Finger Picking

Let’s focus on alternating our bass line on the lowest strings. Use the metronome and play a quarter note one note on each beat. Count aloud as you play 1-2-3-4.

   p p p p   p p p p   p p p p   p p p p 
E-----------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------
D-----------------------------------------
A----2---2-----2---2-----2---2-----2---2--
E--0---0-----0---0-----0---0-----0---0----
   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4

Try different combinations.
   p p p p   p p p p   p p p p   p p p p 
E-----------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------
D-----------------------------------------
A------2---------2---------2---------2----
E--0-0---0---0-0---0---0-0---0---0-0---0--
   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4

   p p p p   p p p p   p p p p   p p p p 
E-----------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------
D-----------------------------------------
A--------2---------2---------2---------2--
E--0-0-0-----0-0-0-----0-0-0-----0-0-0----
   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4

Now try the same exercises on the A and D strings. Focus on rhythm and picking the notes cleanly.
   p p p p   p p p p   p p p p   p p p p 
E-----------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------
D----2---2-----2---2-----2---2-----2---2--
A--0---0-----0---0-----0---0-----0---0----
E-----------------------------------------
   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4

Try the other combinations as well.
   p p p p   p p p p   p p p p   p p p p 
E-----------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------
D------2---------2---------2---------2----
A--0-0---0---0-0---0---0-0---0---0-0---0--
E-----------------------------------------
   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4

   p p p p   p p p p   p p p p   p p p p 
E-----------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------
D---------2---------2---------2--------2--
A--0-0-0-----0-0-0-----0-0-0-----0-0-0----
E-----------------------------------------
   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4

Now we need to work on string skipping with your thumb. 
   p p p p   p p p p   p p p p   p p p p 
E-----------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------
D----0---0-----0---0-----0---0-----0---0--
A-----------------------------------------
E--3---3-----3---3-----3---3-----3---3----
   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4

Now we will mix in the A string as well.
   p p p p   p p p p   p p p p   p p p p 
E-----------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------
D----0---0-----0---0-----0---0-----0---0--
A------2---------2---------2---------2----
E--3---------3---------3---------3--------
   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4

Finger Picking – Alternating Bass

Explore More

Triads – Major Inversions

Holding the Guitar