10-Second Tip (The Bass Guitarist Fingerpicking Trick)

Welcome to your Friday 10-second tip.

If you’re a fingerpicker, this will be handy.

It’s all about alternating the index and middle fingers as if you were a bass guitarist.

 

You see bass guitarists who don’t use a pick, generally alternate their index and middle fingers when plucking.

It’s a really useful technique that allows for fluid, fast plucking, especially when staying on the same string.

This alternating index and middle finger technique is super useful when you play melodies on guitar where you stay on the same string.

(This is a different technique to when playing fingerpicking patterns, by the way.)

 

It’s well worth practising. To do so, you can try this:

• Pluck a string (let’s say the open G string) with the index finger
• Pluck it again, but this time with the middle finger
• Alternate them 10x ensuring the tone and volume with each finger is even

 

When that sounds good, do the same on fret 2 of the G string, then fret 4, etc. You can even work your way up to fret 12 playing the G Major scale if you like.

This is a simple way of getting started with this technique while helping to make your picking hand fingers nimbler.

It’s actually a classical guitar technique, but that’s a surprising similarity with classical guitar and bass guitar for you there…

Anyway, give it a go.

 

If you want more specifics on this technique, and you want to put it to use in a fun song right away, take a look at the Tom Dooley Mini Masterclass course…

It’s on offer for a few more days and you can check it out below…

Listen to and find out more about the Tom Dooley Mini Masterclass

 

Have a great Friday!

Dan Thorpe

Guitar Domination

 

P.S. You can apply this technique in minutes to the song in the course giving you something fun to play on guitar today.

 

P.P.S. This post was originally taken from Dan Thorpe’s private email list. To get blog posts like this sent to you which are full of great tips to make fingerpicking, strumming, and learning guitar more enjoyable (especially if you are over 40) join Dan’s list. It’s 100% free, HERE.