Rule of thumb when comes to finger-picking!


Fingerpicking is used in classical, flamenco and folk styles of music whereby you pick using your fingers!

People who enjoy fingerpicking sometimes grow their nails longer to play with their nails. This is better than plucking the strings with your fingertips. However, there is no right or wrong to play fingerficking with nails or without them. It all depends on yourself to have long nails or short ones. I personally prefer to have short nail to play my favorite songs.

The most common and simplest type of pattern used today in fingerpicking is classical style which is referred to as P-I-M-A. Before we move on to talk more about it, let's see what fingers representing the PIMA.

P = Thumb
I = Index Finger
M = Middle Finger
A = Ring Finger

As a general rule, the 4th, 5th, and 6th strings are plucked by your thumb (or "P" finger). The 3rd string is plucked by your index finger ("I"). The 2nd string is plucked by your middle finger ("M"), and the 1st string is plucked by your ring finger ("A"). This is illustrated more clearly below:

E----------------------------| Ring Finger (A)
B----------------------------| Middle Finger (M)
G----------------------------| Index Finger (I)
D----------------------------| Thumb (P)
A----------------------------| Thumb (P)
E----------------------------| Thumb (P)

You need to get familiar at this as for the exercise later on, I will use this letters to show you which fingers to use.

Exercise 1:

--------P------I--- -M- ,,-A--- ,-M-- -I--- - -P

E--------------0-------------|
B----------0-------0---------|
G-------0-------------0------|
D----------------------------|
A----------------------------|
E---0---------------------0--|

 

Exercise 2:

------- -P--- - - -A --- -M-- ---I--- --- - -- ---P- - --A------M-----I

E---------5-----------|--------3------------|
B-------------7-------|------------5--------|
G-----------------7---|----------------5----|
D---------------------|---------------------|
A----5----------------|----3----------------|
E---------------------|---------------------|

 

Exercise 3:

Another common accompaniment pattern is whereby you pluck the strings respectively. In this exercise, you will use three fingers at the same time to hit three strings as in the tabs. Make sure that each finger plucks and the proper string, and also that the simultaneously plucked strings produce equal volume.

- ---- A - - AA
- ---- M - - hM
---- - P-- - - P- - g-I----M---A--A------M jj-I---P--P--

E---7---7--------(7-0)-----------|
B---0---0------0--------0--------|
G-----------0--------------0-----|
D--------------------------------|
A------------------------------0-|
E---0---0--------------------0---|

 

Well... now lets move on to practice a really slick song. It is a little tricky at first - but follow my lead - and you'll be fine. The song is called Nothing Else Matters By Metallica. It is mainly fingerpicking type of guitar work. It is a really hot tune, and as usual - the full song is down the bottom of this page.

Okay - let's have a bit of a sniff....

First of all lose your pick. There is no guitar pick used in this song. It is all fingers!!!

"Nothing Else Matters" By Metallica
(please note - this is only my interpretation of the song)

Step 1

Start by picking your top string - followed by the bottom 3 strings like this...

Here are the tabs to help you along the way...

E------------0----------|
B---------0-----0-------|
G------0-----------0----|
D-----------------------|
A-----------------------|
E---0-----------------0-|
Step 2

Use three fingers here at the same time to hit three strings as in the tabs.

E---7--7-------(7-0)---------|
B---0--0-----0--------0------|
G----------0------------0----|
D----------------------------|
A---------------------------0|
E---0--0------------------0--|

 
Step 3:

E---7--8--7--5--7---(5-0)-|
B---0--0--0--0--0-----0---|
G-------------------------|
D-------------------------|
A-------------------------|
E-------------------------|

 
Step 4

E--0-------(3-0)---------|
B--5-----5-------5------5|
G------5-----------5-----|
D------------------------|
A--0------------------0--|
E------------------------|

 
Step 5

E--0--0--0--0----------|
B--5--5--6--5----------|
G----------------------|
D----------------------|
A--0--0--0--0----------|
E----------------------|

 
Step 6

E-------(3-0)----------|
B--5-----------5-------|
G-----5----------5-----|
D----------------------|
A----------------------|
E----------------------|

 
Step 7

E---------0-5-----------0-|
B----7----------7-----0---|
G-7-----7-----------0-----|
D-------------------------|
A-------------------------|
E-------------------------|

 
Step 8

E-----------(harmonics 0)|
B--------(harmonics 0)---|
G-----(harmonics 0)------|
D------------------------|
A------------------------|
E--0---------------------|

 

Great!

If you managed to get that - you are doing really well! That was the hardest part of the song right there! The next part is very easy - here we go...



Step 1

Hold a bar chord and hit each string individually as follows:

E--------|
B--8-----|
G--9-----|
D--9-----|
A--7-----|
E--0-----|

 

Step 2

Slide the bar chord down as follows:

E----------|
B----------|
G--7----5--|
D--7----5--|
A--5----3--|
E----------|

Repeat step 1 and 2 again

 

Step 3

E--7-----|
B--8-----|
G--9-----|
D--9-----|
A--7-----|
E--0-----|

 

Step 4

E-----5-------|
B--------7----|
G----------7--|
D-------------|
A--5----------|
E-------------|

 

Step 5

Same as in step 4 - only slide it up as follows

E-----3-------|
B--------5----|
G----------5--|
D-------------|
A--3----------|
E-------------|

 

Step 6

Same as in step 5- only slide it up as follows

E-----3-------|
B-------3-----|
G----------4--|
D-------------|
A-------------|
E--3----------|

 

Step 7

Same as in step 6- only slide it up as follows

E-----2-------|
B-------2-----|
G----------3--|
D-------------|
A-------------|
E--2----------|

 

Step 8

E-----------(harmonics 0)|
B--------(harmonics 0)---|
G-----(harmonics 0)------|
D------------------------|
A------------------------|
E--0---------------------|

 

Final Product!

Here is what it sounds like in the end...

 

 

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