How to figure out picking patterns by watching videos?

MassPrimeSyndicate

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I have been trying to learn the song Riptide. Their are plenty of tutorials online, but none have really had the same sound unitll I watched this one with awesome fingerpicking (link below. Skip to 1:09 for picking part). But I can't find tabs anywhere! Learning how to decipher fingerpicking patterns would be useful not only for this song but for other videos. Does anyone have any tips or useful ways to figure out the pattern by just watching the video? I try to make it full screen and set it to HD, but I still can't figure it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ5Qq47B3JU
 
Wow ... doesn't she sound like Emily Barker!! Must be an Australian style :)

As for the picking pattern, it's just a slightly syncopated arpeggio ... assuming you've got the chord sequences sorted for the left hand ... she appears to pick - the first string with the 3rd finger, 2nd string second finger, third string first finger, then the thumb slightly off beat. That sequence is combined with a few three-finger chords (top three strings all plucked at the same time) followed by the thumb string. Sounds easy if you say it quickly, but there's a lot of careful timing in her playing which gives the interesting sound ... very nice :)

For the "how to figure out what she's doing" question ... for me, it's just practice. I spent several evenings a week for years around folk clubs and coffee bars in the late '60's and early '70's just watching and listening (and playing a bit). Initially, if possible, I'd position myself so's I had best view,, eventually I could get most of it just by being close enough to see most of the playing. That's not to say I ever got good enough to emulate a lot of the players I was watching, but at least I knew where I was going wrong ;) We didn't have YouTube tutorials in those days and sheet music was expensive, even if it was available, so most stuff was learnt "hand to mouth" with small groups of friends in back rooms and bedrooms ... good times :)
 
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Thanks a lot! Gonna practice it for an island campout i'm planning on having with a couple of friends! ;)
 
As kypfer pointed out, have to practice. Strumming is a skill in and of itself. Here are some tutorials on the matter. Learn them and it will be easier to recognize what someone else is doing. Personally, I don't worry too much about the "exact strum" that someone else is doing much. I get the beat and feel I want for the song. Try these: http://ukulelehunt.com/2011/06/29/ukulele-strumming-patterns/
 
As kypfer pointed out, have to practice. Strumming is a skill in and of itself. Here are some tutorials on the matter. Learn them and it will be easier to recognize what someone else is doing. Personally, I don't worry too much about the "exact strum" that someone else is doing much. I get the beat and feel I want for the song. Try these: http://ukulelehunt.com/2011/06/29/ukulele-strumming-patterns/

Thanks for the response, but I was talking about the fingerpicking pattern. I got the strumming patterns down, but fingerpicking pattern are something that I need help figuring out. Once I learn the pattern it's in, I can play it really well.
 
Wow ... doesn't she sound like Emily Barker!! Must be an Australian style :)

As for the picking pattern, it's just a slightly syncopated arpeggio ... assuming you've got the chord sequences sorted for the left hand ... she appears to pick - the first string with the 3rd finger, 2nd string second finger, third string first finger, then the thumb slightly off beat. That sequence is combined with a few three-finger chords (top three strings all plucked at the same time) followed by the thumb string. Sounds easy if you say it quickly, but there's a lot of careful timing in her playing which gives the interesting sound ... very nice :)

For the "how to figure out what she's doing" question ... for me, it's just practice. I spent several evenings a week for years around folk clubs and coffee bars in the late '60's and early '70's just watching and listening (and playing a bit). Initially, if possible, I'd position myself so's I had best view,, eventually I could get most of it just by being close enough to see most of the playing. That's not to say I ever got good enough to emulate a lot of the players I was watching, but at least I knew where I was going wrong ;) We didn't have YouTube tutorials in those days and sheet music was expensive, even if it was available, so most stuff was learnt "hand to mouth" with small groups of friends in back rooms and bedrooms ... good times :)

Oh yeah, I also have another question concerning the pattern in the picking pattern. What strings does she pluck in what order?I obvouisly havent practiced enough :). I know it's a lot to ask, but would be much appreciated.
 
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What strings does she pluck in what order?
... I see it as I write it, my friend ...

she appears to pick - the first string with the 3rd finger, 2nd string second finger, third string first finger, then the thumb slightly off beat. That sequence is combined with a few three-finger chords (top three strings all plucked at the same time) followed by the thumb string.

There may be the occaisional note that doesn't quite fit that sequence, but that's how it looks to me ... simple, but all in the timing !!
 
