15 Essential Tips to Guarantee Fingerpicking Success

[@Separated-At-Birth]

Tip #1 is the most important lesson I learned. It makes learning songs so much easier, you can forget about your picking hand and let it take care of itself, and concentrate on fretting. Also the thumb being closer to the nut to prevent your thumb running into your fingers is important.

[@blueser100]

Fantastic tips for all levels, thank you Chris. 😊

[@SixStringFingerpicking]

Thank you, you’re very welcome

[@loriallison6629]

❤Your kindness comes out in your voice. Id bet you are a nice man.😊

[@SixStringFingerpicking]

Thank you very much

[@guitar-nut]

Great advice Chris, thanks for putting this informative video together.

[@SixStringFingerpicking]

You’re very welcome

[@Hrana-tin-dim]

Happy. sunday❤🎉🎉

[@glenguldbeckmusic3410]

As always, great content Chris!

[@SixStringFingerpicking]

Much appreciated!

[@TheBonefixr]

Great advice for young or old. Thank you.

[@SixStringFingerpicking]

Cheers

[@Fedetxo]

Thanks my friend

[@SixStringFingerpicking]

No problem

[@ranabirgahir462]

Hi,Chris 😊GOOD One

[@SixStringFingerpicking]

Hey, thanks

[@loriallison6629]

Once i get used to your "accent" it is just what i need! Thank you.

[@adriennedunne1748]

Thanks, Chris. Your advice is always very clear and valuable. I already do some of these, and you're dead right. Practise and dedication make a lot of sense. I try to set aside some time every day. Sometimes, more time, sometimes less, depending on things but even a little time makes a difference. It all adds up. By the way, did you ever do a tutorial for the Billy Joel song, "And So it goes? Thanks again for your videos. They always help and inspire me. I had a teacher years ago. Best money I ever spent even though I would be intermediate as a player. I'd recommend it.

[@SixStringFingerpicking]

Thanks a lot, pleased you liked it. I haven’t done that song, perhaps one day!

[@garethmartyndavies2250]

Nice my friend 🇬🇧🙌 I found fingerpicking natural but then I realised I’m a chef so my fingers were already strong 🙏🏻😁

[@SixStringFingerpicking]

Thanks a lot

[@johndill6594]

Tip 0: buy a beautiful guitar that you can’t help but pick up

[@Quandoozle]

Tip 0.5: Don't store it in a case! Keep it on a hook or a stand so you can always see it and pick it up wherever you like!

[@sylaswojciechowski6895]

Another couple tips that may help. 1) Cold fingers dont help when trying to fingerpick. Make sure to warm them up by stretching especially if the weather is cold. 2) Practicing too much can happen too, especially if you dont have the stamina yet. If you feel like you are getting worse as you are practicing, just stop. Come back the next day and you probably will see that you have indeed improved!

[@BurdsNerds]

Great advice as always. What is the outro song? Looking forward to seeing you in the new studio.

[@SixStringFingerpicking]

Thanks, that’s my song I Ain’t Blue. Made a lesson on it last week. Cheers

[@JamesField-z9j]

What type of Guitar is that. Great video... Thanks!!!

[@adriennedunne1748]

It looks like a Taylor guitar.

[@FrederickMurray-th5eu]

You should make a video on speed of the sound of loneliness by John Prime

[@richardstones6445]

I played 5-string banjo for years, and developed a habit of anchoring my pinky finger (actually, I anchored both pinky and ring fingers on banjo). So, when I play fingerstyle guitar, I anchor my pinky. But I feel like this is actually a bad habit for guitar. I find I need that anchor so badly, I just cannot break away from it if I need to. I actually find myself anchoring to the sixth string, and when I play a passage that requires the sixth string to ring out, I have to make a conscious effort to keep my pinky finger from grabbing it again. I would really like to learn to play un-anchored, and when I taught my daughter to play, I forced her to not anchor ("do as I say, not as I do"), but the habit is so grooved into my brain (or hand), I just can't seem to break the habit.

[@tangterry4078]

Do you anchor your pinky on the string? I find that it doesn't affect my playing for most fingerpicking songs, but on some percussive and hybrid picking song where I need to float my hand it can be a bit of a nuisance

[@richardstones6445]

@ Yes, I start out resting it on the pickguard, but pretty soon I find myself really hooking the sixth string. It helps mute it when needed, but I have to move it whenever I pluck the string.

[@tedbelmont]

Tommy Emanuel recommends anchoring so don’t worry too much!

[@richardstones6445]

@@tangterry4078 I feel dumb now, but I just realized I’m actually going anchoring my ring finger to the sixth string. So at least I’m using the finger I pick that string with most often to anchor to it.

[@tangterry4078]

@@richardstones6445 That makes sense! I generally just anchor my pinky on the pickguard and leave my playing fingers open, which doesn't affect playing that much - anchoring your ring finger to the 6th string can definitely hinder playing sometimes especially when you're going for a more fluid picking pattern

[@steveavant9727]

If I plant my pinkie, my other fingers don’t move as freely so my hand just hovers and I’m able to move my hand as needed.

[@SixStringFingerpicking]

There’s nothing wrong with that, it doesn’t work for everyone