a bunch of guitar questions

[Mugga Please]

hey ya all........first of all this is a sweet forum...i've never been to one w/ as much help as this one. anyway.......my first question is about fingerpickin. I can do it and all...but i need a little help on makin up stuff off the top of my head...and if someone knows a few patterns that are cool to play...that would be great too.

second question. i understand what harmonics is. Is it somethin that u specificly have to learn...or do u just pick it up after a while. i've been playin the guitar for about a year now...and i think i throw in harmonics w/o releazing it...but i'd like to do more...so if anyone has any tips on that it would be great.

k...i think thats about it........if u can give me tips on anythin related to these questions ...it would be great...thanks again.

[Van_Halen]

Dude, I love to help people.

I'll show you a few cool ways to fingerpick here. The first is called an arpeggio. Let's just use an E chord to illustrate it.

-----0------ -----1-----
----0-0---- ----0-0-0-
---1---1--- --------1----
------------ ---------------
------------ ---------------
0---------- --0-----------

This is a rough idea. The first pattern is good for songs in 3 count times (3/4, 3/8, 6/8) while the second is good for 4 count songs when you let the bass note be a quarter note and the rest eighths. Example of the first is the Animals' "House of the Rising Sun". The second, Green Day's "Good Riddance." There are variations that you can use on the arpeggio, just experiment.
The next pattern is called travis picking, it's very quick and folk songish, but can be used in a variety of ways. E chord once again.

-0-------0-----
-----0-------0-
---1-------1---
----------------
----------------
-0-----0-------

There are also variations that can be done on this technique. The most important thing to remember is what right hand fingers you use when picking. You first pinch with the thumb and middle (P and m), then hit the 3rd string with the thumb, 2nd with the index (i), then hit 6th with thumb, 1st with middle, 3rd with thumb, 2nd with index. So the pattern is pm, p, i, p, m, p, i. I know that makes you think pimp but don't worry. Other tips on this are gain independence of your fingers, so that they can move and pick without having to move other fingers. Just practice, the way to master these is practice, and once you know patterns like this, it's easy to make stuff up, add embellishments and stuff. Guitar is the subjective superimposed over the objective. The best guitarists have to know the fretboard very well to improvise. Anyway, travis picking is used in songs such as the Beatles' "Blackbird" (learn that one) and Kansas' "Dust in the Wind."

Harmonics. There are four kinds of harmonics in my world.

1. Natural harmonics. Gently touch the string above the 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 12th frets. Those are the major harmonic positions. Strongest harmonics are the 5th, 7th and 12th (most musicians use these).

2. Artificial harmonics. This is where you fret the string wherever and pick the string, but then you immediately but gently touch the string with your right thumb. This takes major practice, both finding where you need to touch the string to make the harmonic come out loud enough, and the technique itself. It sounds great on electric.

3. Tapped Harmonics. This is where you fret the string and with your right hand, usually your middle or index finger, tap the fret 12 frets above where you fingered it with your left hand. This is an interesting sound that Eddie Van Halen uses a bit. You can also tap the string 4, 5, 7, 9 frets above, but the strongest harmonics come from 12.

4. Pinched artificial harmonics. I'm not exactly sure how these work, but they really make the guitar scream. You actually grab the string between your thumb and your pick and pull it a bit, then let go. This is really inaccurate, so it's usually done while bending the string with your left hand so you can make the string the right length and tension to produce the harmonic. Mostly used on electric guitar.

Know these things, natural harmonics are 4,5,7,9,12,16,17,19,21, and 24. Most commonly used, but mastering the other forms is also important. I might be able to find a list of the pitches that the harmonics give out, but I don't know them off the top of my head except the 12th fret and 5th fret just go an octave or two octaves (respectively) above the open string. So enjoy, and I hope I helped.

God Bless,
Van Halen
(Psalm 33:2)

[paulcamp77]

Try this site. Pretty good site.
http://www.guitarlessonworld.com/