Am I doing it wrong?

Ah, ok, thanks Unimogbert. I think it'll be easier to restart the pattern but will have to listen closely to the song to see if that's what he does. It's 2+5 3 4 1+5 2 3 2+6 1 2 3 4+6 2 3 4, so while it's not difficult to play it is longish and was sounding strange when I tried to change chords in the middle (maybe my fault) :oops:

I don't have a guitar in my lap to try that with but it looks really complicated on my screen. If you're doing that smoothly then you don't need any of my picking advice! :-)

I don't know where you're getting your fingering and all but beware of internet tabs. They often have mistakes or unplayable notation. For many songs the fact that you can do a smooth pattern can be sufficient. You don't have to duplicate the artist- you are playing a song and you are playing it with your own style. People understand that.

The fact of fingerpicking will amaze and delight them. They don't need to know that you are using a fairly simple pattern. If you change it up even a tiny little bit they won't recognize that you're playing a pattern.
If the original artist played it flatpick strumming and you play it fingerpicking pattern it might sound even better!
(At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it)

Now get in there and learn a song or two from start to finish and make your girlfriend happy!

I had another total newbie question about fingerpicking - if you are following a picking pattern and the chord changes, do you restart the pattern, or just continue from where you were?

I really appreciate all the help!

"Help" is why we're all here! Glad to hear things are going well.

In regard to this question, in addition to what the pattern actually is, it's also a matter of "where" on the beat the chord change falls. For instance, if your pattern is for four beats and you've got a measure that has two beats of one chord and then two beats of another, you can restart the pattern for each chord change. But you can also make the chord change mid-pattern. That may be a little advanced for you as of right now, but the ability to do so will come faster than you think.

Looking forward to more progress reports.

Peace

I play Guitar 1 on Boccerini's "Introduction and Fandango" for the Essex Guitar Orchestra - I have to change chord mid-rasgueado and keep the pattern going. Being able to start the pattern again would be a luxury; I'm usually a gibbering wreck when we've finished.

A :-)

I don't have a guitar in my lap to try that with but it looks really complicated on my screen. If you're doing that smoothly then you don't need any of my picking advice! :-)

I don't know where you're getting your fingering and all but beware of internet tabs. They often have mistakes or unplayable notation. For many songs the fact that you can do a smooth pattern can be sufficient. You don't have to duplicate the artist- you are playing a song and you are playing it with your own style.

Oh no, I need all the advice I can get! That pattern looks complicated but it's really just four 'pinches' of a bass string and high string with the two strings above the high string played afterward (except for the end of the pattern, which is just two 'runs' up the strings, 1 2 3 and 2 3 4.) It also helps that the tempo is molasses slow.

I get what you are saying about the tabs, I got this from the easy song database and playing it that way definitely gives the feeling of the song but when you listen to it, you can tell that he mixes it up and doesn't just repeat the pattern http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKGHkBComjM . I love the song, it's so sweet and folksy and the lyrics are great.

In regard to this question, in addition to what the pattern actually is, it's also a matter of "where" on the beat the chord change falls. For instance, if your pattern is for four beats and you've got a measure that has two beats of one chord and then two beats of another, you can restart the pattern for each chord change. But you can also make the chord change mid-pattern. That may be a little advanced for you as of right now, but the ability to do so will come faster than you think.

Looking forward to more progress reports.

Peace

Thanks David, that makes sense and you are right, it may be more advanced then I can handle right now :lol: I'll try to mix it up and see what happens. I haven't seen the music for the piece, but it sounds to me like it is 4/4 in this fashion 2+5Q 3E 4E 1+5Q 2E 3E bar 2+6Q 1E 2E 3Q 4+6E 2E bar 3Q 4E - but that leaves me with either too many, or not enough notes... :( hmm, maybe I need to do some more research

Don't forget that each measure doesn't have to be full of eighth notes. Pickers aren't machines and will sometimes drop a stroke here and there or, conversely, cram an extra sixteenth note in as well, particularly with hammer-ons and pull-offs. Focus on the actual beat whenever you can. It will almost always guide you to something very close to the pattern being used, if not the actual one.

Peace

I play Guitar 1 on Boccerini's "Introduction and Fandango" for the Essex Guitar Orchestra - I have to change chord mid-rasgueado and keep the pattern going. Being able to start the pattern again would be a luxury; I'm usually a gibbering wreck when we've finished.

A :-)

Wow, that must be tough! I don't even know what a rasguedo is! I'll have to look up that piece to see what it's like. :)

No!!! Don't!!!! Ahhhhh!!!

It'll make you feel really bad. Don't look. You'll be scarred for life!
Some things are better left for much, much later.

(and that's one technique I'll probably leave for my next life!)
="Melander
Wow, that must be tough! I don't even know what a rasguedo is! I'll have to look up that piece to see what it's like. :)

Your not doing anything wrong my friend but the fun part is when you start pushing yourself to try harder songs. It'll get frustrating but all the hard work you've put into the basics will definitely help. Enjoy your playing!

Your not doing anything wrong my friend but the fun part is when you start pushing yourself to try harder songs. It'll get frustrating but all the hard work you've put into the basics will definitely help. Enjoy your playing!

Thanks! I'm not frustrated yet, I'm trying to have a mellow attitude towards my capabilities. They are absolutely terrible, but I believe that if I just keep at it, keep on trying, I will improve until someday, someone will enjoy hearing me play :)

I've just started my third month with the guitar, and I have noticed much improvement this month. I am starting to get a 'feel' for the fretboard and can play some riffs without staring at my fingers.

I think I need to find some more slow-paced songs to work on.