ptabFinger Picking LessonPicking Hand Conditioning Michael K. (Silent Thunder)ÿwThis Lesson will help build picking hand strength, speed, and coordination. This exercise uses the PIMA system of Fingerpicking. (There is also a PIMAX system which using your little finger as well.) P - Thumb I - Index Finger M - Middle Finger A - Ring Finger (X - Pinky Finger) If you learn to always use your Thumb (P) to pick the two bottom strings (E & A) then it will make fingerpicking a lot easier. If you are picking the top four strings it is much easier to pick D string with your thumb as well. Remembering that the Thumb is used to play a Low (bass) melody while your other fingers play a High (lead) melody. You will want to get used to playing totally different rhythms with your Fingers than you are playing with your Thumb. Some people even take it to the next level and play 3 melodies at once. For now we will stick to one or two. If we do two in this lesson then the Low melody is basically going along with the High melody. Song Suggestions for fingerpicking 1: Metallica - The Unforgiven 2: Metallica - Nothing Else Matters 3: Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven 4: Metallica - To Live Is To Die!Copyright © 2003, Unbounded MusicÿÿCGuitarClassical Acoustich@Standard@;72-( ÿÿ CFloatingTextPlease See Performance Notes|$Times New Roman¼€QThis exercies will help you build strength and coordination in your picking hand.î*`8Times New Roman€èI have used the PIMA system and notated which finger to pick which string at the beginning of the staff. I have also notated how most tablature books will notate which fingers to use while fingerpicking at the bottom of the staff.–‰¥Times New Roman€AUº]ÈTimes New Roman€MGÃQÑTimes New Roman€IWÌ[ÚTimes New Roman€PHÓOáTimes New Roman€#A A M I A A M I{íûTimes New Roman€etc...ó0Times New Roman€P P P P{úåTimes New Roman€±This time you will use your Thumb (P) for the both of the bottom strings (E&A) while you use your Fingers (IMA) to play the high strings (G,B,&E).¢,Times New Roman€AT¨\¶Times New Roman€MD±N¿Times New Roman€IUºYÈTimes New Roman€PUË\ÙTimes New Roman€PFÓMáTimes New Roman€ëIn this exercise we are going back to the original one finger per string idea that we used in the first exercise. This is one of my personal favorite fingerpicking exercises, because it's great for building speed and finger agility.ƒù÷Times New Roman€#Start off kinda slow with this one.Òn&Times New Roman€AVƒ^‘Times New Roman€MIŠS˜Times New Roman€IX“\¡Times New Roman€PJœQªTimes New Roman€(Same as before, but a little bit faster.—†?”Times New Roman€!Same as before, but faster again.Š Times New Roman€ Same as before, but even faster.‡Š˜Times New Roman€mOnce you get this one down at this speed then move on to the next exercise to work on everything all at once.ÎΫTimes New Roman€NNow it's time to work on finger strength, speed, and coordination all at once.}àTimes New Roman€‘Keep trying until you are picking this at this tempo. 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