INTRODUCTION
Progressive Folk Fingerpicking Guitar Method teaches all the popular left and right hand techniques used in traditional and contemporary Folk fingerpicking guitar. The most common Folk progressions are combined with right hand fingerpicking Folk styles such as the Bass Strum Thumb style, Alternating Thumb style and the Arpeggio style.
As you work your way through the book the progressions and basic fingerpicking styles are expanded upon with the introduction of many left hand and right hand techniques. You will learn how to choose a fingerpicking pattern to accompany a song and also how to incorporate a melody into a fingerpicking pattern. The final lessons in the book include several advanced arrangements of popular Folk songs including some Folk fingerpicking solos that make use of all the techniques that were introduced throughout the book. Many appendices are included at the back of the book covering the rudiments of music, scales and keys.
It will be helpful to already have a basic knowledge of guitar before you tackle the examples in this book.
All examples are available as free online audio and are fun to play as well as being authentic and informative. At the completion of this book you will have a thorough knowledge of fingerpicking Folk guitar and will be able to make some great sounds in a fairly short time.
Electronic Tuner
The easiest and most accurate way to tune your guitar is by using an electronic tuner. An electronic tuner allows you to tune each string individually to the tuner, by indicating whether the notes are sharp (too high) or flat (too low). If you have an electric guitar you can plug it directly in to the tuner. If you have an acoustic guitar, the tuner will have an inbuilt microphone.
There are several types of electronic guitar tuners but most are relatively inexpensive and simple to operate.
Tuning using other methods is difficult for beginning guitarists and it takes many months to master, so we recommend you purchase an electronic tuner, particularly if you do not have a guitar teacher or a friend who can tune it for you. Also if your guitar is way out of tune you can always take it to your local music store so they can tune it for you. Once a guitar has been tuned correctly it should only need minor adjustments before each practice session.
