[danbhoy67]

Trying to learn some finger style playing. I have found some patterns that i like and I am practicing them. However I find it very hard to pick and change chords at the same time. My question is, should i just keep practicing the picking patterns till they become ingrained then move on to the chord changes, or should I slowly practice picking and changing together?

[geitenvla]

Hey, great you're picking up on fingerstyle. My advice would be: keep this trial. I started out the same way as you did and fingerpicking has become my prerogative. Yes, it is very hard in the beginning to change chords and play fluently. You will get your next hurdle for sure when you're gonna try to sing sing along.

Playing the guitar is totaly new for your brain hence you got to hard wire it. Only way to climb this peak is to keep practasing... eventually you will get to a point where you don't have to think anymore and everything is going more or less by itself.

Go for it... fingerstyle is cool

[danbhoy67]

Originally Posted by geitenvla

Hey, great you're picking up on fingerstyle. My advice would be: keep this trial. I started out the same way as you did and fingerpicking has become my prerogative. Yes, it is very hard in the beginning to change chords and play fluently. You will get your next hurdle for sure when you're gonna try to sing sing along.

Playing the guitar is totaly new for your brain hence you got to hard wire it. Only way to climb this peak is to keep practasing... eventually you will get to a point where you don't have to think anymore and everything is going more or less by itself.

Go for it... fingerstyle is cool

Thanks G. I just love to hear someone picking on the guitar! Should I ingrain the patterns then move on to the chords,or persevere patiently trying to do both at this early picking stage?

[geitenvla]

Since you're playing for over a year, I guess you're familiar to the basic chords on the first three frets, like: C - D - E etc. Switching from one chord to another should be something that goes naturaly. Simultanuously you can learn some patterns... to me this was the way to go. I don't know how advanced your picking and chord grabbing is, but here is a cool pattern to practise: (not to hard)

4/4

C (or any other chord, mind the bass)
--0---------------0-----------------
----------1---------------1---------
------2-------2------2---------2----
------------------------------------
--3---------------------------------
------------------------------------

Try to play this fluently and try to switch some chords eg:

C - G - Am - F - C - G - F - C

Now sing along: Let it be (chorus not included)

When you've got this pattern in your head and you feel comfortable with the chord-switching you can make endless variations with this like: hamer ons, pull off, loose notes in between, etc. etc...

Hope this is helpful as well as encouraging

[danbhoy67]

Originally Posted by geitenvla

Since you're playing for over a year, I guess you're familiar to the basic chords on the first three frets, like: C - D - E etc. Switching from one chord to another should be something that goes naturaly. Simultanuously you can learn some patterns... to me this was the way to go. I don't know how advanced your picking and chord grabbing is, but here is a cool pattern to practise: (not to hard)

4/4

C (or any other chord, mind the bass)
--0---------------0-----------------
----------1---------------1---------
------2-------2------2---------2----
------------------------------------
--3---------------------------------
------------------------------------

Try to play this fluently and try to switch some chords eg:

C - G - Am - F - C - G - F - C

Now sing along: Let it be (chorus not included)

When you've got this pattern in your head and you feel comfortable with the chord-switching you can make endless variations with this like: hamer ons, pull off, loose notes in between, etc. etc...

Hope this is helpful as well as encouraging

Printed off and down to the garage to practice..., thanks a million G.