Learn
Fingerpicking Basics
Give each picking finger a string, then build a clean and steady repeating pattern.
Give each finger a starting string
PIMA names the picking-hand fingers. For this exercise, use p on G, i on C, m on E, and a on A.
This assignment follows string position, not pitch. In standard high-G tuning, the G string is not the lowest-sounding string. The same finger labels still give your hand a simple starting position. This is one starting pattern; other arrangements assign fingers to strings differently.
Set a relaxed hand position
- Let your thumb rest near the G string and curve your fingers toward the other strings.
- Keep the wrist neutral and move the fingers more than the whole hand.
- Pluck through the string with a small motion instead of pulling it far away from the instrument.
- Use nails, fingertips, or a mix. Choose the sound and feel you can repeat comfortably.
Build one repeating pattern
Start on open strings. Add one chord when the fingers can repeat without stopping.
One note per beat
1 2 3 4
p i m a
Pick from G to A, one string on each beat, then repeat without a gap.
Out and back
1 2 3 4
p i m i
Return to the index finger on beat 4 for a pattern that turns back toward the thumb.
Eight-note roll
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
p i m a m i m i
Add the spaces between the beats only after the four-beat version feels even.
Once the pattern stays even, choose a slow loop from the chord progressions library. For these simple starter loops, change at the start of each bar. Later, follow the progression's actual chord-change points.