basic finger picking

Two basic finger picking patterns that work for any chords. Based on Bob Dylan's "Girl from the North Country."

Guitar lesson by glowe Tags: folk, finger picking, bob dylan

More: Folk
1 year ago

The first basic finger picking pattern is shown here. The bass notes are hit with the thumb. Notes on the A string are hit with the index finger, on the D string with the middle finger and the B string with the ring finger.

E----------------------------------------------------------------
B-----0--------0---------------------------------------------------
G----------0-----------and repeat-------------------------------------------
D--------0------0--------------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------------
E-----3------3----------------------------------------------------

You need Flash player 8+ and JavaScript enabled to view this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l5ZViXbJYA

I use this finger picking patter to play a version on Bob Dylan's Girl from the North Country. The first line is played twice, the second line played once, the first line is then played again. I also hammer on the C/g at the end of the line.

E--------------------------------2--------------------------------
B----3--------3----3--------3-------------1-----0--------0------------
G---------0-------------0-------------2--------------0---------------
D-------4-------4-----4-------4-----0-------0------0-------0-------------
A----5------5------5------5------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------2------2-------3------3-----------

E----------------------------------------------------------------
B----0--------0----0-------0-----1-------1----0-------0----0------0---
G---------0------------0-------------0------------0------------0------
D-------2-------2----2-------2-----2-------2----0-------0----0-------0-----
A--------------------------------3-----3---------------------------
E----0------0------0-----0--------------------3-----3------3-----3-------

You need Flash player 8+ and JavaScript enabled to view this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu0i9CcVEb4

This is the second finger picking style. The difference is that the bass note and the top notes are played apart as opposed to together at the beginning of the chord.

E----------------------------------------------------------------
B------0-------0---------------------------------------------------
G----------0---------repeat---------------------------------------------
D------0-----0-----------------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------------
E----3---3---------------------------------------------------------

You need Flash player 8+ and JavaScript enabled to view this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajVuMAJokVU

Now I use this second picking pattern to play another version of Bob Dylan's Girl from the North Country. The first line is played twice, then the second line once, then the first once more. Again I hammer on the C/g chord at the end of the line (in video only not in tab).
.

E--------------------------------------2---------2------------------------
B------3----------3----3--------3------------1---------0--------0---0--------0-
G------------0--------------0----------2-------2------------0-------------0----
D------4--------4------4------4------------------------0------0-----0-------0------
A----5----5----------5----5-------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------2-----2----------3----3-------3-----3

E----------------------------------------------------------------
B------0-------0---0--------0------1-------1-----0--------0----0---------0-
G----------0------------0--------------0--------------0-------------0------
D------2-----2-----2------2--------2-----2-------0------0------0------0----
A-------------------------------3----3-----------------------------
E----0---0-------0----0-----------------------3-----3-------3-----3------

You need Flash player 8+ and JavaScript enabled to view this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS-LJUi6ZHU