Music Tutorials: Fingerpicking

Fingerstyle is a right hand technique that allows the fingers of the right hand to pluck the strings individually, as opposed to strumming them with a pick.

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Fingerstyle technique also allows guitarists to combine melody, bass lines, and harmony to create a complete, orchestral sound.

Important Term
"PIMA" (or "TIMA")
PIMA is an acronym that stands for:
P = Pulgar = Thumb
I = Indice = Index finger
M = Medio = Middle finger
A = Anular = ring finger

What is important about this is that this acronym is a basic guide into finger picking based on the same concept of "Eat A Darn Good Breakfast Early" (EADGBE).

There's a general rule in solo fingerstyle playing, especially in classical, that you don't use the same finger twice, apart from the the thumb. When two consecutive notes are on the same string, you usually alternate between i, & m or m, & i.

In fingerstyle accompaniment you are mostly playing chords and always changing string, so the rule about using a different finger for each of the upper strings works well.

Using PIMA will allow you to create your own exercises without having to stare at tablature. 

PIMA is also called TIMA, but that is only because the "T" stands for thumb instead of "P" for 'pulgar.' PIMA is a much older acronym.

Basic Fingerstyle 

e-------------------------------a--------------------1st string
B------------------a--------m----------a-------------
G--------a------m-------i---------m--------------a---
D------m------i--------------i--------------m--------
A----i---------------------------------i-------------
E--p------p-------p------p--------p------------------6th string

1^st string: close to ground            6^th string: close to your face

Notice that all "P's" are on the Low E string, followed by the next series of letters. The "i, m, a" just change string placement.

In this series of basic exercises, PIMA is used in the form of arpeggios with fingerstyle.

(an arpeggio is defined as playing chord one note at a time. When you're done here, you won't think of them as chords, but as tools to use to spice up your solos and such).

Mixed Patterns

e-------------------------a--------------------------1st string

B-------------a------m--------a----------------------
G-------a------m------i-----m---------a---------a----
D-----m-----i------------------i---------m--------m--
A---i----------------------------------i------------i
E--p------p-------p-------p---------p---------p-----6th string

1^st string: close to ground            6^th string: close to your face

This mixed pattern set still uses the PIMA, but in various order. 

Classical Guitar

e------------------------a------a--------------------1st string

B------------------m---------m--------m--------------
G----------i---------i------------i-------i----------
D:---i---------p------------------------p--------i---:
A-------p-------------------------------------p------
E--p-------------------------------------------------6th string

1^st string: close to ground            6^th string: close to your face

This is a very common pattern in classical guitar that really enhances your picking hand movement.

Blocked (Flutter) Patterns

e----------a----------------------------a------------1st string
B------a---m---a-----------------a------m-----a-----
G--a---m---i---m---a-------a-----m------i-----m-----a
D--m---i---p---i---m-------m-----i------------i-----m
A--i---p-------p---i-------i------------------------i
E--p---------------p-----p-----p------p-----p-----p--6th string

1^st string: close to ground            6^th string: close to your face

This is based on the 'boom-chuck' that is so common in classical/fingerstyle guitar.

You will notice that PIMA completely eliminates the use of your 4th finger, or 'pinky' finger? 

The Exercises

Standard tab notation is used with PIMA included at the top of the staff

Basic Fingerstyle

a) Basic Arpeggio Using G

      P   I M  A               P  I  M  A            P  I  M  A       P  I  M A        P  I  M  A

e------------------------------3---------------------1st string
B------------------3--------3----------3-------------
G--------0-------0-------0-----------0----------0----
D------0------0-------------------0----------0-------
A----2-----------------------------------2-----------
E--3-------3---------3---------3-------3-------------6th string

1^st string: close to ground            6^th string: close to your face

b) Basic Arpeggio Using E

          P   I M  A          P  I  M  A             P  I  M  A         P  I  M A         P  I  M  A

e------------------------------0---------------------1st string
B------------------0--------0----------0-------------
G--------1-------1-------1-----------1----------1----
D------2------2-------------------2----------2-------
A----2-----------------------------------2-----------
E--0-------0---------0---------0-------0-------------6th string

1^st string: close to ground            6^th string: close to your face

Mixed Patterns

a) Mixed Arpeggio Using G

      P   I M  A           P  I  A  M           P  M  I  A         P  M  A  I         P  A  I  M
e-----------------------------3----------------------1st string

B---------------3--------3-----------3---------------
G-------0----------0-------0-------0-----------0-----
D-----0-------0------------------------0------------0
A---2---------------------------------------------2--
E--3--------3----------3--------3-----------3--------6th string

1^st string: close to ground            6^th string: close to your face

b) Mixed Arpeggio Using E

          P   I M  A        P  I  A  M          P  M  I  A        P  M  A  I         P  A  I  M

e---------------------------0-----------------------1st string
B--------------0-------0------------0---------------
G-------1---------1-------1-------1----------1------
D-----2------2------------------------2-----------2-
A---2------------------------------------------2----
E-0-------0---------0----------0------------0-------6th string

1^st string: close to ground            6^th string: close to your face

Classical Guitar

Using C

             P  I       P  I          P  M  I  A            M  A  I  M                P  I         P  I          
e-----------------------0---------0------------------1st string

B-----------------1------------1------1--------------
G---------0----------0------------0------------0-----
D---2---------2-----------------------------2------2-
A------3-----------------------------------------3---
E-0--------------------------------------------------6th string

1^st string: close to ground            6^th string: close to your face

Blocked (Flutter) Patterns

Using G (Barred)

e----------3---------------------------3-------------1st string
B------3---3---3-----------------3-----3------3------
G--4---4---4---4---4-------4-----4-----4------4-----4
D--5---5---5---5---5-------5-----5------------5-----5
A--5---5-------5---5-------5------------------------5
E--3---------------3-----3-----3------3------3----3--6th string

1^st string: close to ground            6^th string: close to your face

Here the standard PIMA starts from the lowest string, going up. (In other words, the Low E string is the P, then the I, then the M, then the A.)

The "P" will always be the lowest note, and the "A" will always be the highest note for this example. This exercise is for both picking and fretting hands and is reminiscent of the 'boom-chuck' found in fingerstyle guitar.

  Happy Birthday - fingerstyle

Ode To Joy - fingerstyle