FINGERPICKING Tips That Everyone Should Know

[@sanamsingh3297]

Your video quality is hitting new levels

[@emanuele8250]

I thought exactly the same thing watching the video. Same feeling when i watched open g video a few days ago. 👍🏻

[@RC32Smiths01]

Acoustic playing is so fun, especially when you get around to only playing with fingers! Great lesson as always!

[@adequtemaster6802]

Going to California is an underrated lz piece

[@Freempg]

So is The Rain Song. I think it's up there with Stairway and Kashmir

[@jackdyer83]

Likely the best song on Zeppelin IV, or at least tied with When the Levee Breaks

[@lvonh9388]

Underrated since when?

[@christianwheeler8386]

It’s an incredible song,no doubt. But underrated?

[@relevantusername88]

I’m not sure how “underrated” it is. Seeing that it’s one of their most popular songs. Undeniably incredible, but not underrated.

[@mwpv11]

My son Daniel started fingerpicking about 5 years ago and is now playing songs Tommy Emmanuel wrote and doing a great job with them. He loves the style and is playing all over Tampa Bay Florida.

[@scottkidwell3601]

My high school guitar teacher taught us four basic finger picking patterns, and wouldn't let us use a pick in class. I am grateful and thankful for his instruction. It makes me sound much better than I am.

[@aprilsgroovetherapy5672]

Rhett, this is some challenging material to a beginning fingerstyle player. Thank you for running through them so thoroughly in a compressed amount of time. I certainly have my work cut out for me!

[@blueheron5232]

It's a whole other new world to explore. We can go as far into it as we want. How far we NEED to go may be another question.

[@timothy5974]

I love this series, I find my picking hand turns into the CLAW and so tense. I agree that Goin to California is beautiful and so is that Mule. Thank yOu

[@MostlyTorso]

I knew Rhett was a tall dude, but I’ve never seen him walk through a doorway for reference. Dang!

[@gabegamer3663]

I knew it with the mule as reference. He and momoa make them look like 7/8 sized

[@emmaceleste_]

I went back to watch it after this comment and my first thought was “so that’s how I look coming through a door”

[@KKMDStyle]

He’s not tall, everyone else is short. At least that’s what I say to people who think I’m tall at 186cm

[@santiagogutierrez1594]

Saw this dude at the NAMM show...the man is tall.

[@KKMDStyle]

@@santiagogutierrez1594 I guess “Tall” is relative :-)

[@ArturBrzozowski444]

Lesson on two songs of JM and bonus track from Zep's? In single video?! I'll spend lots of time rewatching this one

[@lukebancroft5649]

Love that this video has a wholesome progression of finger style technique from basics to advanced and is really well explained, concise, and has good examples. Interesting how Travis picking can get so advanced yet is what so many people get started with

[@everydaymesopotamian9816]

These are valuable nuggets of guitar wisdom! Thank you! Really enjoyed this and will probably watch it 100 times to improve my playing.

[@zacharymiraziz4585]

I've only just started really focusing on improving my finger picking and my teacher and I literally just started doing Travis Picking a couple of weeks ago! This video came at the exact right time, thanks Rhett!!

[@RameshKumar-ng3nf]

Why doesn’t this channel has 1M subscribers ? . Such a beautiful channel with plenty of informative stuffs ❤️❤️👌👌😊

[@natalievelasquez2664]

That melody in the beginning was just right man, much respect.

[@AdrianJames28]

It's Going to California by Led Zeppelin

[@natalievelasquez2664]

Oh ok very cool, need to brush up on my Zeppelin. Thank you :)

[@augmentedkeys5971]

@@AdrianJames28 Duh

[@augmentedkeys5971]

@@natalievelasquez2664 How scary. My son at birth and now (12) knows all there is to know about Led Zeppelin. Thanks to me. ;)

[@gordonroylambert]

Bruce Cockburn is worth checking out for inspiring finger style guitar skills. Out of this world.

[@ArthurYuill]

Absolutely, especially Speechless, such a great album

[@peterrizzo9258]

Really enjoyed this Rhett - I am glad you take the time to do these and keep them interesting

[@uneartheros]

Peter Gabriel - Solsbury Hill has some great Travis picking!!!

[@BucksMusicJourney]

Yes, that one and Never Going Back Again by Fleetwood Mac.

