recollect that use fingerpicking patterns.

Playing Travis (TIB) songs obviously won't help fingerpicking in any way.

A beginner fingerpicker should play Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Elton John

Intermediate - Ry Cooder, Grassi, John Fahey, Leo Kottke, Muriel Anderson, Paul Simon

Advanced - Doc Watson, Chet Atkins, Ry Cooder, Martin Simpson, Eric Clapton

The list is virtually endless, but I have made great progress this way.

Raj

 

Hey listen to Sing.. It has a lot of Fingerpickin.. The Invisible Band is their Album name..

 

Yeah, TIB is their album name. 'Sing' barely has fingerpicking. At most chordal accompaniments. Learning fingerpicking this way will take no one anywhere. Fingerpicking is mostly about pattern playing, at least for a beginner. Playing random songs this way will definitely not do any beginner fingerpicker any good. Progress is a result of smart learning.

I insist on a soild foundation, and that foundation can only come about by learning a method the right way. That ways you not only will learn it once, but will also learn it error-free. If one cannot afford The "Travis Picking" (Merle Travis picking, not the TIB Travis) book visit my friends (Gil Namur) site for learning the first pattern - "Outside In". It uses Dust in the Wind - Kansas. This pattern is where every fingerpicker must make his start.

https://www.synapticsystems.com/studios/pickpatt1.htm

Raj

 

Nice link.. But wehn a mandolin is played, such Pickings are always used..

BTW my new venture, An old Mandolin lying in the college Music room has been transfered to my house..

 

We are not talking mandolins, only guitars.

Raj

 

Hey chilll..

 

Stuff like this misleads the newcomers. They repose ample trust and end up with a crock sh*t.

Raj

 

Ok Chill.. Me will not MISLEAD PEOPLES..

 

Dude, I wasn't exactly referring to you.

My apologies if I rubbed you the wrong way.

Raj

 

No That was the only Travis i had heard.. And that was the only fingerpicking in all those songs.. But now i learnt about the other Travis..

 

Guitar girl, simple:

Pick the 1-2-3 string with your index-middle-ring finger respectively. And your 4-5-6 strings with your thumb. I picked it up naturally after I knew that. PLay songs like Nothing else matters by Metallica, or Stairway to heaven by Led Zeppelin. They're perfect for finger picking. Then just play your normal plecktrum picked songs with the finger, and you'll have fun since the same song will sound much sweeter.

 

There we go again!

You ought to have at least reviewed your post Myth_Pharoah.

"Pick the 1-2-3 string with your index-middle-ring finger respectively." = Wrong

Pick the 1-2-3 strings with your ring-middle-index fingers, respectively. Even then you are learning it wrong. There are many instances in fingerpicking when the index finger would require control over the fourth string (D string-standard tuning), especially encountered during six-string playing. Like I indicated before one should always look up the many reference sites available before proposing suggestions here.

Learning it this way will handicap any beginner. Right hand rolls, syncopated bass lines, alternate bass patterns, simultaneous finger notes, 3-4 chords per measure, and what not! If anyone restricts himself to learning fingerpicking from here, god be with you!

Raj

 

Chill dude... it was typo. I know what's the correct way... a mistake.

"Right hand rolls, syncopated bass lines, alternate bass patterns, simultaneous finger notes, 3-4 chords per measure" How many actually know this man? Raj, it looks like you're just showing off... if you got any tips, for making it easier, tell so. Lets start with the basic, and then go to whatever you said.... sheesh.

 

A typo, for you. What about any newbie reading your post? Would he see it as a formal instruction or a typo? The message you post isn't for you, it's for the others. They decipher it the way you type it, typo or no typo.

You are absolutely right, I am showing off. Showing off my knowledge. However, I still don't consider myself to be competent enough to provide instructions to newbies, despite my knowledge of fingerstyle and its related branches. You fail to understand why you shouldn't be posting 'tutorials' without providing a reference. Your half-baked wisdom would do no one any good. I am not being impolite, just stating a fact. Look up my previous posts to find out what a good reference is - "Outside in" pattern. If you have a similar link, then do some justice to your post by editing it.

