Tommy Emmanuel Teaches 4 Steps To Fingerstyle Guitar Technique | Reverb Learn To Play

[@Tekkerue]

The 27 people who gave this a "thumbs down" need to keep working on step #1 as they clearly have no control of their thumb. 👍

[@Kapueira]

lol you're damn right.

[@Kapueira]

They probably came to the wrong lesson, tried, couldn't get it and blamed the teacher. No one with a minimal musical knowledge would give this lesson a thumb down. This is already hard to get under your fingers... and Emmanuel explains it so easily. Go figure!!

[@avanish2007]

,😅

[@chrishyne2167]

Step one is the rule of thumb! 👍🏼

[@snoop1204]

Disliked cuz he put his pinky down and all those unnecessary lil movements 😞

[@keithbriscoe99]

A free lesson of actual real value for an actual real Legend. Wonderful, thank you Tommy and Reverb.

[@awaywithpaul3423]

Not only is he a glorious guitarist he’s an incredibly humble teacher. Could listen to him for hours

[@BookerTDooku]

He really is. Totally clear and accessible and I love how he drops in these little jokes and occasional flashes of mind blowing skill. Comes across as a really lovely guy as well as an absolutely legendary musician.

[@NylonStrings83]

Quite rare for an Aussie

[@wilwaren8571]

@@NylonStrings83 why is that ? =0 im curious as im european

[@NylonStrings83]

@@wilwaren8571 Aussies are usualy very agressive people kindness and humbleness is a rare thing to see amongst aussies

[@wilwaren8571]

@@NylonStrings83 woo ! thanks for the highlight ! now that u say it i do remember hearing also something like that ;o maybe the heat or sand has got something to do with it 🤣

[@MathematicianDr]

No instrument fights back at you when you try to play it like the acoustic guitar does. Mastery of fingerstyle on an acoustic guitar displays strength, courage, determination and dedication of the highest degree. This man is a legend.

[@MarcHalikas_surfercook]

So true! The acoustic guitar (especially steel string) is a beast. You hafta string it, tune it, fret and pick it. I practice 90% of the time on acoustic then when picking up an electric it's like white lightening fast!

[@lindsayheywood7195]

So glad to hear you say that! I am just starting finger style on an acoustic guitar, and I seem to get the patterns fairly easily, but string buzz is my nemesis.

[@ojasvinayak5906]

He looks so happy, this is what you call doing what you love

[@jz4901]

Summary: 1:22 - step 1. Thumb technique. Anchor down. Root on first beat. Palm muting 4:25 - step 2. Spell out the chord. 5:21 - step 3: Create rhythm with the chord 6:00 - step 4: Chord arpeggios Great lesson!

[@gabriellacaroline3915]

thanks.

[@sbingham1979]

I love this guy. What a gifted artist, as well as a very generous human being. This world is much the better for having him in it.

[@gtrdude6]

He's so genuine!

[@govindshenoy2789]

This video will get a smile on any guitarist's face; regardless of what situation he/she is in.

[@doctorro398]

*His thumb is so independent it left the house and started at business as an adolescent*

[@angelicaabad8526]

😂

[@vegaa.1645]

Independently of how good the vieo is, had to give you thumbs up

[@DavidDyte1969]

At some point Mr. Emmanuel graduated from national treasure to world treasure. Thank you so much for this!

[@diannetempletongardner2558]

Agree.. a world treasure...a joy to behold..and hear...just saw him...had no idea he had hearing issues...amazingly modest man. He changed his hearing aid batteries on stage...this is a great lesson..thank you Tommy for just being alive...and sharing your incredible genius with us. Angelina is my new challenge to learn. The kind of man we need in these very troubled times in this country.

[@tonyhodge364]

One of the very best instructional videos on KZbin. Absolutely no filler material and so clear and straightforward. Well done Tommy.

[@TheJumpingjim]

Not a single surplus word! Seven minutes of pure gold. Tommy Emmanuel is not just a great guitar player but a wonderful teacher too.

[@grundvater]

Tommy ist für mich einer der besten Gitarristen, ein großartiges Vorbild. Greetings from Germany.

[@gontrandtrand]

ACH GUT ZOZISSE

[@WoodworkingforAnyone]

I'm thrilled to announce to the world that I am in fact too advanced to have learned anything from Tommy in this video. At this point as long as I stop watching other videos I am the best in the world. That was faster than I expected.

[@lucienrobidoux3692]

You lucky devils....ha, ha, ha...indeed. What a beautiful lesson.

[@multiverse1176]

ive practiced for hours on how to get this right, struggling hard but it just makes me respect tommy even more, amazing player and teacher

[@Whitty43]

For someone so talented and famous he is so down to earth! Not only a great guitarist but seems like a great guy also!

