Guitar Thumb & Fingerpickin' Page

This is the old but not forgotten Epiphone.



Yes, that's a (sigh) flatpick holder next to the switch.

Interested in fingerstyle guitar? Try this little riff, master it well and you will start to sound like Chet. Use a thumbpick and play the D and low-E strings with the thumb and play the G string with the index finger. I use this in my practice and warmups. Try resting the heel of your right hand lightly on the lower strings near the bridge to get a thump sound.

Did you cheat and use a finger instead of your thumb on the D string? If you did then you're not "thumbpickin". So, get a thumb pick and learn to play this very versatile and fun way to enjoy your guitar. You've just had your first finger style lesson. Keep checking back, I will be adding more riffs to this site.

Stuck with open chords or just sliding a chord position up and down the neck? There are 3 chord inversions that allow you to play rhythm anywhere on the fretboard. One is called "The Big Stretch" and you just played it. It is the first 3 notes in the riff above. The others are there too, can you find them? Practicing the big stretch pulls your hand into the correct position for faster playing automatically.

Why all this thumbwork? Well, in thumbstyle, you are playing the rhythm too. And yes, the riff can be played with a flat pick. Just use the "bird" finger instead of the index. But doesn't that defeat the whole idea? This is one place where being "all thumbs" helps - lol

As you practice this, you will find your thumb growing bigger and bigger and maybe one day your thumb will be as big as Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, Lenny Breau, Joe Pass, Jerry Reed, Thom Bresh, Mark Knopfler, Paul Yandell.....the list goes on and on and yep they are all thumbpickers. There are many clubs where you can get excellent info and I will have links to them soon. You will find some awesome players in them to answer your questions and you can hear some of their work also.