[@jeffroCO]

I’m really impressed by your channel. So much good content. Your videos really inspire me to try new things and work on improving. Thanks man.

[@leonrothera370]

This was so good. 15 years playing guitar and plateaued for 14 years! Learning a bunch of finger style patterns has allowed me to level up for the first time 😅

[@rerawho]

I love that Mule reso. I was one of Matt’s first customers when he was building in his basement. He makes incredible instruments. They are tomorrow’s collectibles in the vein of National.

[@rmichaelwatts4740]

So glad I blundered into this. It is a terrific outline for this particular technique. Thank you.

[@paulroche8077]

Ive been Travis picking for a couple of years and I really enjoyed your lesson,especially the slap technique,best break down I’ve seen on KZbin,thanks 🙂

[@ahmed_arsalan]

Thanks Rhett. These are some great tips. I'm glad I ended up watching your video. Keep it up!

[@zollyclaman]

That's an exceptionally beautiful guitar.

[@d35s2]

who knows who built this guitar? Thanks!

[@zollyclaman]

@@d35s2 looks like a bourgeois:) doesn't get much better than that!

[@d35s2]

@@zollyclaman really, wow, what a guitar!

[@charliegillis5399]

The most helpful for me yet from the man who introduced me to Gregory Krochery. Many thanks and best wishes

[@danidudovick6135]

Best overall fingerpicking tutorial I've seen. Especially the hammer claw pattern. A collection of exercises actually. Very cool distressed resonator, btw.

[@robertsmit1894]

An outstanding introduction to fingerpicking, thank you. I have had a blast going through Dust in the Wind, some Buckingham songs, John Prine and others but you have helped fill in some blanks that I have missed by skipping around. Thanks Again!

[@jacttanna2353]

Thank you for a great lesson. I've been Travis picking with a pick instead of my thumb, but I need to take it to another level. This lesson will keep me busy for a very long time.

[@simonliew9728]

Hi Rhett Shull, I have been a finger style player for all my life since 18. Love it, it delivers much better tones than using the pick. Anyway it's a personal choice.

[@888kaddy]

My preference is a thin thumbpick which I can backpack. I strum with my fingers Don Ross style and partially anchor like you. Started at 14 and still going strong at 73. Any variations that allow you to insert a drum-type rhythm are very useful. Great video.

[@jamesreardon6819]

This is a wonderfully explicit instructional video, and you chose some of my favourite songs to help me set goals. Brilliant!

[@franciscogouveia7930]

Great Stuff as always! I love Fleetwood Mac picking to, Lindsay Buckingham is such a underrated guitarrist!

[@cynthiaguy8818]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I think you're a great musician. Looking forward to more videos. Peace and Much Love. ❤🎸🌻

[@attilakomives]

Lifting my hat in front of you . You are the most perfectionist ,intelligent musician i ever seen . Subscribed from Cornwall UK

[@harryortof2422]

Rhett you’re the coolest guitar player I watch on KZbin

[@robertahegy1018]

Loved the video. Just recently started going from a pick strum style to doing a Travis pick style. Challenging, but coming along and I'm liking the versatility.

[@kingbrutusxxvi]

I remember when "More Than Words" came out and I figured out how to play it (because... Nuno, duh). Anyone who saw me play it was like, "Why are you hitting the strings?!" and I told them, "That's how it goes." and they'd argue. Funny how most people don't even realize what they're hearing. As simple as it was to learn (as opposed to "Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee") it was actually a great lesson in acoustic technique.

[@iamdansimons]

Now tell me about Midnight Express 😅

[@garyvukasin543]

That was excellent! Spot on all of those techniques! Thanks for your wonderful input in this wonderful life of this amazing instrument! Thank you.

[@judyhoomalamalama]

the alternating base is the first thing I learned when taking Hawaiian Slack Key lessons. So glad I learned that.

[@geritesta2166]

Great instruction…had to put you on 1/2 speed to follow along…just a beginner, but fascinated by the advances techniques.

[@jamesbateman7131]

The bear claw top is absolutely gorgeous on that guitar.

