I am trying to learn the song “I Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis to play for my wife (it was our wedding song and, full disclosure, as many others who have gone before me, I am learning to play the guitar -not just for personal enrichment and growth- no…but to appear more sexy-lol). I know these chords but it appears to be a bit more advanced for me because I have only learned the fingering of thumb doing the root note, then index, ring, and pinky pick the three thinnest strings. So, thumb plucks the root note (which moves about on the three thickest strings depending on the chord) then the fingers pluck 3-2-1-2-3. I understand that there are nearly limitless options here and I looked at a playthrough on Youtube and said “yeah, lots of other stuff going on there.” and went back to work on open chord strumming and transitioning for now. No worries friends. We don’t to panic right away. I have some time to learn. She already married me and had three kids with me, so I am guessing that I am sexy enough for her. However, I am starting to get older and need to start learning better.
I also did this with the recently added Donovan song “Catch the Wind” I listened to the song for the tune/strum and was like “Wait, are there two guitars playing?” And I had to watch an old black and white video from the 60’s. Nope, it is just one guy up there playing and singing, just one dude on a stage with two of those giant old metal microphones, one for his face and one for the sound hole on his guitar. I can’t begin to express how impressed that I was. As I learn more, I realize that I know a lot less than I thought that I did. I want so badly to be able to make my guitar do this and wonder how long it takes until I should start approaching learning that sort of technique? I don’t want to interrupt my current training but am wondering if this is something that we learn much further than the beginning grade?
Thanks and I hope that you all have a great weekend!
Hey Richard, congratulations on being sexy enough already
Justin does teach a good few picking patterns as the modules progress.
What I find is that eventually, you’ll develop your own based (maybe) loosely on the ones you’ve learnt before.
When first learning, it’s worth while having a go verbatim but songs are much easier to play and remember if you are comfortable with the picking pattern and can reproduce without thinking about it too much, sounds much more natural too.
I can’t remember the video I saw but it was very fancy. I did look at Justin’s. In the spirit of innovation, I played around with his a little and wound up being lazy and just adjusting the pattern he is using and moved all the finger played strings up one to the 2nd 3rd and 4th strings with the exception on Dm since its root note needs to be moved down. I think that it sounds better that way so I am doing it that way for now. Eventually, I will fluff it up with some more interesting plucking. I am continuing to learn it this way for the experience and in the hopes that learning this easy pattern will make more difficult pattern less challenging, when I get there.
I look forward to taking on the challenge of splitting plucking base notes and strumming. It sounds so cool when it is done right.
I was lucky that she found me to be adequate enough. Now the trick is to hold on to her.
I agree with your statement about developing your own strums/picking patterns as I have already found that my strumming is getting a bit more comfortable and involved in the songs that I am enjoying and my strumming naturally changes during the song. I am not always following the strum of the original song but it sounds good when I get comfortable and just "speak
Sounds like I will progress into learning soon. I am lingering in the second grade as I consolidate my lessons learned.
When the time comes, I will take your advoce and learn verbatim then adjust as I get more comfortable with that I will develop my own picking/strumming and play it in “my own voice” so to speak.
Hello Richard, I love finger picking, and although I hadn’t come across this technique so far in Justins course, that doesn’t hinder me to use it .
When learning a new picking pattern, I start by only focussing on my picking hand (muting the strings), and practicing it very slowly over and over again. When my fingers know what to do, I slowly add my fretting hand, and eventually speed it up. For my latest song, this process took about a month or even a bit longer. (No singing included - this was about another month.)
It is so rewarding . I wish you lots of fun with it .
Fingerstyle is so intimidating to me but so beautiful that I am willing to put in the work. I just need to remember to keep concentrating on what I need to do to advance my current grades.
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. I wish you lots of fun with it 
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