Using The a Finger

Lesson 7/80 | Study Time: 5 Min

Course: Ragtime Fingerpicking Guitar

Using The a Finger

Sometimes you will need to use the right hand ring finger (a) to pick the first string. This situation will arise when the right hand is playing mainly in the second position but an occasional note must be picked on the first string.

Instead of changing the position of the right hand the a finger can be used. You may find the a finger difficult to control at first. Keep practicing until you are comfortable striking the first string with the a finger, getting a well balanced sound between all strings.

The following example is a perfect exercise for developing the use of the a finger. 12 Bar Rag is a common 12 bar Blues progression. The right hand uses a strict fingerpicking pattern (second position) with the a finger occasionally playing the 1st string.

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Brett Duncan

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Class Sessions

1- INTRODUCTION 2- Glossary of Musical Terms 3- Fingerpicking Technique 4- Scales 5- Classic Rags 6- Building a Rag 7- Ragtime Rhythms and Bass Lines 8- Ragtime Basics 9- Tablature 10- Natural Notes 11- Octaves 12- Adding Extra Notes to a Chord 13- The % Time Signature 14- Alternating Thumb Style 15- Playing Position 16- Stoptime Rags 17- Simple Notation 18- Basic G Chord Licks 19- Hand Technique 20- The Chromatic Scale 21- Picking Patterns 22- Tablature Symbols 23- The A Chromatic Scale 24- Chord Diagrams Used in This Book 25- Fingerpicking Pattern One 26- Picking the Strings 27- Basic C Chord Licks 28- Cut Time 29- The Major Scale 30- Picking With the Fingers - The Free Stroke 31- Basic D Chord Licks 32- The Cut Time Bass Line 33- Changing Chords 34- Basic E Chord Licks 35- Picking With the Thumb 36- Dropping the Last Note Before a Chord Change 37- The Minor Scale 38- Using The a Finger 39- The Major Pentatonic Scale 40- Picking Multiple Notes 41- Finger Names and Numbers 42- Using an Open String to Change Chords 43- Basic A Chord Licks 44- Syncopation 45- The Blues Scale 46- Sixteen Bar Ragtime Chord Progression 47- First Position - Right Hand 48- F Chord Licks - Root Six Major Bar Chord 49- Keys and Key Signatures 50- Fingerpicking Pattern Two 51- B Chord Licks - Root Five Major Bar Chord 52- Second Position - Right Hand 53- Syncopated Chord Changes 54- The Pinch 55- Relative Keys 56- Syncopated Melody 57- Bracing The Right Hand 58- The Hammer-On 59- Fingerpicking Patterns Three and Four 60- The Pull-Off 61- Lead-In Bass Notes 62- Learning all the Keys 63- The Slide 64- Diminished Chords 65- Bass Runs 66- How Chords Are Formed 67- Ragtime Songs - Fingerpicking a Melody 68- The Major Scale 69- Swing Rhythm 70- Fingerpicking Patterns Five and Six 71- Second Position - Right Hand 72- Chord Construction 73- Combining a Melody and Bass Line 74- Alternative Chord Fingerings 75- Chord Formula Chart 76- D Chord 77- Chord Symbols and Alternatives 78- D Seventh Chord 79- Root Six Bar Chords 80- Root Five Bar Chords

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Using The <em>a</em> Finger