[@WayneMemphisMojo]

Absolutely a great video! I didn't even realize how many of these techniques I actually used unconsciously. Thanks Rhett

[@richardvale214]

Anchor or Float? Molly Tuttle does something similar to you. When playing a lead riff, she "anchors" her right hand palm either on the bridge or on the bass strings (with a little muting) so they don't overpower the trebles. When she's strumming, she lets the hand float freely. And some would say she's not too bad of a finger picker. (In 2017, Tuttle was the first woman to win the International Bluegrass Music Association's Guitar Player of the Year award. In 2018 she won the award again, along with being named the Americana Music Association's Instrumentalist of the Year.) Oh, I just remembered, she's almost exclusively a flat picker, but the same considerations come into play for both picking styles. Thanks for the excellent knowledge, Rhett; you still have the best enuncation on the internet.

[@Run_Deep]

Hi Rhett, I love this video. I am a fingerstyle guitar player or I should say a percussive acoustic fingerstyle guitar player. My favorite part of this video is when your wife giggles in the back ground. I realized in that moment that your wife and my wife must be cut from the same cloth because my wife does the same thing. She listens in the back ground when I'm engrossed and focused in what I'm doing and when I make a mistake for the umpteenth time I hear faintly in the back ground from the other room a giggle or "nope that's not right" or "nope the other note", or "omg you keep missing it"; and that always strikes me as funny because most of the time I don't even know she can hear me let alone is listening intently to everything I'm doing. I must say thank God for all our wives that put up with our passions and obsession's with guitars and music. I don't make you tube videos but I do a lot of recording and spend much more time in my studio then maybe healthy lol. Keep up the great work. You have yet made a video that I haven't liked. Thanks for all your hard work. Kim Kesler

[@michaelmatto9511]

"Thumb and Strum" is clawhammer. Used in banjo playing. Justin Townes Earle was great at it on guitar.

[@andrewbowen8122]

Always blows me away that Lennon and McCartney couldn’t play finger style until meeting Donavon in India where it took them both just a few days to learn with Paul writing Blackbird straight away lol.

[@electriglider]

Another awesome video and I found your instructional courses when I downloaded the PDF I also found your website for those courses. So thank you so much for providing all of this incredible information and taking the time to help so many people. Stay tuned

[@richardholland5228]

Nice lesson, when I first started picking I only used my thumb and index finger. So I've been trying to go back and work in the middle and ring. Most of the time I tend to switch back. But I keep working at it. Really enjoy your videos. Take care.

[@mcmeyer76]

Good lord, a fifteen minute video just gave me a year's worth of "must-learn" practice tchniques. Really enjoy your presentation style, personality, and content Rhett - thank you!

[@dlacr]

you know it's gonna be good when he goes right for the Mule

[@grateful4068]

Rhett Shull has more money invested in amps than I do in anything, apparently. lol. Great video!

[@jsalmons84]

Wrist position is often the most overlooked aspect. Your wrist should be arched to minimize finger movement a la classical guitar players. I see so many pop styled guitarists working far too hard to pick with their fingers in the right hand. With proper wrist arch one can pick from only the 2nd knuckle while the thumb remains in position. Check out Segovia for a master example.

[@DavidMihola]

If I understand you correctly there is then no way to palm mute the bass strings, e.g. for some styles of blues?

[@ardmoremooney4222]

I just emailed Leo Kottke and Tommy Emmanuel to tell them to start arching wrist.

[@cantemirash]

I agree that for the classical guitar repertoire the arched wrist is the standard, other styles require other techniques. I am sure Rhett's target audience was not the classical one.:-)

[@lorerecru]

@@DavidMihola Yes you can (I'm a classical guitar player xd). You just move your hand the necessary to mute and then you return to the same position. This position also helps you to bring out more sound from the guitar (only if it is unplugged [that's why it is so important in classical guitar], otherwise this aspect does not matter much haha). Sorry for my English, I'm Spanish 😅

[@drwilliamlarge]

It is hard to palm mute. Classical guitar technique emphasises right hand a lot, but palm muting is rarely used. You kind of have to unlearn classical technique if want to palm mute.

[@namgiang3107]

Man...that guitar is GORGEOUS!

[@doctorscoot]

I started learning guitar with finger-style and I’ve never really learnt how to use a plectrum! I was a bass player, always reluctant to use a plectrum, only ever played 4 string bass, so to learn guitar it seemed easier to use my fingers as I was trying to learn to control my right hand and the ‘weird’ string spacing. I’m not quite a Travis Picker yet ;)

[@MasterKydis]

I recommend running your voice through RX De-click. Multiband (random clicks), sensitivity 5 is what I recommend. If there are artifacts, back down the sensitivity.

