Session 15: Fingerpicking Foundations

Duration: 50 minutes

Break: Put the guitar down for 5 minutes at the end of Segment 3. No stretch of playing is then longer than 30 minutes.

Everything you have played so far uses a pick. Today you put the pick down (temporarily) and use your bare fingers. Fingerpicking is a technique where your thumb and fingers pluck individual strings in patterns, creating a flowing, harp-like sound that is impossible to achieve with a pick. It is the sound of classical guitar and folk ballads, and of the quiet passages that open many rock and metal songs. You finish today with an arpeggio study (an arpeggio is a chord played one note at a time) on two chords you know, Em and D.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

Name the fingerpicking hand fingers using p-i-m-a notation
Assign each finger to a specific string for basic fingerpicking
Play the alternating-thumb pattern, a first step towards Travis picking (thumb on beats 1 and 3, a finger on beats 2 and 4)
Play the alternating-thumb pattern on Em, Am, C, and G chord shapes
Play the Em–D arpeggio study (slowly today; the end-of-week check is at 50 BPM, two notes per click)

Materials Needed

Your Saga SF-600C-BK guitar
A clip-on tuner or phone tuner app
A metronome
You do NOT need a pick for most of this session (you will use it briefly in the warm-up)
A phone or other recorder
Handout for this session: Weekly Plans Phase 3 4 (the end-of-week check for Week 15)
Glossary

Segment 1 — Warm-Up and Stretch (5 minutes)

Hand Warm-Up

Open and close both hands loosely five times. Circle each wrist five times each way. Touch your thumb to each fingertip in turn. Shake the hands out. Do not skip this today: your plucking-hand fingers work hard.

Tune Your Guitar

Tune all six strings (EADGBE). Before you look at the tuner, guess: too low, too high or right? Then look.

Warm-Up

Play the C major scale (Session 14) ascending and descending at 60 BPM, one note per click (quarter notes), with your pick.

Spider crawl: frets 3-6, one finger at a time, all six strings, up and down (use your pick for this). Stop if it pulls or aches.

Mini-barre. Lay finger 1 across strings 2 and 1 at fret 3. Pluck string 2, then string 1. Release completely. 5 presses. Tuner check: D, then G.

Barre work: no more than 5 minutes a day in total. Pain rule: tender fingertips are normal. Pain in the wrist, forearm, thumb joint or knuckles, numbness or tingling, any sharp pain, or pain that lasts into the next day means stop. The full rule is in START HERE.

Then put the pick down — you will not need it for the rest of the session (keep it nearby for the Review segment).

Segment 2 — Technique Focus: Fingerpicking Hand Position (10 minutes)

The p-i-m-a System

Classical and fingerstyle guitarists name the picking-hand fingers using letters from Spanish:

Finger	Letter	Spanish	String assignment
Thumb	p	pulgar	Strings 6, 5, 4 (bass strings)
Index	i	índice	String 3
Middle	m	medio	String 2
Ring	a	anular	String 1

In this course you will see these letters in rows labelled “Finger:”.

Your little finger is not used in standard fingerpicking. Let it float, or rest it lightly on the top of the guitar.

Hand Position

Rest your forearm on the top edge of the lower bout (the wide part of the guitar body), the same way you do when holding a pick.
Bring your picking hand over the soundhole. Your wrist should be slightly arched — not flat and not sharply bent.
Curl your fingers so the tips point down toward the strings.
Your thumb (p) reaches towards the headstock, a little ahead of your index finger, so that the two never collide. It sits near string 5.
Place each finger near its assigned string: i near string 3, m near string 2, a near string 1.
Your fingers should be relaxed — no tension, no clenching.
Keep the back of your hand still. Only the thumb and fingers move. Watch the back of your hand while you play: if it bounces, slow down.

First Fingerpicking Exercise — Open Strings

Without fretting anything, pluck the strings in this order at 50 BPM, one note per click (quarter notes):

Count:  1   2   3   4
Finger: p   i   m   a
String: 5   3   2   1

Pain rule: tender fingertips are normal. Pain in the wrist, forearm, thumb joint or knuckles, numbness or tingling, any sharp pain, or pain that lasts into the next day means stop. The full rule is in START HERE.

How to pluck:

Thumb (p): Push through the string toward the floor. The thumb moves downward. After plucking, it swings free: it does not come to rest on the next string, because that string may still be ringing.
Fingers (i, m, a): Pull the string toward your palm. The finger curls inward. After plucking, it returns to its starting position (a free stroke — it does not rest on the next string). Do not hook the finger under the string and pull it away from the guitar.