[@colinpoole7653]

For god to take time and give us mere mortals a simple lesson is amazing

[@john-ob7bv]

Learned this, this time last year, now I can play 5 tommy songs. No stopping me now thankyou Tommy

[@vencemcadams2927]

Your love for the instrument always shows in your playing, and now I see it in your teaching. Thanks for sharing your gifts!

[@thomasfontenot4881]

I heard him say at a concert one time that it's about playing with and having passion for the guitar. He said he honestly would rather play with someone that sucks but has passion, instead of the opposite .

[@adamjoseph6122]

I'm low-key bragging here, but I had the opportunity to attend one of Tommy's classes back in 2014, and then even got to play a song with him! Then at the end, my wife and kids came to pick me up, and he insisted on meeting and talking with them! He is one of the kindest people I've ever met!

[@seemaairy4789]

You're so lucky. I'm jealous of you.

[@aaronconnell2152]

The only thing TE is not really explaining im this amazing lesson is how many hundreds of hours it takes to master this unless you're fortunate enough to be naturally talented at seperating out thumb and finger rythms which most aren't

[@ChewyTheEwoK]

I have been a guitarist for 11 or so years, playing mainly rock, metal blues and a touch of jazz.. This is possibly the hardest thing to play I've ever attempted. Absolutely hats off to anyone who can do the arpeggios while keeping the bass notes going.

[@hilariouslysuspicious6477]

@chewy dude can u recommend some rock guitar solos for beginner like me. ?

[@ChewyTheEwoK]

@@hilariouslysuspicious6477 Hi mate, give green day's holiday a go :) great solo, and not too tricky!

[@gtrdude6]

I have played guitar for 30 + years and I am struggling with this style. I will say this, I have kept at it and I'm starting to get the hang of it. It has taken some time and lots of practice. I wanted to learn it after hearing Tommy and being BLOWN away.

[@Anteksanteri]

Thanks for the hats. I had been doing fingerstyle for about 7 years so it took me like 4 hours to learn the thumb technique when I tried a month back.

[@stairfall12345678900]

It's definitely a thing you have to learn when you're younger. Fingerstyle is the first way I learned to play guitar when I was 17--I remember only spending an hour or two a day and it only took a week to for me to nail down Travis picking. Fast forward 8 years when I tried to learn how to use a pick. I tried and tried for a month and could not get it, and to this day it still feels very unnatural and I make tons of mistakes.

[@markowalski1]

He has such a soothing voice I could listen to him (and his guitar) all day

[@josbruls]

Okay, I am going to practice, wil be back within two years for lesson two.

[@foosiew]

God pls protect this angel at all cost

[@nodgelyobo1]

I'm doing one of Tommys online courses, it has taken me about 3 weeks to learn one small section, but the stuff I have learned while practising this is invaluable....He teaches you slowly and precisely, but he doesn't hold your hand ....learn slow, build up to speed, great fun.

[@Todaro17402]

Thanks Tommy for a great lesson. I've been at the first part of the lesson for about a week at 20 minutes a night. I can see and hear the difference. It's like anything else in life, what you put in is what you get out.

[@dilligaf700]

Finally a man I can understand.

[@paulmurphy8993]

That may be the simplest yet most comprehensive finger picking lesson you could have ever squeezed into seven minutes! Thanks Tommy.

[@alangoldstein6767]

I've seen him live twice. Fun, energetic, life-affirming shows, sometimes with additional incredible musicians.

[@roberthamilton2334]

For being one of the world's best guitarists, you have such a passion for learning people like me.!! Thank you

[@akathecops]

How lucky we are to have you at our fingertips. I’m an old guy. This is so much better than the back of madd magazine

[@djkolcun]

I love Tommy! He simplifies the steps so well. Now comes the hard part. Practicing SLOOOOWLY at first!

[@rogerdekumbis4199]

This post started for me a new life three years ago. I had first a hard time to get my thumb doing the new job, but one day it just did it. I aquired then the full course from Tommy(very affordable!) and carefully followed his advice. Not only Tommy is a modest and wonderful person, he is an outstanding player and teacher, feeling exactly what a newcomer needs to make progress. Three years are gone and I can play now every piece i have in my mind using the technique I learned from Tommy. Thank you Tommy, you enriched my life in an outstanding way!

[@danielmcelhatton1724]

Haven't played in years but started again recently after seeing a Knopf video on fingerstyle. Was getting into a rut so this video came along just at the right time. Big thanks to Tommy and the folks at Reverb.

