Any good fingerstyle technique resources?

Playing Technique
#1

Long story short - I just moved, won’t have my guitar gear unpacked and set up for a while yet, and also had a daughter a few months back. So, I’ve barely touched my electrics but am playing a TON of acoustic, often times to my infant daughter (who’s super squirmy at baseline and seems to legitimately enjoy dancing/squirming along in time).

It’a made me realize that while I’m getting better with a pick, I really don’t know the first thing about proper fingerstyle technique. I can sorta thumb, pointer, and middle finger my way through a lot of stuff but beyond that I don’t really have a good handle on how I’m supposed to be doing this. I know in particular classical technique is pretty well cannon-ized; are there any good resouces that cover how to play fingerstyle from like a purely mechanical, “picking” hand standpoint? Less repertoire and drills, more “this is your neutral position, after plucking a note your finger should return to a “rest” position (and, like, what that rest position is), or remain floating over the strings until needed, or whatever.” I just want to get the nuts and bolts of mechanically what my right hand should be doing here down so I make sure I’m building the right habits.

Figured, if there’s any corner of the internet that would be great to ask, this is it!

#2

I don’t know about a ‘purely mechanical’ approach, but Mark Hanson’s books are great if you’re wanting to learn basic Travis picking techniques. I’d start with this if I were you.

If it’s classical technique you’re after, ‘Pumping Nylon’ is absolutely the way to go. It goes into all sorts of right hand (and left hand) stuff. However, I wouldn’t get that unless you’re really wanting to get into classical playing (and can sight read).

#3

Sight reading is rusty, but it’s there.

I guess I’m after stuff like, “what’s the mechanical plucking motion supposed to be like?” Angle of fingers, rest position, any follow through, timing of the return to ready to pluck position, stuff like that. Youtube is probably ideal, but even good written commentary might be good.

I honestly don’t know what Travis picking is, either. :laughing:

#4

Travis picking is what Merle Travis did. Or what people like Tommy Emmanuel or Chet Atkins do: alternating bass notes (usually muted).

There are probably a lot of You Tube videos you could find for either style

Both Pumping Nylon and Christopher Parkening’s books have good diagrams and descriptions of classical technique, though, if you want a book.

1 Like
#5

Thanks! Not especially interested in Travis picking, I suppose, so much as maybe more the classical or folk approaches. But especially in classical I assume the technical approach as just as canonized as it is for any other classical instrument, so I was hoping for some guidance on that.