Fingerpicking Lesson: How to Play Bass and Melody Together

[@DIYivan04]

Damn! Building it “brick by brick” made this take minutes to learn vs hours via tab. Getting comfy with the melody first made all the difference. Went from thumbing the melody to playing it note for note in minutes. Very cool thanks!

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Woah! Go, Eric!! That's awesome and thanks for commenting...play on!

[@stonedcrow5821]

Excellent lesson as always, John; some good advice in there. You are right to say this isn't meant to be easy, it isn't, but once you have it, you have it for life. Look at Elizabeth Cotten, as unorthodox as she was; she didn't play for YEARS. I always say stay patient and persistent and let your hands get strong enough, build the muscle-memory and synch them up. Depending on your age, circumstances and how much you practice, that can take 2-3 years or (far) longer I'd say, to be really fluent, so it is easy to get discouraged or think you are especially crap. People have high expectations; this takes a while. But nothing opens up your playing like fingerstyle, and thumb independence is indeed the key to the lock. It is a complete plateau-breaker once mastered. You go up a few levels as a guitarist, no doubt. I've said it here before and say it to the kids I teach irl all the time: you can only ever pinch or pluck. You can only ever play on the beat or between it. There aren't any other options, so think about what that might allow. It takes practice but I always essentialise it down to that. Very few people have any natural talent for playing like this. I certainly didn't. It is ALL about how much you want it and how much you love it. If you commit, it gets a whole lot easier after a while and just starts flowing out of you :)

[@karlsteeves8116]

Such a calm and relaxing teacher. I just ordered a metronome so I can practice the bass part. Fingerpicking has always eluded me, but now I feel it'll be easy to learn with practice!

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Thanks Karl! I appreciate the kind words and good luck practicing! Keep me posted on your progress!

[@leavethebasket7435]

Unbelievably valuable lesson, I can't believe this is free. Thanks for making it!

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Wow, thanks! Really appreciate the comment. Cheers!

[@e.jsmith3279]

thank you brother. its been so difficult for me to fuse those two and after seeking help and hard action i came across this with a receptive mind. thank you.

[@Daytripper51]

I always enjoy and pick up something in your lessons! Good work!

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Thank you for that! Happy you're out there watching!

[@carlostorano6312]

Thank you for the lesson. I'm just getting back into guitar and learned some cool new techniques like John Mayer's signature thumb slap with the index finger striking a string simultaneously. However, when trying to learn Wick Game by Chris Isaac I've hit a total wall with syncing the steady thumb while playing melodies. Thanks for the encouragement, I was beginning to think that some people just don't have the em or ear for it.

[@dieselman7453]

Thanks John great information I need to work hard on this Cheers from Ireland !! Brian

[@donpattonjr]

John thank you for your continued lessons on finger style play. I have to admit I am a work in process on alternate thumb base picking. I am practicing as mentioned in your last few lessons, but needs work . Hoping an old dog can learn a new trick 😉

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Glad to know you're working on it, Don. Getting that thumb to behave is no small task but it's really worth the effort. Keep on pickin my friend!

[@StuartwasDrinkell]

I am at the beginning... but i have flat picked for years... what I struggle with apart from tommy emmanuel pieces lol, is when to play the melody i.e. on the one two three four or on the ands as in 1 AND 2 AND 3 AND 4 AND... but your vids are helping me through it, so thanks a bunch!

[@fitwithandy]

Great lesson, thank you very much!

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Thanks!

[@Daytripper51]

Hey John....How about a short video on that run at 3:56 in???

[@alimrahardian109]

Bro, that chord approach really makes everything click. Thanks a lot :)

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Glad it helped!

[@keki4414]

Excellent lesson, Thankyou sir

[@OneHarp]

Great lesson! Such good advice about learning the melody first. Why had I never though of that?! I'm over the hump into A.A.T., but I think this tip is really going to make it a lot easier to learn new tunes! Thanks!!!

[@davidmacleod9313]

You, sir, are one great picker! Damn! Thank God it’s Tuesday! (Sorry, Friday but your days are numbered!)

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

I actually just laughed out loud at the friday bit. apparently that's called an lol 😂😂😂

[@derricklester9210]

I would like to know if you can fingerpick any song can you come up with your own fingerpicking pattern for that if it's funk R&B. Soul Jazz Rock or heavy metal do you have to come up with your own fingerpicking pattern for that particular song

[@Kajojek]

Bill Paxton teaching guitar . cool

[@prashantkc169]

How to find base notes when I slide through high notes

[@nicolen.9642]

Hi John! I always look forward to Tuesdays!!! This alternate bass and treble is quite an issue. Practice and watching someone doing it is greatly appreciated! Thank you! 🎵🎵🎵

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Understand completely, it's a huge undertaking but I hope that you're seeing some progress :)

[@hammill444]

I dunno. I'm just not convinced that thumb finger independence comes from that sort of repetition and isolation of each part. But everyone is different; it's just never come together for me. I personally think there is a genetic component at play, more nature than nurture

[@nicolen.9642]

hammill444 Yep. Everyone is different. I understand. Repetition and - of course - learning what it's all about works for me. I'm a teacher myself (English)...so, many factors are involved in the learning process...Cheers 🎵🎵🎵

[@kaitlinradford4120]

I just really struggle to split my brain between the two parts. I'm trying to learn Wasteland Baby by hozier, neither part is particularly hard it's just putting them together I struggle with

[@barking_mad6649]

I'm at the 'this is god damn voodoo' stage!

[@johnnybx3254]

All this will take a while but we’re working on it 👍Thanks 👏👏👻🎃

[@cadecooldude199]

I heeded this to play Bouree by Bach in E minir

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Nice. 👍

[@deltafour1212]

Not a blues guy. Will this system work with any song or any music genre?

[@icemage7739]

Yes, it's a genetic tip for all genres but applied differently

[@shankhanilsaha8858]

I am stuck on playing it together bruh like i cant move my thumb in a different rhythm than my other fingers

[@tash8020]

I can finally prove all pianist wrong

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

😂😂😂

[@Mikau-gb8uo]

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