[@enigmapublius1]

oh for your information the same happened to me :) haven't touched the guitar for almost 5 years and (accidentaly because I couldn't sleep and I had to distract myself), after seeing a video of knofler playing the guitar I knew I should start playing again just for the fun so I'm here to learn some more

[@TheBoomtown4]

enigmapublius1 yep, same. Imagine if we had KZbin when we were learning. It’s such an insane resource for guitar!

[@yasmiiineee]

Damn. Same. Actually picked up a guitar for the 1st time after watching Knopfler. I wish I had discovered him when I was a little bit younger but 22 isn't too old i guess...

[@flexwinggpipi]

how lucky are we to have youtube where a true impresario like TE comes along to show you his priceless knowledge for Free.....

[@IGarrettI]

He's a great great guitarist, and those usually cant teach at all, not a case here. Such a great teacher

[@drutgat2]

I completely agree with you - exactly what I was going to say.

[@rfabadguitar]

hahaha you hit it right

[@houstonwalker7108]

I think he was a teacher before

[@marlonbrandoseyes1443]

I think the greatest ones are usually the best teachers e.g. Socrates Plato Aristotle Alexander

[@justinemarkdajay7485]

@@marlonbrandoseyes1443 i agree. "If you can't teach it simply, you don't understand it well enough."

[@michaelenglish1030]

The best explanation and demonstration of fingerstyle guitar this picker has seen.

[@graemej2599]

Trying to develop 'thumb independence' in the right hand can be difficult and take a long time, especially when you are also trying to master chord fingering with the left hand. You need to develop the thumb independence upto the point where your thumb plays automatically without you even thinking about it. Then you can solely concentrate on perfecting the melody. A method I found to help achieve this 'thumb independence' was to tune the guitar to an open chord, say D major (D1, A, D2, F#,A D3), and so not worry too much about playing diff chords, instead play the open D major chord, and noodle around with the notes that sound good in that key - in other words practise with your ears, which is what music is all about - hearing and listerning ! - and practise with the thumb low D1-D2-A-D2 to the 4 beats in the bar for 4/4 time.

[@iReece07]

Love how he just tells you what not to do straight up. Too many teachers/tutorials on here focus on what to do without addressing the bad habits.

[@eduardoprieto5267]

Boy do I need to practice.

[@kanapkalol]

Sense of humor of this guy is great. :-D Also if he says "it takes little time" it means a couple of months to 2 years, but if he says it means a lot of determination, then it means decades of practice and going for a lifetime journey.

[@john-ob7bv]

I've spent 20 minutes trying this and I've already got it. Wow. It's like it was always there just dormant.

[@johnwhite2923]

Like anything worthwhile in life, it don’t come easy. But stick with it, don’t give up & you will develop. It can take a long time, but anyone can do this.

[@buiminhmusic2935]

Thumb to keep the beat is most important, Thank you sir for us method to play. Try with big effort and time to this platform. I am Minh from Vietnam.

[@raserx63]

Step 5...repeat for 10,000 hours

[@probabilitysurfing]

Me too. Guitar practice is is 6:00 to 6:20 every morning.

[@joshfoss7407]

@emre er If noise is a problem and you can afford it, you could try a different guitar for late/early practice. A Godin multi-ac takes acoustic strings, but doesn't have a sound-hole so it's going to be more quiet acoustically. Likewise, my OM model guitars are much more quiet than my dreads. You can even do this on a regular electric guitar without a problem

[@acoustic61]

Yep. That's why many people give it up. Most great accomplishments took a lot of work.

[@sir2212]

I can't agree more.

[@leventopoulos]

haha so true!

[@patrickcasey330]

his lessons are so multifaceted. he teachs you this, an then you wonder what that other thing he was doing. and boom, you learn something else. Tommy is gold to people who seek to learn. a humble genius.

[@Kman1960]

Thank you Tommy, really really appreciate you taking time to make these tutorials ! You’ve provided me with tremendous insight into learning finger-style acoustic guitar!

[@andrewsmithsmusic]

So glad he talked about anchoring. I’ve been doing it for years and always thought I shouldn’t. He is right that you play better while anchored.

[@DaigoParry]

Magician showing how the magic trick is done...

[@guybross1200]

Hea Tommy, you cant be beat. I have been to see you 4 times over the years at the Palatium in Tampa, great small venue. Cant wait to see you again. Thanks for the music.

[@yifeima5524]

When he says "a little time", it means a century.

[@gregherd6936]

So brilliantly explained...the sequencing of the skill is so often a barrier to developing the skill. Thanks so much for sharing

[@tommyabernathy9880]

7 minute lesson and, for me, months and months and months of practice! 😆🍻 Love it!