Most newbies are mislead this way. You give them instructions with such confidence like you were born with a guitar in each hand. How would you feel if someone gave you a random set of instructions and you followed it diligently only to end up frustrated? There are methods that need to be properly followed, for one to learn the guitar the 'right way'.

I only suggested the terms (right hand rolls etc.) because there is a long way to go beyond the basics. If your basics aren't in place then you won't go too far. And for the basics to be in place you need to have a solid foundation. Guitar playing can be either a pain or a pleasure. Crooked instructions only cripple a player.

Interpret this in any way you want to, but I'd strongly advise you to not tutor anybody without having understood the concept yourself. Because that ways it's apparent you are showing off.

Raj

 

To further emphasize; hear the following song. It's a fingerstyle composition, originally by Elizabeth Cotten. This particular piece has been arranged by Mark Hanson - author of "Contemporary Travis Picking". It is one of the simplest tunes in fingerstyle guitar and is considered at beginner level.

https://www.geocities.com/rajscorps/FreightTrain.zip

Alternately follow https://www.geocities.com/rajscorps/ and download the zipped file from there. It's around 1.4 MB.

On hearing it you'll know why I insist on a solid foundation.

Raj

 

hey Raj!

wow man! that is some instrumental. the frieght train tune is very melodic. thanks for the file. i have been playing for over 6 years and havent heard anything like that. this sounds impossible to ply with a pick,even though i can cross 220 beats with ease.

i would definitely be interested in learning more about fingerstyle. could you provide the tab for that song? i have a few other questions.

how do i go about learning fingerstyle? any reliable sources/books?

i am based at Delhi. any good teachers for fingerstyke guitar in NCR?

i looked up the dust in the wind intro. you reffered to outside in pattern. where cn i learn more abt that pattern?

please answer these. i am looking forward to your instructions/help. i have been looking for some fingerstylke resources and bumped into your thread. i have very good teaching experience of 4 years. i am mostly into metal and would like to explore fingerstyle. you seem to know a lot abt fingerstyle and i would very much appreciate your help.

thanks!

 

Hey Shivas.. YOu can ask your questions in the Beginners q&A so that more people would see it and answer it faster.. I'm not from Delhi(unfortunately) so sorry.

Moderator..
Nice tune Doc..

 

hey Jayanth!

i don't think its a good idea starting a new thread for this subject. for instance take a look at this very thread on fingerpicking. it ended up nowhere with some guys giving the most ridiculous suggestions.

this is why i mentioned i have 6+ years of experience along with teaching experience so as to not invite any guys posting their tutorials. don't get me wrong, but i have seen some very poor suggestions being laid out by the people in here, and that most of the time. its as if everyone wants to teach without knowing anything about the guitar. you only need to read this whole thread to understand what i mean. this is perhaps why despite having more than 2000 members you only have 10-15 regular posters.

being an instructor myself i can understand how annoying such posts can be. Raj seemed to know what he was talking about and that is why i asked for his help. i am no newbie and i can fingerpick very well. but this tune seemed beyond any normal fingerpicking style. i am sure you too have no idea how to play this or anything close to this. i don't want a wrong set of instructions, for that matter nobody wants them. people who have little idea about guitar playing are easily mislead by the many wrong posts i have seen here. i am not flaming, only stating a fact. i would rather receive no help that receive help from 20 people who have no idea about what they are saying.

 

Shivas, the Freight Train composition is from Mark Hanson's "The Art of Contemporary Travis Picking". Check your PM for my mail address. Drop me a mail and I'll forward you the tab along with other specifics.

Grab a copy of the book and you will feel blessed. You will not find a better instructor than Mark Hanson in the fingerstyle domain. Visit his website accentonmusic.com to read more about Mark.

I also suggest you visit Amazon to read the reviews and guage for yourself whether or not the book is worth it.


Raj

 

travis picking...?

btw, whats travis pickin???

n cud u tell me where in delhi i can get that book?

thanks