Description
In this guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play a rhythmic (percussive) fingerstyle rhythm by using your thumb on the 1 and 3 beat, and “slapping” the 2 and 4 beat – it’s easier than you think! This composition doesn’t require a jam track and works on acoustic or electric guitar.
Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson
Part 2 - For Premium Members
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Slow Walkthrough
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Video Tablature Breakdown
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Very Smooth sounding. I pick one finger style tune I learned on active melody and this will be the second. Been playing with a pick for 40 years never really did much finger picking but it is sure is fun.
Really good lesson and a great song. I really like this one
This is my favorite so far.
ep187 drives me crazy love it please add to it!!!
That is absolutely beautiful! I can use more practice with finger style percussive tunes because it’s a technique I seem to struggle with. Thanks for always making the lessons interesting and keeping it challenging.
What’s cool…………..at least in my mind…………..I intermingle octave higher chords! It delivers sharp contrast and really extends the piece nicely ………..almost jazzy……..without losing any of the integrity of Brian’s nice piece. For example, I use a D shape A chord at the 9th fret and even utilize an E9 at the 12th. Any way you shake it……….this is certainly a great back porch rocking chair tune (with no arms to wreck up your sweet vintage all mahogany Martin sides) and improvise upon the nice bones set up by Mr. Sherrill!! Jim C.
That has to be one of the prettiest songs so far. A sweet soulful sound. I am once again amazed Brian. Thank you for all the new songs each week. Big smile on my face!!!!
Sounds a bit like Amazing Grace to me !
I know what you mean! To me it sounds like “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow.” It’s got a very soulful “gospelness” bluesy feel. Moving.
Beautiful song Brian.
I’m new to this, but really like your help in finger style.
Thanks again.
Magnifique, merci beaucoup Brian.
Love it Brian, some parts remind me of ‘Blackbird’
Looking forward to getting to work on this thank you.
Martin
I love the sound of this one Brian, smooth and relaxing too. Love the finger picking lessons too. This is going to be fun to learn and play.
Thanks Brian
Ray P
Wow !!! How emotional music can be.
My crippled hands probably won’t let me do this one, but I’m going to dig into it anyway! Thank you, Brian!
Brian, This is a style that I am not good at so this is just what I need to learn.You seem to know just what I need .Keep up the good work.Thanks for all you do. small thing, the tab and MP3″s
are labeled 322 instead of 332. David
if you like this one, EP271 is another good one in the same style. Swing Low Sweet Chariot. Great for when you are by the campfire, easy to play and need more keep the tunes gonig.
Thanks for the suggestion!
Wow. I like this style.
Wow again. As usual. Beautiful Gospel feel here. I switch back and forth from finger to pick using a Herco thumb pick so I can get better volume when fingerpicking and switch to flat instantly because it’s shaped just like a flatpick. I don’t see many guitarists using the Herco pick but it has a great dynamic.
Hammergeil, Brian!
I love it, this is amazingly cool,, lot of interesting pieces and I only listened,, have yet to sit down,, tomorrow morning I’m starting this gem!
Really nice little tune to learn as well as the rhythm style which is keeps things going. Love it. Thanks Brian.
Being mostly a fingerstyle player, I’m so happy to find another one of you fine fingerstyle compositions . I practice them and they stay with me for a long time. I have to admit that most of my reportoire nowadays consists of your tunes.
I have little mahogany Martin too, and have put their Retro strings on , and its very comfortable to play and has a warm sound.
I think your studio setup works really fine now. The background is personal and interesting and still your playing is in focus and crystal clear to follow.
The rhythm thing, with the tapping on the two and four, works well in this tune. And its been with us since a few previous lessons.
My trick is to first learn the chord sequence and the melody and then when I’m comfortable, add on the tapping.
Many thanks and best wishes from Stockholm, Sweden.
Rainy gray homemade chicken soup day this Sunday and watching and like how you flick your risk and roll your thumb..also tight to string using your other fingers getting good control for muting between the bass and subtle slapping on the two and four.. I will have this down soon half way through but you made this very melodic and interesting, congradulations on this beautiful gospel composition , a terrific lesson!
Wow, I really like this ! I don’t do a lot of fingerpicking, but I want to get better at it.
I’ll dig into this lesson after the October Challenge.
I think a Jimmy H acoustic blues lesson would be cool.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P701paKEMXs
Yes!! I really hope Brian is gonna do a lesson (or two) on that. Really cool.
Very interesting lesson. I would call that fingerstyle gospel percussion slow blues. It could be a new music genre.
Hello Brian, very nice stuff !!