[@sdip193]

Thank you , so generous of you its a privilege to watch you play and spread your gift

[@warddolfin7038]

his thumb so independent it can play another instrument while he is playing guitar

[@BillyWrightLive]

...while also flying a helicopter

[@paulcarolla8008]

It up to

[@paulcarolla8008]

@@BillyWrightLiveon 9o no no no look to it on

[@battyflaps5410]

His thumb so independent it moved away got a new job a car a house and drives a posh car

[@michaelwood9321]

His thumb is so independent, it works for the independent news paper whilst the ghost of the thumb haunts a bird he shagged at one of his gigs. He then put his independent thumb in her anus whilst shagging her to create a better seal. However, the entire time his thumb was playing freight train.

[@gitaareddy]

At 2:31 Tommy says "The first bass note of every bar should be the root note of the chord you're in." That's true in most songs.. however, this style is called Travis Picking, named after Merle Travis. Once you start playing Merle's songs, you'll find out Merle doesn't apply that rule at all! He often plays a G bass note in a C (332010) chord, a F# bass note in a D9 (234210) chord (I love this D9 chord, it doesn't even have a D note in it!), a B bass note in a E7 (7x6757) chord. But this is a great lesson, that really helped me!

[@bigpetroller-multi-game1339]

Tommy Emmanuel is the Tony hawk of guitar

[@riccardo4362]

Tony Hawk is the Tommy Emmanuel of skateboarding

[@jaelsosa]

occamsrager what do you mean by Clint Eastwood? westerns?

[@crlguitar1]

I so appreciate how Tommy shares his knowledge with us on how to play guitar more effectively. I know that this lesson he gave here was simplistic to him. It is kind of like a calculus teacher having to teach basic algebra.

[@Palindrome3945]

Great, now that chord progression is carved in my head for the rest of my life

[@marcoVGpolo]

Thymus-chan 81 yup. Still think about it every once in a while

[@stepitup5409]

Not only is Tommy an amazing guitar player but he is a wonderful human being! Always humble and willing to give everything away in terms of his knowledge. Just a wonderful powerhouse of a kind man!

[@talkless8747]

Sir when I listen to you I feel heavenly,, nothing makes me so happy but your guitar.. Thank you so much sir 🙏 🙏 🙏

[@chrishyne2167]

Anchoring down is the rule of thumb for finger style.... literally! 👍🏼

[@banjothebandit]

Would love to see tabs with these videos! I've only been playing for about a year and a half or so, so I can pick up a few things but not everything. Reverb's videos have been such a great learning tool. They really do a great job of keeping you interested and moving along and expose you to things you might not be into yet

[@brucewayne7476]

Master!!!, this have to be archived to future generations. Because nobody plays like him anymore. Thank God he switch from electric guitar to acústic in his career

[@ClassicalPan]

Awesome! I wanna try this soon. I often play fingerstyle, which I learned when I was studying classical guitar, but that's obviously way different than playing these types of rhythms with a pick on your thumb. As comfortable as I am with how I play, this more rhythmic style is pretty foreign to my fingers and I am excited to take on the challenge and learn something new!

[@campparsonssundayschool7844]

Muscle memory allows me to thumb pick a steady bass while syncopating 1,2, or 3 fingers in the higher notes. It's like driving a stickshift without consciously thinking about all the hand and foot movements.

[@rustyshackleford7984]

Who does this guy think he is? Tommy Emannuel??

[@eidurnavkijd]

Rusty Shackleford are you any better?

[@S_Heavens]

Ruud van Dijk. lol you didn't get the joke. noob!

[@2nn1i]

Ruud van Dijk r/woooosh

[@petermccaffrey9667]

Finger picking don’t close your eyes

[@XAVYMARTIN]

Rusty Shackleford kzbin.info/www/bejne/oIvQhZyshM1qe9E

[@lemmypayet8120]

KZbin as it should be....its an honor to learn from the master...thank you Mr. Emmanuel

[@aaaargl]

Tommy is the man!

[@markmartin4522]

TE are you kidding me? He’s my Teacher! Blown away I am at this chance to learn from the absolute best Acoustic Guitarist on the Planet!

[@grayling0865]

I've finnaly learned it! I'm so happy right now!

[@yanalbanwame1762]

Please how much have you practiced ?

[@MFDOOOOM]

How long did it take bruh i literally cannot do it

[@tommihail282]

Love from Australia Tommy, youre a national treasure for sure! God keep you and those fingers safe!!!

[@petrf350]

Arpeggio...that´s a big word for an Australian XDDD I love this guy! :-)

[@MikeKBradley]

I know some of your musically friends in Sunderland, England who play in your style ... a brill way to play guitar and I'm learning! Thank you Tommy!

