The wrong (bent) finger movements can be avoided by starting with apoyando (rest stroke) instead of tirando, since in apoyando, you already use the right ligaments at the base of your fingers. From there you can start playing chords with a separate bass stroke (with the p) follow by three simultaneous trebles (ima) as the first tirando attempt. You will see that you will automatically use the ligaments at the BASE of im and a, instead of bending in the middle of those three fingers. I really like your explanation that uses the argument of a stronger, better tone by bending the right ligaments and keeping the other ones relatively straight. Making the fingers i and m "walk" like a pair straight little legs in apoyando (rest stroke) is a good start for a powerful stroke. Then add the a. Then go to tirando by playing the chords as described.
Quite good, but try to move the whole finger from the basic finger joint. Don‘t move from the second. And only give the finger an impulse rotating around the first joint then let loose. It will jump back in position by itself because the tension the impulse put in the system of sinews and muscles isn‘t held up anymore. The thumb? Just let it hang loose. If you want to play a note with it stretch it as a whole and let loose to have it fall on the string. Again the stretch puts tension into the system and when you let go you get the movement you need for the thumb to play the string. Got the principle? Be relaxed in your right hand, give short impulses, let the tension created do the job, and let your fingers fall back into relaxation. Do less, get more. And if that feels awkward in the beginning ….
Excellent! I stopped saying to not move from the other joints and more like they can do their natural share of the movement but should initiate and only try to consciously control what you’re talking about…. Thanks for the amazingly insightful comment!
banjo players always commented that i was playing 'wrong'. there were no banjo teachers when i started. my hand shape was similar to yours. i didn't plant my pinky. there seemed to be a fluidity and speed as well as sound that held me in good stead for a few decades. my hands are trash now unfortunately.
I’ve had some students who just ‘naturally’ do strokes more this way as well, and I’m always jealous bc I self-taught my strokes as a kid and then 20 years later worked with classical teachers to ‘fix’ it. But it’s basically the same idea as piano technique or violin in a way, bc even though hand position might seem so different, they basically say not to bend wrist too much, keep fingers arched and use closing muscles to initiate movements! But that’s a totally interesting point and now I want to watch some banjo players and check out their technique!
@@temporarydimensionalconfusion no, i don't think my banjo problems had to do with my technique; it was the combination of age and tension. i played for money maybe fifty years.
I've explained it in a few ways to others. If you have seen the movie Ben Hur, during the sea battle scene, watch how the oars are moving on the Roman Trimarines. Your fingers should move like that! Another way is from an old tv commercial, (if you're old enough to remember dial phones) for the Yellow Pages. The jingle went, "Let your fingers do the walking through the Yellow Pages". "Walk" your fingers on the strings like that!
I must be blessed as I am self taught and have always finger picked in the correct way, it’s always just felt the right way, and most efficient way to do it.
I'm always jealous of stories like that, bc I was self-taught (first) and although everyone has different ideas of what the 'right way' is, I'm sure everyone would agree the way I taught myself was pretty terrible! But I do see people like you who play with good technique from self-taught because I think you're right the best way should also feel better, and so if you have good awareness and patience you might just get it naturally!
No, that’s a totally good question and basically I’d say yes! And even when I play on electric I do it the same way if I’m doing fingers. But I’m not putting any real power into it on electric, and then on steel string acoustic I can get a pretty good ‘flick’ feeling and tone that way. But if you can get used to using those closing muscles you’ll generally find you can play much more easily, which is kind of the main benefit, and then you can adapt it to different guitars or especially it might need to change if you’re doing a mute or some kind of special technique! But feels weird at first but just try the exercise a few days a few minutes here and there and it will already start to get more natural feeling!
I´m playing steel strings the same way. Never anchoring the pinkey, because it would not allow me to keep the fingers relaxed and straight. It worked for me for decades, without problems.
That helped me a lot too bc it shows you how it feels - and it’s not like you have to actually practice with the ball, but just do it a little ‘like that’ - cupping your hand (with least possible effort!) - just makes it feel more stable, and then your fingers are more automatically the right spacing to cover 3 strings!. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for sharing the knowledge, if it's ok to ask questions, there is still hope that I can learn not to put the pinky on the guitar while I'm doing the picking style because I'm used to it but it hurts
I always push for no pinky touching, and basically insist if it’s a classical student! But depends on your goals and everything! If it ain’t broke don’t fix it kind of thing! But I like this exercise bc you keep touching the strings the whole time which sort of gives you some of that sense of stability we are looking for with our pinky touching. And actually pinky touching is like the common technique for baroque guitar (bc strings are really close to soundboard, so it works more easily), so it’s not that crazy!