I have been trying to learn the song Riptide. Their are plenty of tutorials online, but none have really had the same sound unitll I watched this one with awesome fingerpicking (link below. Skip to 1:09 for picking part). But I can't find tabs anywhere! Learning how to decipher fingerpicking patterns would be useful not only for this song but for other videos. Does anyone have any tips or useful ways to figure out the pattern by just watching the video? I try to make it full screen and set it to HD, but I still can't figure it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ5Qq47B3JU

This may help you out a bit from 4min 24. Not sure if it the same as young lady is playing.
http://youtu.be/UFBFp6do9WE
 
... I see it as I write it, my friend ...

she appears to pick - the first string with the 3rd finger, 2nd string second finger, third string first finger, then the thumb slightly off beat. That sequence is combined with a few three-finger chords (top three strings all plucked at the same time) followed by the thumb string.

There may be the occaisional note that doesn't quite fit that sequence, but that's how it looks to me ... simple, but all in the timing !!

I guess I didn't quite understand what you were saying before, but I got it now. :)
 
Thanks for the response, but I was talking about the fingerpicking pattern. I got the strumming patterns down, but fingerpicking pattern are something that I need help figuring out. Once I learn the pattern it's in, I can play it really well.

Sorry, once again my aging brain headed in the wrong direction
 
I believe you can download software that allows you to slow down videos without changing the pitch. If you can find that software (I don't know what it's called, and I imagine there's more than one), download the YouTube video, and run it through the software, you can follow along at a slower speed and work your way to the speed in the video.
 
This post might sound flippant but I assure you that's not my intent.

Why don't you ask her? She doesn't seem to respond to youtube comments (wise) but she is on a lot of social media. I suspect you may be able to reach out to her.

Good luck and thanks for the post, I too really like what she does with this song.
 
Pretty good 'ciphering, guys. I stick to learning from tutorial videos, cause I'm not far enough along to watch someone I don't know play something at normal speed and duplicate it. I do better learning from someone sitting in front of me, but I know that is seldom avaialbe to us. Seems it would take a long time to figure out a song this way, but if you can do it, power to ya! I wish I had more time to play.....SIGH....oh well, this seems a viable way to learn, when I am more practiced and talented.
 
One thing to try is to use a downloader app and then play it back in VLC or some other player capable of playing at slower speed. If you are a visual learner and can work out the picking pattern better by watching then slowing it down seems like a good approach because the pattern tends to repeat over and over. This would be similar to using the Amazing Slow Downer or some other tool which slows down audio files while preserving pitch.
 
Thanks everybody for the suggestions. I just asked her on instagram if she could share the pattern, and i'm gonna do the downloader thing that librainian and mds725 suggested.

"Without wanting to detract in any manner from the performance of the young lady in the original link ... might I suggest that if you liked that you might want to listen to Emily Barker playing "Nostalgia" with her acoustic guitar, it really is very pleasant (and possibly adaptable to the ukulele) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJIoLA3CjgE ... she does a tutorial here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IocVd00asxI"


Thanks for the artist suggestion! I'll look into her!
 
It's worth looking up fingerpicking tutorial videos for guitar. Obviously with the two extra [bass] strings there will be differences, but the basic techniques can be adapted to ukulele quite readily. A lot of folk use variants on Travis picking which is a fairly straightforward technique. That's what I did and played around with it on and off for a while and have eventually come up with my own variant which works for me.

I don't believe in exactly replicating how someone else does a song but there's no harm in finding out what basic techniques they use.
 
It's worth looking up fingerpicking tutorial videos for guitar. Obviously with the two extra [bass] strings there will be differences, but the basic techniques can be adapted to ukulele quite readily. A lot of folk use variants on Travis picking which is a fairly straightforward technique. That's what I did and played around with it on and off for a while and have eventually come up with my own variant which works for me.

I don't believe in exactly replicating how someone else does a song but there's no harm in finding out what basic techniques they use.

Please may I congratulate you you on your perspicacity and great sense...A breath of fresh air.....
 
Please may I congratulate you you on your perspicacity and great sense...A breath of fresh air.....

Thank you. The advice I was given when I started in the folk music world (which is what I mainly sing) was "Make the song your own" and I try to pass that on.

OTOH, there's Tom Lehrer's classic advice: "If in doubt, plagiarise" :biglaugh:

Edit. I should correct that last statement it was "If at first you don't succeed, plagiarise". Same difference. :)
 
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