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View Full Version : Videos and Books for Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitar - PLEASE HELP!!


pfizer
08-20-2007, 05:26 PM
Hey guys, haven't posted here in a while but I really need some help.

My friend and I just started a new concept for a band in which one of us does lead guitar with electric while the other does rhythm playing using acoustic fingerstyle technique. We've both been trying to "shred" for the past few months now but I myself have been playing guitar for a little over over 5 years now. I've mostly been using a pick to play but I can already play the following songs using a rough kind of fingerpicking:

- Neon by John Mayer - weird technique; I personally haven't seen any other song with this technique
- Intro to Bouree in E Minor by Bach - just kinda made up my own technique here; I only use my thumb, index and middle fingers to pick
- One Last Breath by Creed - I'm not all that fond of the band but Mark Tremonti is still an impressive player. Again, I just kinda made up my own fingerpicking technique with this.

I'm currently trying to learn "Windy n' Warm" by Chet Atkins and whenever I get my courage up, I make attempts on learning "Low C" by Erick Turnbull. When I feel real good or am drunk enough, I try and practice "Drifting" by Andy Mckee. It's about this time when I start thinking, "Man, there's gotta be a better way to learn this..." :(

So, if you've skipped through that entire rant, here's what I wanna learn:
- Fingerstyle basics (techniques and theory)
- Improvisation with fingerstyle
- The crazier stuff aka double handed tapping, percussive playing, sounding almost like an entire band.....:eek: (Andy Mckee, Michael Hedges and Preston Reed come to mind)

I'm thinking of getting the hyped-up guitar course known here as Learn and Master Guitar because I believe it covers fingerstyle basics. Can anyone suggest any other videos or books that I can use as supplements?


P.S - I am well aware that learning from a teacher is the best instruction I can get. But where I live (Ilocos, that's in the Northern part of the Philippines; kinda like your American mountain ranges but with less people.) it's hard enough getting access to the Internet which is why I haven't posted in a while. Trying to get a teacher is harder. Trying to get a teacher who can actually TEACH is damn near impossible. Going to said teacher for regular weekly lessons while simultaneously trying to earn a degree in Nursing Arts IS IMPOSSIBLE. So, again, videos and books guys. Ok? :D

forgottenking2
08-20-2007, 09:30 PM
Pumping Nylon is a good classical technique book. The extent of my finger style technique is the classical pima stuff. But you said you wanted the basics and I think that's a good place to start. Beyond that I don't really know any book or video that can help you. Maybe if you do a search in Amazon.com .

Stay away from the "Mastering Guitar" thing. Most of those online courses are overpriced even those that do teach you something. Go ahead and get a couple of books and work through them. There was a book on crazy Travis Picking stuff but I can't think of it. (do a search on Amazon again key words: Travis Picking). Other than that, keep learning songs.

Maybe others that do a bit more folksy stuff will help.

Good luck.