This is a very helpful explanation to avoid the “bicycling” type of movement when plucking the strings. I’ve noticed guitarists that look like their playing is effortless and it’s partly because they use your recommended technique! Can you also explain the best way to use thumb planting … I think it really helps to achieve good tone and accuracy! Thanks!
Here you go (I'm just considering it to be public domain, anyway): drive.google.com/file/d/1VYCzkG0yTxxmcDlEDLoTcYuuJX3WXpw-/view?usp=sharing That's funny bc I was just making it so my next one would have a link to my little theme song TAB, but I was thinking no one will probably ever look at it, but you've given me hope!
Hi, thanks for that, I edited out a bit where I was talking about that (bc I want to make a video about that too!) I’ve had nails most of the time for like 25 years so whenever I don’t have them it feels soooo weird to play now! But I do think it’s basically the same, and everyone likes to use Sor as an example of a guy who played like that with no nails…And I’ve seen teachers and books recommend to every so often get rid of the nails and work on the ‘pure’ strokes for a while and then you sort of try to shape your nails as they grow back so that the stroke doesn’t change but the nails just have that edge as the last surface that touches. Just see if you can find a little resistance and flick through it for the exercise! Thanks for great question!
Yes, if you can do that then that’s probably the best! Just hard if you already have a habit of sticking it out to ‘will’ it to stop! But some people just never stick it out and do what you say, and I wish I would have been like that!
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Been playing for 45 years. Finger picking has always been my weakest point. This might be a breakthrough for me. Thanks
Thanks for that, and I hope it helps!
The wrong (bent) finger movements can be avoided by starting with apoyando (rest stroke) instead of tirando, since in apoyando, you already use the right ligaments at the base of your fingers.
From there you can start playing chords with a separate bass stroke (with the p) follow by three simultaneous trebles (ima) as the first tirando attempt. You will see that you will automatically use the ligaments at the BASE of im and a, instead of bending in the middle of those three fingers.
I really like your explanation that uses the argument of a stronger, better tone by bending the right ligaments and keeping the other ones relatively straight.
Making the fingers i and m "walk" like a pair straight little legs in apoyando (rest stroke) is a good start for a powerful stroke. Then add the a.
Then go to tirando by playing the chords as described.
This is the technique I learned from John Griggs in Norfolk VA, starting in 1973. He had studied with Sophocles Papas, who worked with whom?
Quite good, but try to move the whole finger from the basic finger joint. Don‘t move from the second. And only give the finger an impulse rotating around the first joint then let loose. It will jump back in position by itself because the tension the impulse put in the system of sinews and muscles isn‘t held up anymore. The thumb? Just let it hang loose. If you want to play a note with it stretch it as a whole and let loose to have it fall on the string. Again the stretch puts tension into the system and when you let go you get the movement you need for the thumb to play the string. Got the principle? Be relaxed in your right hand, give short impulses, let the tension created do the job, and let your fingers fall back into relaxation. Do less, get more. And if that feels awkward in the beginning ….
Excellent! I stopped saying to not move from the other joints and more like they can do their natural share of the movement but should initiate and only try to consciously control what you’re talking about…. Thanks for the amazingly insightful comment!
banjo players always commented that i was playing 'wrong'. there were no banjo teachers when i started. my hand shape was similar to yours. i didn't plant my pinky. there seemed to be a fluidity and speed as well as sound that held me in good stead for a few decades. my hands are trash now unfortunately.
I’ve had some students who just ‘naturally’ do strokes more this way as well, and I’m always jealous bc I self-taught my strokes as a kid and then 20 years later worked with classical teachers to ‘fix’ it. But it’s basically the same idea as piano technique or violin in a way, bc even though hand position might seem so different, they basically say not to bend wrist too much, keep fingers arched and use closing muscles to initiate movements! But that’s a totally interesting point and now I want to watch some banjo players and check out their technique!
I don´t think it´s the reason for health problems with the hand. I´m fingerpicking the same way for decades without any problems.
@@temporarydimensionalconfusion no, i don't think my banjo problems had to do with my technique; it was the combination of age and tension. i played for money maybe fifty years.