Can you or someone else tell me which exact fingers/strings you use at the point where you say : ‘ lets blues it up a bit’ ?
In particular when you’re coming back on the E-chord with the hammer on : do you use strings 4,3,2 or just 3 and 2 ?
I find it’s difficult to play the hammer on loud enough when I include string 4 in that movement.
When I leave out string 4 the hammer on comes out more clearly.
But maybe the overall E-chord is too thin when I do it that way !?
In the TAB’s I find no clues because what is written in that passage is a bit different compared to Brian’s playing.
To make a long story short : I wanna learn it the way Brian does so maybe you or someone else can help me out.
Thanks in advance for your comments !
Cheers, Boudewijn from The Netherlands
Your playing always has a strong melodic basis. In my opinion, a lot of guitar instruction is very focussed on licks and riffs, which isn’t bad. You have a songwriter’s soul that really shines in this composition.
Many thanks.
Super cool composition Brian.. love this style of playing too so this looks like it’s going straight to the top of the to do list.
Brian with just a little more effort it would make beautiful version of gospel song Take My Hand Precious Lord
Hello Brian .
Great explanation for this guitar plus percussion style .
And Great composition.
Many thanks .
Joe.
Dude, lol(calling Brian (Dude) lol ,, This lesson alone is worth my annual subscription.. I got so much put of this already.. I do hear and see ROLLING STONES HONKY TONK Keith Richards licks .. This has become my favorite of favorites right now!
I’m with sunburst!
I’m totally going to stick with this until I get it. Really nice piece. Thanks Brian.
Super morceau ! Bravo Brian.
Thanks Brian wonderful piece, more of this, please.
Absolutely loved this one Brian, learning the caged system through your lessons has given my playing a new life of its own.
Beautiful composition, BRAVO! BRIAN❤️
If anyone on here is hungry for more of this kind of fingerstyle, can I recommend the wonderful Mark Hanson if you’ve not come across him.
Thanks again Brian, straight into my favourites!
It is a wonderful and relaxing piece. Took me a while to get it in full but what a nice feeling than to play it. Another masterpiece Bryan. Cheers !
I closed my eyes and walked over cloud the time of your playing and suddenly it ended and found myself in my room Just in a very short time I had strong good feeling
I’d like to ask you If it’s possible and have time play this form not for instructing for your followers to listen when they sit and wanna enjoy their teacher playing.
Nothing better than this
Cheers
Iman
Really like this style, but these percussive styles frustrates the hell out of me. I always struggle with this percussive technique! It’s really hard to master. Gonna skip this lesson for now.
The only way I managed to learn fingerstyle was with the tabs.
Just follow the tabs without any rhythm or groove in mind. Simply copy slowly the tabs to the guitar.
Bass, note, slap, bass, and don’t think about what’s going on.
After you memorize it and play as many times as needed to play smoothly,
you will become conscious that you do fingerstyle with rhythm.
Ciao Brian , ho deciso di studiare questa lezione la trovo fantastica…ti faccio sempre i miei complimenti , sei bravissimo, ti auguro una buona giornata
Man, I keep trying to play this too fast!!
Beautiful, Brian. And the guitar sound is beautiful too.
Sounds like “Because He Lives”. I like it.
Like this fingerstyle tune just a note notice that bar 8 ,17 and of cause 33 have no vamps , slapin them do i hurry them all thank you Brian thumb ‘s up
i love this tune, and I love it when you say this is easy but its quite tricky. I’m going to master it …prob take about two months!
Cheers Brian.
Thanks Brian. I have to say it was learning the slap technique that really opened things up for me. Once I had that it gave me more structure to pick out individual notes of different chord voicings and add in some blues licks. I actually learnt the slap from your drop d blues composition and it has transferred nicely to your other lessons and my playing in general. You are 100% correct when you say its incredibly versatile!
DUDE…..Dang!….. I’m a finger style player. This, I did not know before this lesson…. the melody is inside the chord structure, and in my head…., and I am all about the rhythm.. thank you.
ps.. As a beginner, I am wrecking my Left hand finger tips playing the chords… any solutions?
As has been commented before this is not an easy lesson or technique to learn. I do believe that by keeping at this and learning that it will open up many other songs in this style or add interest to simpler songs using this technique. Good luck.
Hello,I am from Austria and
i am new here and after learnig EP177 i found this lesson.
I don’t even know where to start, there are so many interesting things to learn here.
Thank you for these great opportunities.
Another great lesson! I did better at the timing playing it at 100%, and saw a huge improvement in my fingerstyle playing from the beginning to the end of learning this one. Thank you so much!
Mark