Build Fingerpicking Skills Fast With These Beginner Friendly Exercises
by Simon Candy
Ready to start fingerpicking guitar?
This video is perfect for beginners looking to develop thumb and finger independence, a crucial skill for fingerpicking. Using a step-by-step method, we’ll break it down into simple, approachable exercises that make learning fingerpicking easier than ever.
Starting with the basics, you’ll build solid technique, giving you the confidence to play the songs you love with ease.
You learn:
• Essential picking hand exercises for thumb and finger independence
• How to develop great fingerpicking technique using a step-by-step method
• Techniques for improving coordination and control
• The foundational skills needed to fingerpick your favourite songs
• A gradual progression to help you build confidence, speed and fluency
Watch the video below to learn more:
Fingerpicking Drills & Exercises
Below are the drills and exercises covered in the video above. Be sure to watch the video for detailed explanations, demonstrations, and playthroughs.
• Drill 1
In this first drill, you are playing notes on the beat with the steady bass:
• Drill 2
In the second drill, you are playing notes on and off the beat with the steady bass:
• Drill 3
In the third drill, you are playing notes on the offbeat with the steady bass:
• Fingerpicking Blues: Steady Bass
The following is a simple arrangement of an 8 bar blues in E, with notes on and off the beat across a steady bass:
• Drill 4
In this first drill, you are playing notes on the beat with the alternating bass:
• Drill 5
In the second drill, you are playing notes on and off the beat with the alternating bass:
• Drill 6
In the third drill, you are playing notes on the offbeat with the alternating bass:
• Fingerpicking Blues: Alternating Bass
The following is a simple arrangement of an 8 bar blues in E, with notes on and off the beat across an alternating bass:
Learn how to fingerpick from the ground up with my beginner fingerstyle guitar lesson program