When you fingerpick, you do not strum all the strings together but play them one after another. It sounds calm and a little like a harp – perfect for slow songs and lullabies. Your fretting hand simply holds ordinary chords.
One finger per string
- Thumb → G string
- Index finger → C string
- Middle finger → E string
- Ring finger → A string
That way your hand hardly has to move. The thumb plucks downwards; the other fingers pull their string gently up towards your palm. Your hand hovers loosely over the strings, roughly where the neck meets the body.
Three patterns to start with
- The harp (4/4): G – C – E – A, that is thumb, index, middle, ring. Thanks to the high G it sounds like a little chime.
- There and back (4/4): C – E – A – E. Count evenly in eighth notes: “1 and 2 and …”. Works nicely for Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.
- Waltz (3/4): first the thumb on the C string, then middle and ring finger together on E and A, twice: “boom – chick – chick”. Ideal for Oh My Darling, Clementine.
Picking patterns are often written as tabs. Learn how to read them in reading tabs. What 4/4 and 3/4 mean is explained in time signatures.
Common stumbling blocks
- Your hand bounces up with every note. Keep it still – only the fingers move.
- Plucking too hard so the string slaps the frets. A gentle pull is enough.
- The pattern stops at every chord change. Practise the change on its own first, without picking.