Looking for Technical help with fingerpicking fingerings

sopher · Jun 17, 2016

Hi,

I'm working on a Rob MacKillop fingerpicking piece and I'm a little uncertain about the left hand fingering (I'm left-handed). I put it into Guitar Pro and assigned the fingerings I think are best, but they will require me to practice them so I would like somebody more experienced to look at them first before I start. I realize fingerings are somewhat a matter of taste but I am naturally inclined to use the same finger/thumb for multiple consecutive notes, which is clearly not optimum. I'm always a little uncertain when to switch to thumb/index/thumb/index. So I'd like to practice a better set of fingerings and would like some feedback before I commit them to "muscle memory". Details include that I normally use Thumb, Index and Middle fingers only.

If any knowledgeable but flexible person (who won't insist I use my ring finger, for instance) would be willing to advise me, I will email a copy of the piece with my preliminary fingerings. Since it is a commercial piece by Rob, I do not want to make it publicly available, so I'm not looking for a bunch of people.

Thanks for your consideration.

sopher

Nickie · Jun 17, 2016

I'm certainly no pro at fingerpicking, but that is my greatest joy. I started out just using thumb and forefinger. Then I added the next two fingers. As I use my thumb and 3 fingers, I find my range of picking patterns expanded. I use my pinky as a rest, but I think I need to stop doing that.
I play right handed (I'm ambidextrous) because it's just easier than swapping the uke around.
I'd like to try my hand at helping you, I'll PM my email address.

Camsuke · Jun 17, 2016

Hi Sopher,

If you send me a PM with your contact details, I'll be happy to work on your GP6 file, list the suggested fingerings and then return it.

sopher · Jun 17, 2016

Camsuke said:
Hi Sopher,

If you send me a PM with your contact details, I'll be happy to work on your GP6 file, list the suggested fingerings and then return it.

Campbell, I had forgotten it was you who sent me the extremely lovely arrangement of Falling Slowly last year, so that I could adapt it for (re-entrant) baritone. I have an email from that and I have sent the piece along. If you don't get it PM me with a more current email and I'll try again.

Thanks very much for looking at this. FYI for lurkers, I have a lot of trouble hitting the 2nd string cleanly with my thumb in a run, as an example, so I'm looking at what the standard fingerings are. It probably just means I need to practice, but I sometimes miss obvious things and thought I'd get some advice. When I look at John King stuff, for instance, I sometimes look at his indicated fingerings and think, "Wow, that's so much more efficient than what I would have come up with" so I'm hoping that's true here also.

thanks again to this very friendly group

sopher

stevepetergal · Jun 17, 2016

The rule is thumb for strings 3 and 4, index for string 2, and middle for string 1. The best advise is follow the rule as much as you possibly can, if not always. When first learning, the rules are most important. Learn the basics.

The whole "Do what works for you" is excellent advice for experts who have mastered the rules.

sopher · Jun 17, 2016

I thought the other "rule of thumb" (I see what you did there! '-) was to alternate fingers as it makes for smoother runs, especially fast. I can play a single note melody as thumb-index-thumb-index, etc, but I am always a little confused about when to switch over to that.

As an example, say there are runs that are string 4,3,2,1 then repeated - would you use thumb for 4 and 3 (2 consecutive notes)? In the past I have approached this as thumb-index-thumb-index, or thumb-index-thumb-middle as it seems smoother and quicker. Also, if the run is strings 4,3,2,4, then I usually go thumb-index-middle-thumb, as an example, so moving index and middle down 1 string

Camsuke · Jun 18, 2016

sopher said:
Hi,

I'm working on a Rob MacKillop fingerpicking piece and I'm a little uncertain about the left hand fingering (I'm left-handed). I put it into Guitar Pro and assigned the fingerings I think are best, but they will require me to practice them so I would like somebody more experienced to look at them first before I start. I realize fingerings are somewhat a matter of taste but I am naturally inclined to use the same finger/thumb for multiple consecutive notes, which is clearly not optimum. I'm always a little uncertain when to switch to thumb/index/thumb/index. So I'd like to practice a better set of fingerings and would like some feedback before I commit them to "muscle memory". Details include that I normally use Thumb, Index and Middle fingers only.

If any knowledgeable but flexible person (who won't insist I use my ring finger, for instance) would be willing to advise me, I will email a copy of the piece with my preliminary fingerings. Since it is a commercial piece by Rob, I do not want to make it publicly available, so I'm not looking for a bunch of people.

Thanks for your consideration.

sopher

Hi Dennis,

It's all done and travelling towards you right now.

RobMacKillop · Jan 3, 2022

For the record, I have two main RH fingerings: thumb index middle ring, or thumb thumb index middle. Sometimes I alternate thumb and index.

Looking for Technical help with fingerpicking fingerings

sopher

Well-known member

Nickie

Well-known member

Camsuke

Well-known member

sopher

Well-known member

stevepetergal

Well-known member

sopher

Well-known member

Camsuke

Well-known member

RobMacKillop

Well-known member

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