[@dangoleshootnetwork6036]

This always sounds like it's more complicated than it looks. Thank you for the simple explanation. That was awesome. 🙂👍

[@rupakrokade]

This is a golden lesson for beginners.. Thank you so much..

[@michelbibeau9425]

Pretty cool Tommy, I will use this lesson for my starting trainees. One word about the "Anchor with the pinky or not". Tommy is certainly right. But when I was younger, I developed a strange (is it strange?) habit. While my nails were often broken, my pinky nail was always long and solid. I began using this clumsy finger as "B" plan, to a point where 30 years later, it became my best finger to play melodies while picking arpeggios with my other no-nail fingers (making the melody louder than the accompaniment). Therefore, no way Tommy, I can no longer abandon my pinky, using it as an anchor. So I guess I'm part of that losers' team. Seriously Tommy, you're awesome, thanks for your always great generosity and the inspiration you provide us all.

[@GuitarMav]

The best acoustic guitarist in the world and a very good electric player as well.

[@noone.....2872]

This vid felt like a real teacher teaching me I was smiling so hard

[@tenzinalexander]

Actually, the best way to learn finger-style is to get the book "Mauro Giuliani 120 studies for right hand development". They are patterns that use easy chords- they are all using the C chord and I think G7. Exercise on the them while you are watching sports on TV or whatever. Practice them 20 minutes a day and you will master fingerstyle. I played classical guitar for years and this book and "Andres Segovia Diatonic Major and Minor Scales" will strengthen your fingers and you will learn agility and eventually get good tone.

[@joshuastine7316]

This lesson is just amazing. Thank you. I needed this.

[@mangkornthong7373]

สอนสนุก ลื่นไหล เข้าใจง่าย และผ่อนคลายเวลาเรียนครับ

[@stratoscorp7]

Tommy, thanks for sharing... you're a legend mate!

[@Johnkostercreative]

Easy for you, Tommy Emmanuel, with your world class finger style techniques and kind demeanor.

[@dangeorge6614]

A strong independent thumb that don’t need no man.

[@JohnOrrTheArsonist]

The first 3rd and 4th steps are definitely more difficult than the first 2. I love this and I'm using it for my own practice ❤️

[@IvanSuarezGuitar]

Steady thumbs up!!! Congrats for Reverb and Tommy, great mini lesson. Greetings from Spain!

[@Brayden329]

Thanks! I'm not used to curling my thumb over for the F and G. I'm gonna tame this pattern eventually.

[@twist2723]

I love how he looks up to Jerry Reed so much.

[@anthonyfox1436]

Honestly Jerry was an absolute beast of a guitar player

[@diannetempletongardner2558]

This man is a genius ...just saw him in Atlanta...kind wonderful modest man who wants to make people happy with his music

[@ChiliPumpTheFunk]

More more more...gimmi more. Love you Tom! Seen in North Carolina last year. The first time I heard you I came across "Angelina" and wow your music brought me finally to a taste in music I hadn't yet fallen for, but always appreciated. I learned Angelina the same weekend I discovered you. This way of playing only makes you an overall better player. If you ever get a chance to see him live, do it! Great Showmanship, very entertaining with and without his guitar. An absolute superb player. P.S. I anchor down too... Ever since my mama taught me to play.

[@สมเกียรติปัทมวิภาค-ฆ6ท]

. .

[@bealotcoolerifyoudid7217]

Angelina is amazing :-)

[@MFDOOOOM]

Lmao i wish my mum stuck a guitar into my hand too when i was a child :(

[@jeffstump7601]

So you're telling me... I already have the knowledge and skill I need to play like the legendary Tommy Emmanuel, I just need to practice practice practice and really apply myself? SWEET!!!

[@MrJdsenior]

"I wanna be on that team"..fist pump. I'll say! You might be leading that team now though.

[@mohiki69]

Thank you sooo much Tommy! YOU are a living legend! Stay safe and healthy! 🙏🏾

[@dannylee5588]

He always seems so happy. That's the groove I wish I had😞

[@MrGavinspoppop]

Decide to have it and work for it ... all things are possible ...keep the faith brother

[@Gee-no]

This way of teaching has gotten me further than other video or techniques in the last year or two. Thank. You. Tommy.

[@seharpanesar5132]

His thumb is so independent it got its own stimulus check

[@ifollowjesus1667]

Wow! I am ashamed t say I didn’t who this gentleman was before today and I am totally inspired! ‘This gentleman rocks!!!

[@madgeniusmusic]

Amazing guy.