Pluck with the pad of the fingertip, moving only a few millimetres. Short nails are fine. The plucking fingertips may be tender this week: the pain rule covers this hand too. If they sting, stop fingerpicking for the day and do the pick items of the plan.

Focus on:

Each note ringing clearly — no buzzing, no accidentally muting
Even volume — the thumb naturally plays louder than the fingers. Try to match the volume
Steady rhythm — every note the same duration

Play this for 8 measures.

Changing the Bass Note

Now change the thumb’s string each measure:

Measure 1:  p(5)  i(3)  m(2)  a(1)    — thumb on string 5 (A)
Measure 2:  p(6)  i(3)  m(2)  a(1)    — thumb on string 6 (E)
Measure 3:  p(4)  i(3)  m(2)  a(1)    — thumb on string 4 (D)
Measure 4:  p(5)  i(3)  m(2)  a(1)    — thumb on string 5 (A)

This trains your thumb to move between bass strings while your fingers stay on their own treble strings.

Segment 3 — New Learning: The Alternating-Thumb Pattern (15 minutes)

The Alternating-Thumb Pattern

Travis picking (named after Merle Travis) is built on a thumb that alternates between two bass strings while the fingers answer on the treble strings. Today’s pattern is the alternating-thumb pattern (a first step towards Travis picking). In full Travis picking the thumb plays a bass note on every beat; here it plays on beats 1 and 3 and a finger answers on beats 2 and 4.

The pattern is four notes per measure, one per beat, with the fingers p i p m. The ring finger (a) is not part of this pattern.

Alternating-Thumb Pattern on Em

Hold an Em chord. Play this pattern at 50 BPM, one note per click (quarter notes):

Em
e|----------------------|
B|------------------0---|
G|----------0-----------|
D|----------------------|
A|--------------2-------|
E|------0---------------|
Count:  1   2   3   4
Finger: p   i   p   m
Notes:  E   G   B   B

Here is the step-by-step:

Beat 1:   Thumb (p) plucks string 6, open (the note E)
Beat 2:   Index (i) plucks string 3, open (the note G)
Beat 3:   Thumb (p) plucks string 5, fret 2 (the note B)
Beat 4:   Middle (m) plucks string 2, open (the note B)

Repeat.

Alternating-Thumb Pattern on Am

Hold Am. The thumb now alternates between string 5 (open) and string 4 (fret 2):

Beat 1:   Thumb (p) plucks string 5, open (the note A)
Beat 2:   Index (i) plucks string 3, fret 2 (the note A)
Beat 3:   Thumb (p) plucks string 4, fret 2 (the note E)
Beat 4:   Middle (m) plucks string 2, fret 1 (the note C)

Am
e|----------------------|
B|------------------1---|
G|----------2-----------|
D|--------------2-------|
A|------0---------------|
E|----------------------|
Count:  1   2   3   4
Finger: p   i   p   m
Notes:  A   A   E   C

Alternating-Thumb Pattern on C

Hold C. Thumb alternates between string 5 (fret 3) and string 4 (fret 2):

C
e|----------------------|
B|------------------1---|
G|----------0-----------|
D|--------------2-------|
A|------3---------------|
E|----------------------|
Count:  1   2   3   4
Finger: p   i   p   m
Notes:  C   G   E   C

Alternating-Thumb Pattern on G

Hold G. Thumb alternates between string 6 (fret 3) and string 5 (fret 2). Finger 2 of your G chord is already holding string 5 at fret 2:

G
e|----------------------|
B|------------------0---|
G|----------0-----------|
D|----------------------|
A|--------------2-------|
E|------3---------------|
Count:  1   2   3   4
Finger: p   i   p   m
Notes:  G   G   B   B

Chord Cycle with the Alternating-Thumb Pattern

Play the alternating-thumb pattern on each chord for 2 measures, then switch:

Em (2 measures) → Am (2 measures) → C (2 measures) → G (2 measures)

Tempo: 50 BPM, one note per click (quarter notes). Repeat the cycle twice (16 measures total).

The hardest part: Keeping the pattern going while changing chords. Your fretting hand must change shapes without disrupting the picking pattern. If you need to pause briefly during the chord change, that is okay — accuracy first, smoothness later.

Break: 5 minutes. Guitar down.

Segment 4 — Workshop: Em–D Arpeggio Study (15 minutes)

About This Piece

Piece: Em–D arpeggio study Type: an original exercise written for this course. It is not a song. What you are learning: one arpeggio pattern on Em and on D, and changing chord without stopping the picking hand.