[@o.m.lmusic2220]

This is awesome! One of my goals this year is to learn fingerpicking. Definitely will have this video on a loop to start learning. Thank you!

[@FrankLafone]

At the risk of being hyperbolic... you just saved my hobby. I've been struggling with Big Broonzy's "Hey Hey" (basically the Clapton version). It's taken me 3 months to get the first chord right anywhere near speed, much less add in the 2nd chord. I was genuinely questioning whether this hobby was just beyond me. I realize two things now: A, That's a version of Travis picking, and it's supposed to be hard (aka beyond my skills right now) and B, I now have a bit of a path for developing the skill. Thank you so much!

[@dmanes1011]

Avoiding the wrath of the copyright gods......well played Rhett!

[@brianc2100]

I watch your videos often. I like just about every one of them that I've seen. But this one was great and the most useful (for me personally) one that you've done. It's really fantastic. I've played for more years than I care to admit and you broke down the art of fingerpicking into very understandable, straightforward understandable information with great techniques to practice. Thank you for this!

[@OsbornIOW]

Just your opening line about how fingerpicking style can open up a new world of guitar playing. This is so true. I started using this technique about 2 years ago. (After about 35 years of strumming) .... Fingerpicking is just just so much more .... well musical sounding. Great video again Rhett. Thanks

[@ralex3697]

Fantastic player and teacher Alternating with thumb, Freight Train is a good one to learn

[@bobpower8411]

You are now my favorite instructor, excellent presentation, from a retired teacher. I have been picking now for a year and a half. I know travis picking but by a pattern. The thumb independence seems to be eluding me so far, but still working on it. The added benefit of picking is the elevation of the left hand dexterity. Thanks again Bob, Nova Scotia

[@Blacksmith1959]

One of the best lessons on finger picking technique and style!!!

[@GaveMeGrace1]

Thank you-intense, intimidating, and I can’t wait until it’s fun, like muscle memory fun.

[@paulcantrell1615]

The wall of amps/cabs to a normal person may seem like overkill but to the rest of us guitar players it's always never enough. These videos never disappoint.

[@winthropguitarstudios6097]

I just finished the video - I had to practice some of those slap ideas. I LOVE the double-Whole drop C wrath hack! "Remember there is no Spoon" (F the AI). Thank you for such meaningful content.

[@BizarrePudding]

I'm a fairly rudimentary finger picker but I love doing it...I use a (Blue Chip) thumb pick and (Dunlop 18s or sometimes Open Design) metal finger picks, I can't get any kind of decent tone with just my fingers and steel strings shred my nails...The thumb pick also enables me to strum, or pick single notes like I would with a flat pick...Currently working on those finger rolls, they give me fits and that JM stuff looks like it might be beyond me, but I'll give it a try! Thanks for the .pdf Rhett...something to sink my teeth into this week...You and your channel are such a wealth of information and inspiration...

[@davemcquade2950]

Excellent tutorial. Well done! Workin on Dear Prudence.

[@paulhampson]

Great video! The one advantage of "floating" & not anchoring is you can move your right hand to different places...by the bridge or towards the neck...tasto & ponticello...has the same effect as switching from neck to bridge pickup

[@matthewmcclure3181]

Really excellent video. You aren't kidding about how long it takes to develop an independent thumb...

[@andrewbowen8122]

You really nailed this one Rhett, deserves to become a classic with millions of views since finger picking is not an easy thing to do and it’s surprising how many decent players just don’t even bother ever learning finger picking? Having been playing for just over a year I started off wanting to play like this and I’ve kinda learned my own bastardised version which tries to give the illusion of thumb independence but it’s more to do with patterns. I’m glad you pointed out the time it can take to learn the Travis style as it’s so difficult. The top on that Bourgeois guitar is absolutely stunning.

[@johnrogers2253]

Nice instructions on what I need to practice.. Thankyou my friend.

[@keeganitreal]

This is now in my practice routine ! Great job playing going to California 🤘

[@Clouserfam]

A fantastic video Rhett. This is one I will be watching several times to learn all the great techniques you shared. I have always wanted to get better at finger picking. Thank you!