I've explained it in a few ways to others. If you have seen the movie Ben Hur, during the sea battle scene, watch how the oars are moving on the Roman Trimarines. Your fingers should move like that! Another way is from an old tv commercial, (if you're old enough to remember dial phones) for the Yellow Pages. The jingle went, "Let your fingers do the walking through the Yellow Pages". "Walk" your fingers on the strings like that!
Yes, I totally remember that 'let your fingers do the walking' and that logo! and actually that's a good one!
I must be blessed as I am self taught and have always finger picked in the correct way, it’s always just felt the right way, and most efficient way to do it.
I'm always jealous of stories like that, bc I was self-taught (first) and although everyone has different ideas of what the 'right way' is, I'm sure everyone would agree the way I taught myself was pretty terrible! But I do see people like you who play with good technique from self-taught because I think you're right the best way should also feel better, and so if you have good awareness and patience you might just get it naturally!
big help knowledge...thank you very much
Thanks for that!
big help knowledge..thank you very much
Thank you!
A very good and clear explanation! Maybe a stupid question, but would you use the same technique on a steel stringed guitar?
No, that’s a totally good question and basically I’d say yes! And even when I play on electric I do it the same way if I’m doing fingers. But I’m not putting any real power into it on electric, and then on steel string acoustic I can get a pretty good ‘flick’ feeling and tone that way. But if you can get used to using those closing muscles you’ll generally find you can play much more easily, which is kind of the main benefit, and then you can adapt it to different guitars or especially it might need to change if you’re doing a mute or some kind of special technique! But feels weird at first but just try the exercise a few days a few minutes here and there and it will already start to get more natural feeling!
I´m playing steel strings the same way. Never anchoring the pinkey, because it would not allow me to keep the fingers relaxed and straight. It worked for me for decades, without problems.
Holding a ping pong ball, really works! Thank you.
That helped me a lot too bc it shows you how it feels - and it’s not like you have to actually practice with the ball, but just do it a little ‘like that’ - cupping your hand (with least possible effort!) - just makes it feel more stable, and then your fingers are more automatically the right spacing to cover 3 strings!. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for sharing the knowledge, if it's ok to ask questions, there is still hope that I can learn not to put the pinky on the guitar while I'm doing the picking style because I'm used to it but it hurts
I always push for no pinky touching, and basically insist if it’s a classical student! But depends on your goals and everything! If it ain’t broke don’t fix it kind of thing! But I like this exercise bc you keep touching the strings the whole time which sort of gives you some of that sense of stability we are looking for with our pinky touching. And actually pinky touching is like the common technique for baroque guitar (bc strings are really close to soundboard, so it works more easily), so it’s not that crazy!
@@fretboardIQ thank you so much 😊 for the advice
This is a very helpful explanation to avoid the “bicycling” type of movement when plucking the strings. I’ve noticed guitarists that look like their playing is effortless and it’s partly because they use your recommended technique! Can you also explain the best way to use thumb planting … I think it really helps to achieve good tone and accuracy! Thanks!
I am only Seconds in, but i need to ask: do we have a tab for your Intro? If so, how do I purchase it? ❤
Here you go (I'm just considering it to be public domain, anyway):
drive.google.com/file/d/1VYCzkG0yTxxmcDlEDLoTcYuuJX3WXpw-/view?usp=sharing
That's funny bc I was just making it so my next one would have a link to my little theme song TAB, but I was thinking no one will probably ever look at it, but you've given me hope!
Hi, do you play in the same way without fingernails😔?
Hi, thanks for that, I edited out a bit where I was talking about that (bc I want to make a video about that too!) I’ve had nails most of the time for like 25 years so whenever I don’t have them it feels soooo weird to play now! But I do think it’s basically the same, and everyone likes to use Sor as an example of a guy who played like that with no nails…And I’ve seen teachers and books recommend to every so often get rid of the nails and work on the ‘pure’ strokes for a while and then you sort of try to shape your nails as they grow back so that the stroke doesn’t change but the nails just have that edge as the last surface that touches. Just see if you can find a little resistance and flick through it for the exercise! Thanks for great question!
The pinky? Just forget it. Do nothing with it. Let it hang loose and never mind.
Yes, if you can do that then that’s probably the best! Just hard if you already have a habit of sticking it out to ‘will’ it to stop! But some people just never stick it out and do what you say, and I wish I would have been like that!
Thank you
Pleasure and thank you!