Tempo: Start at 40 BPM, one note per click, and work up to 60 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes). In the session: slowly, without the metronome first. End-of-week check: 50 BPM, two notes per click. End-of-week target: 60 BPM, two notes per click. (The check is what you need before you move on; the target is what to aim for.) Technique: Fingerpicking — arpeggio pattern across chord shapes

Many metal songs open with a quiet, picked passage before the band comes in; “Fear of the Dark” by Iron Maiden (Fear of the Dark, 1992; written by Steve Harris) is one. That recording is in D minor and its guitar parts are different from this exercise, so listen for the mood, not the notes.

Understanding Arpeggios

An arpeggio is when you play the notes of a chord one at a time instead of strumming them all together. The chord shapes are the same ones you already know — you just pluck each string individually in a flowing pattern.

TAB — Em–D Arpeggio Study

The study uses the Em and D chords, with the same finger pattern on each.

Em measure (hold the Em chord)

e|------------------0---------------0---|
B|--------------0---------------0-------|
G|----------0---------------0-----------|
D|--------------------------------------|
A|----------------------2---------------|
E|------0-------------------------------|
Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
Finger: p   i   m   a   p   i   m   a

D measure (hold the D chord)

e|------------------2---------------2---|
B|--------------3---------------3-------|
G|----------2---------------2-----------|
D|------0---------------0---------------|
A|--------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------|
Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
Finger: p   i   m   a   p   i   m   a

Finger guide:

Picking hand: p (thumb) plays the bass note, i (index) plays string 3, m (middle) plays string 2, a (ring) plays string 1. One string at a time; the thumb never plays two strings together.
In the Em measure the thumb plays string 6 on beat 1 and string 5 on beat 3. In the D measure the thumb plays string 4 both times.
Fretting hand: hold the full Em chord (finger 2 on string 5 fret 2, finger 3 on string 4 fret 2), then the full D chord as taught in Session 7. Keep every finger down for the whole measure so the notes ring into each other. No stretch in either chord.

This study is an original exercise written for this course, not a song. Not yet play-tested.

Structure of the Study

[Em measure — 4 times]
[D measure — 4 times]
[Em measure — 4 times]
[D measure — 2 times]
[Em measure — 2 times, then one last thumb note on the open string 6, left to ring]

Total: 16 measures and a final note.

How to Learn This Study

In the session, work through the steps slowly and without the metronome first: the Em measure, the D measure, then the two joined. Start the metronome at 40 BPM, one note per click, only when each string rings clearly. The rest of the tempo ladder is for your practice days.

Step 1 — Em measure alone: Hold Em. Play the pattern: p(6) i(3) m(2) a(1) p(5) i(3) m(2) a(1). Very slowly — no metronome. Just get each string ringing clearly.

Step 2 — One note per click: Start at 40 BPM, then raise the metronome 5 BPM at a time up to 80 BPM. This is slow but lets you focus on accuracy. Each finger must land on the correct string.

Step 3 — Two notes per click (eighth notes): Halve the metronome to 40 BPM: two notes per click at 40 is exactly as fast as one note per click at 80. The eight-note pattern p-i-m-a-p-i-m-a now fills one measure. This is the correct rhythm. Then 45 BPM and 50 BPM.

Step 4 — D measure: Same process. Hold D. The thumb now plucks string 4 (the bass note of D) both times.

Step 5 — Connect Em and D: Play the Em measure 4 times, then the D measure 4 times. The chord change must happen without interrupting the picking pattern. The fretting hand changes shape while the picking hand keeps rolling.

Step 6 — Build to 60 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes): 55 BPM, then 60 BPM. This is your target.

What it should sound like: Flowing and even: each note rings into the next. Three checks:

Count check: eight notes in every measure, and the thumb plays only on beats 1 and 3.
Click check: play all 16 measures with the metronome. You never stop and you finish with the click.
Recording check: record 30 seconds and listen once. Is every one of the eight notes in each measure there, with none missing or cut short?

Performance Notes

Let every note ring as long as possible. Do not lift fretting fingers until they need to move. The overlapping notes create the signature “harp” effect.
Your thumb (p) keeps the beat. If the thumb is steady, the fingers fall into place. If the thumb is uneven, everything wobbles.
Keep your picking hand relaxed. Tension in the fingers causes them to snag on the strings instead of plucking cleanly.

Segment 5 — Review and Practice Plan (5 minutes)

This session has more new material than most. If your end-of-week check is not all ‘yes’ after one week, take a second week on this session before you move on. The course then takes a week longer, which is normal.

