# Wanting to break into Acoustic finger style blues



## Dionysus (Aug 30, 2011)

Hey everyone, 

I have another question that I am hoping someone can help me out with. 

I've been a big fan of finger style Blues music (Robert Johnson, Lighting Hopkins, Muddy Waters, and Lead belly) and have tried on a couple of occasions to learn their some of their stuff. It only takes me a couple days of arduous labor with my Robert Johnson tab book to know that A) I am in over my head and B) I need to find a more gentle way of easing myself into this style of music. This type of music suits me for a variety of reasons (I've lost my job, I can't seem to be satisfied, and only own one 1 guitar: an acoustic) and I would surely die a contented man if I am able to secure this skill set. Please point me in the right direction and I would be eternally grateful! 

Thanks again, this site is awesome.


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## JCJ (Jan 3, 2008)

Hey. I suggest you start with a Travis-style approach. Your thumb and a finger (try the middle one). Spend 5 to 10 minutes every day playing quarter notes on the 6th string with your thumb. Use a G chord. Once you get a little more comfortable, start playing alternate thumb notes (G-6th string, D-4th string).
Depending on your level of development, you'll find the finger wanting to play with the 2nd and 4th beats (when you're thumb is on D-4th string). Use the finger on either the 3rd string (open G note) or the 2nd string (open B note or D note if you use that style of G chord).

After a while you will hear an entire style open up to you...and then you can add more fingers (some guys use only middle and ring fingers).

I wish I could show you, it would be less complicated than my text.

Good luck!


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

A great book for leaning fingerstyle is Hal Leonard's "Finger Picking Solos Method" which is an excellent resource, especially for learning Travis picking. Once you get the gist of Travis picking, you'll probably be ready to start into your Robert Johnson book. Another excellent book is "Traditional and Contemporary Fingerpicking Styles for Guitar" by Happy Traum. There's probably a ton of stuff on YouTube too. Look for stuff by Happy Traum or Stefan Grossman.

The key to the whole fingerstyle blues thing is to keep that alternating bass going with the thumb. Try just playing through the chord changes with the alternating thumb. Once the thumb is automatic, its a lot easier to add in the melody with the fingers.


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## Dionysus (Aug 30, 2011)

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll give it an earnest try.


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

Not to detract from the previous posters suggestions (which I agree with, btw), but I would like to remind you that none of those guys you mentioned were highly skilled or technical players. It all came from within. Ditch the tabs, or at least only use them as a point of reference, mellow down and play it like you think it should sound. Fingerstyle blues can get pretty complex, but those old blues guys you mentioned didn't know crap about music theory or probably even what notes they were playing half the time. They just played from the heart. Just relax and play, and then play some more. It'll come.

You sound like your in the right frame of mind for playin' the blues (hope things get better on the job front for you).
Good luck.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

Take all the suggestions from the previous posts. Add in a little of your own playing style (yes, you have one) and practice. I'm sure that some day, you will become the best guitar playing philosophic theologist in your neck of the woods. Did I say practice?


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## JCJ (Jan 3, 2008)

Dionysus said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> I have another question that I am hoping someone can help me out with.
> 
> ...




I wanted to add, that the artist's you mention often used open tunings, or tunings that were known only to them. Clapton mentioned somewhere that it took him most of his life to be able to really get inside the Robert Johnson style.
All of the responses here have been great. Some players learn best with tab, some with video demos, and some by just listening with headphones--and playing the song over and over again. Tommy Emmanuel is an example of a great player who learned using the latter method.
If you search youtube you'll probably find a number of sites that offer some basic fingerstyle techniques. One of our members here, Maplebaby, posts videos from time to time and really explain things well...


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## ed2000 (Feb 16, 2007)

In the 60's I bought a Peter, Paul and Mary songbook that had fairly accurate fingerpicking guitar parts. I learned Puff The Magic Dragon and felt it sounded good. The key is to get the alternating bass notes and play them until you no longer need to think about it. The idea is to get a feel of the tune, not necessarily copy note for note. Something else that may have helped me is that for a few years I learned to play the 5 string banjo. Throw away your pick and be forced to pick with your fingers and thumb (it's actually 5 picks at the end of your hand)


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