Getting Started with Fingerstyle
Simple Fingerstyle Melody
Hey guys, welcome to another super fingerstyle guitar lesson for beginners.
Today I want to share with you this simple fingerstyle melody I wrote a while ago for one of my Skype students who was struggling with the fingerstyle technique.
Some people struggle with plucking, especially at the beginning, and while the left hand easily develops strength and stretch, the right hand can be a real pain to deal with.
I wrote these classical exercises to practice a simple fingerstyle melody using only thumb and fingers.
As you’ll see, the melody is mostly played on the first E string, so it’s easy to visualize on the neck, and the plucking pattern is easy and straightforward.
There are a few challenging moments, but they are necessary if you really want to take a step forward in your technique.
As always, guys, make sure you take things step by step and focus on coordination, timing, and overall performance.
Once you feel comfortable with the notes, spend time working on the tone and dynamics.
Good luck!
The Video
How to Practice
Let me give you a few tips on approaching such a melody and how to get the best out of it.
It’s a straightforward fingerstyle melody that you can play for yourself and friends and family.
The more you play in front of people, the more your confidence grows and your technique and motivations.
I love to write practical exercises that sound musical because they sound like you are playing a song, so you are much more likely to practice and play the exercises if you feel like “performing” a piece.
How to Pluck the Strings
You really have to follow one rule if you want to take your fingerstyle to the next level, and this is “Alternate fingering.”
It would help if you never doubled/triple pluck with the same fingers, and this exercise is no exception.
Make sure you keep alternating the plucking fingers.
The Melody
The melody is mainly played on the E string. There are few challenging parts where the melody will be played on the higher part of the neck so take it to step by step.
It is of paramount importance that you always use all four fingers (1,2,3,4), and I highly recommend you follow the same plucking hand fingering I use.
Embrace the challenge and keep pushing forward.
That’s how you become a better guitar player.
Good luck with the exercises.