What You Learned Today

p-i-m-a finger naming system for the picking hand
Basic fingerpicking technique: thumb on bass strings, fingers on treble strings
The alternating-thumb pattern (a first step towards Travis picking) on Em, Am, C, and G
The p-i-m-a arpeggio pattern on Em and D
The Em–D arpeggio study

Common Mistakes

Hooking under the string — If a finger hooks under the string and pulls it outward, away from the guitar, the string slaps back against the frets. Pluck across the string toward your palm with the pad of the fingertip, moving only a few millimetres.
Thumb and fingers colliding — Your thumb moves downward (toward the floor). Your fingers pull inward (toward your palm). They move in different directions. If they collide, move your thumb further towards the headstock, ahead of your index finger, and check that your hand is not tense.
Uneven volume — The thumb is naturally louder than the fingers. To balance the sound, play the thumb softer or the fingers harder. In the Em–D arpeggio study, the bass notes (thumb) should be slightly louder — they provide the harmonic foundation.
Muting strings during chord changes — When you change from Em to D, your fretting hand must move quickly and land cleanly so the arpeggio does not stop. Practise the chord change in isolation before adding the picking pattern.
Reverting to pick habits — Fingerpicking is a completely different physical motion from pick playing. Do not try to strum with your fingers — pluck each string individually. Keep the pick in your pocket for this session.

Self-Check Questions

Can you play the p-i-m-a pattern on open strings (p on string 5, i on string 3, m on string 2, a on string 1) evenly for 8 measures at 50 BPM, one note per click? Check: you never stop and you finish with the click. If not: repeat the “First Fingerpicking Exercise — Open Strings” in Segment 2 and try again the next day.
Can you play the alternating-thumb pattern on Em at 50 BPM, one note per click, for 8 measures with no wrong string? If not: go back to the step-by-step under “Alternating-Thumb Pattern on Em” in Segment 3, one beat at a time, and try again the next day.
Can you play the alternating-thumb pattern on Em for 2 measures and Am for 2 measures, twice round, at 50 BPM, one note per click (quarter notes), without stopping at the change? If not: keep to the Alternating-Thumb Pattern row of the practice plan for two days, pausing at the chord change if you need to, then try again.
Can you play the Em measure of the arpeggio study at 50 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes), four times in a row? Recording check: record the four measures and listen once. Is every one of the eight notes in each measure there, with none missing or cut short? If not: go back to 45 BPM, two notes per click (Step 3 in Segment 4), for two days, then try again.
Can you name all four picking-hand fingers (p, i, m, a) and their string assignments? Check: say them aloud without looking, then compare with the table under “The p-i-m-a System” in Segment 2; all four are right. If not: read that table again and try again the next day.

Practice Plan for Week 15 (each practice day, 27 minutes)

Block	Time	Activity
Warm-Up	3 min	The warm-up from this session’s Segment 1, then tune. On practice days leave the mini-barre out of the warm-up: it has its own row below
p-i-m-a Drill	4 min	Open string pattern at 50 BPM, one note per click (quarter notes): p(5)-i(3)-m(2)-a(1). Then p(6)-i(3)-m(2)-a(1). 4 measures each. Repeat until the time is up
Alternating-Thumb Pattern	6 min	Em (2 measures) → Am (2 measures) → C (2 measures) → G (2 measures) at 50 BPM, one note per click (quarter notes). Repeat until the time is up
Em–D Arpeggio Study	8 min	Em measure (4 times). D measure (4 times). Then connect: Em → D → Em → D. Follow the tempo ladder in Segment 4: one note per click from 40 BPM up to 80 BPM in steps of 5, then two notes per click (eighth notes) at 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 BPM. Work toward the full 16-measure study. Repeat until the time is up
Scale Maintenance	3 min	C major scale (Session 14) ascending and descending with pick, one note per click (quarter notes): 65 BPM, then 70, 75 and 80 BPM, moving up after three clean runs in a row. When 80 BPM is clean, change to two notes per click (eighth notes) at 40 BPM. Repeat until the time is up
Syncopated Strumming	2 min	Syncopated pattern on G, Em, C, D, one measure each, at 65 BPM, twice round. Repeat until the time is up
Mini-Barre	1 min	Mini-barre: 5 presses. Finger 1 across strings 2 and 1 at fret 3; pluck string 2, then string 1; release completely

This is your plan for the whole week. The end-of-week check is in Weekly Plans Phase 3 4, Week 15.

Important: You are now developing two separate picking techniques — flatpicking (with a pick) and fingerpicking (with fingers). Both are essential. Do not abandon one for the other. The plan above includes both.

Guitar Tip — Saga SF-600C-BK

Fingerpicking on steel strings feels different from fingerpicking on nylon strings. Steel strings are thinner and under higher tension, which means they require a more precise plucking motion. On your Saga, you will notice that fingerpicked notes ring with a bright, bell-like quality — this is the steel-string advantage for arpeggios. The dreadnought body amplifies each plucked note with surprising fullness and sustain.