[@ohmslawyer3599]

Some day, when I am at a playing-level where I know what I think about this, I’ll let you know :-) … great and very helpful video !!! Thanks !!!

[@johnkelly4237]

Beautiful lesson. You are an excellent teacher. Thank you.

[@l.horseman5704]

I am a lefty strummer! That being said I would like too see a lefty instructor. Just to get a good base of how too!. I do appreciate the way you keep it as simple and straightforward. Very clear easy too understand. I will give this a go and see if I can make it work. I have been self teaching for 3 to 4 years. Thanks for being interested in teaching other people.

[@sawekziokowski7114]

Greta helped me to isolate the techniques i use and evaluate how i use them. Thank you

[@tjerkheringa937]

Whatsapp an insanely useful insyruction video! Thanks so much!

[@metaluna09]

Great lesson Rhett. But as far as starting on the root when transitioning chords, John Lennon's playing on Julia is a great example of breaking that rule.

[@larrypower8659]

Excellent, Rhett. Two beautiful guitars. I went to college in Lewiston, ME, where Bourgeois Guitars are built. Some day would enjoy a tour of their facility, The Mule is one of the best made and sounding, medium priced resonator guitars. Great choice of song for the demo of Travis picking. I taught it once and learned to play mandolin just for that song! Great vid - looks like the blockers didn’t get you.

[@billklement2492]

Rhett, great video! I've been working on finger style for years and am still not very good at it. Admittedly I don't have lots of time to play. it's just amazing that you can play a bass line and the melody at the same time. And thanks for getting the acoustic out! What a beautiful guitar!

[@normanmozley3659]

As usual, these are good drills, start simply and don't change until you master stage one, I have 62 years experience, trust me on this. Your friend in tone, Norman Mozley

[@barryjohnson9269]

You had started, without realizing it I am sure, The House That Built Me, by Miranda Lambert. I NEED to learn how to play this as I think it is one of the most beautiful patterns I have ever heard. Well done brother!

[@donaldstraiko2106]

just great opens a new era of playing guitar

[@craigkidd9524]

Great video. Surprised to see no mention of thumb picks or finger picks

[@cashmoney9256]

You are an excellent teacher. So helpful. Thanks for this!

[@maniacalion6170]

First song I ever learned all the way through was Blackbird. I think that alone helped me be comfortable with finger style for the rest of my playing days!

[@pietpiet11639]

I love the way you're making your videos. Chill, super informative and high quality.

[@auddoc99]

Great explanation. i have been playing for over 50 years and faking my way through this stuff apparently. It does sound way more accurate.

[@stephentyler4352]

You delivered this video better than anything I ever had from Skip the Dishes, dude! Very nicely done. I really hope none of your content gets blocked or taken down. You’re hitting it out of the park. Tilly laughing in the background at your joke was awesome. I’m glad that it wasn’t edited out. 😆

[@dashfentrock]

Great video.. tons of terrific info right there...Thanks Rhett

[@ToddMelanson]

Excellent all-killer no-filler lesson. Thanks!

[@robertdavis1255]

Thanks for sharing.. Great lesson/comments as I am always very interested in finger style playing.. Cheers..

[@mountain-morning]

Well done! Clear directions and examples, and the progression from basic to more complicated techniques is logical.

[@LincolnFarnum]

Fantastic session Rhett, thanks!

[@robhooworth6738]

Thanks. Great playing and a great video. I first learned Travis picking some 35 years ago when a friend taught me Dear Prudence. Still love playing it today. There's something hypnotic about that alternating thumb.

[@stephencullen441]

You are a true talent!! Thank you.

[@MrDustinclement]

Dude, excellent! Always been a weakness of mine as I’ve never been a big acoustic player but I really want to be and this means facing my many weaknesses. Another video on techniques even more basic than this would be amazing too. Stuff like, why we don’t use the pinky, or when to use it? How to know which fingers to use for certain things. Should you move your thumb down and then your whole “claw” or should you maybe just hit two strings with one finger in a row, certain basic basics on “accepted” technique and theory. I realize everyone does it differently to an extent but you know what I mean, what is the general “accepted” practice for things. Thanks again dude, this was super helpful.

[@royhajj2881]

Your channel, along with the information, is very motivating to me, you increase my love for the guitar