Play brute force 8. Mastering the game of simple brute force

Picking a guitar is a simple and incredibly effective way to make your instrument sing beautifully. Let's remember the song Street Spirit (Fade Out) by the British band Radiohead or the cult ballad Nothing Else Matters by Metallica. The guitarists of these groups managed to come up with piercingly melodic strumming that sounded tenderly in every corner of the planet. In this article, we will look at guitar picking for beginners, as well as for more advanced, so to speak, users.

First for the lessons!

First, we should discuss the basic rules for playing guitar fingerpicking for beginners. They are basic, but simply following them will give good results.

So rule number one is don't press the strings too hard. There is one great exercise for this! To begin, press down on any fret on the string and slowly release the pressure. At some point the string will stop sounding altogether. Now try playing a regular pentatonic scale, pressing each fret with this force. Yes Yes! Precisely so that the string does not sound! Oddly enough, most beginners are used to pressing the string so hard that they have problems with this exercise. Well, I recommend doing this right now.

Rule number two: the sound must be produced with the correct pluck. Your fingers should not hit the string, they should pluck it. Emilio Pujol writes in his tutorial: “Plucking a string can be divided into three phases: the finger touches the string; by bending the last phalanx of the finger, the string deviates from its usual position and begins to produce sound; the finger returns to its original position.” I would like to add that the sound is produced from the side of the string, and not from below.

Well, the third, simplest rule: each finger has its own string. The index finger plucks the third string, the middle string plucks the second string, and the ring finger plucks the first string. Breaking this rule is highly discouraged. Although in some cases it may be necessary to quickly pluck one string several times in a row. In this case, you can ignore this rule.

Now forward to the busts!

Now you can safely start sorting through. Picking on a guitar usually consists of two components: the first is picking the bass with the thumb, and the second is playing the melody line with the index, middle and ring fingers.

Let’s agree that we count the strings from the thinnest one, i.e. one will indicate the lowest string, and six the highest and thickest. That's how we write bass - bass, because it changes depending on the chord, while the strumming structure always remains the same.

Guitar fingerpicking patterns

We will consider the searches from the simplest to the most complex. First, let's study guitar picking for beginners, which, by the way, is heard in half of Russian songs. So, having studied them, you will always have something to play around the fire.

Bust "Six"

You can't imagine anything simpler than overkill. It is played as follows: (bass) 3 2 1 2 3. You can hone this selection, for example, by playing the song of the group “Nautilus Pompilius” “Wings”. Always practice your acquired skills on real songs - this way you will expand your horizons and gain experience. Exercise will never give you that.

Bust "Eight"

This is already a slightly advanced search, but everyone should master it. It has the following structure: (bass) 3 2 3 1 3 2 3.

This is perhaps the most popular search. They called him the bard. It is used in a huge number of songs - both Russian and foreign. Among them are such as “Shard of Ice” by Aria, “Lyrics” by the Gaza Strip, as well as the glorious “City That Is Not There”. We recommend that you study these compositions.

Bust "Four"

The search has an unusual structure: (bass) 3 (2 1) 3. The numbers in brackets mean that these strings must be played synchronously. At the same time, there will be a reason to practice pinching.

Advanced searches

Bust "Waltz"

(bass) (3 2 1) (3 2 1) (bass) (3 2 1) (3 2 1) . This search is perfect for school or theater performances!

Overkill "Pseudo-country"

In fact, this pick doesn't have an official name, but that's what we call it because it imitates country style, but it's not pure country. It is played as follows: bass 3 2 1 2 3. The last note is played so that it is barely audible.

The “Pseudo-Country” sound is used in a lot of songs. I recommend studying Kansas - Dust in the Wind and “Blackbird” by the Beatles.

Playing out busts and improvisation

Try playing the figure eight on the Am chord. After the first complete loss, release your finger from the first fret of the second string and play again. Now do the same without pausing several times.

Popularly this is called playing a chord. Try doing the same thing on different chords and you'll hear how you can create beautiful strumming on your guitar with relatively little effort.

In the same way, you can improvise at a basic level by combining several chords.

Specific searches

Oddly enough, the classic types of fingerpicking on the guitar are over. But! As a bonus, we'll look at a mix of Street Spirit (Fade Out) and Nothing Else Matters. Frankly speaking, they are not very difficult, but they are very beautiful, so - go ahead!

Bust from Street Spirit (Fade Out)

The search structure is shown in the picture below. Yes, there will be a lot of unfamiliar chords, but this problem can be solved in 10 minutes of searching on the Internet.

Let the actual musical composition Street Spirit (Fade Out) serve as your guide through this search. There are also a lot of videos on the Internet with a detailed analysis of it. You can watch them if you have any difficulties, although we advise you to deal with the difficulties yourself.

A selection from Nothing Else Matters

Since this article is for beginners, we showed a simplified version of the melody, without advanced techniques such as Pull-off and Slide (learn these terms at your leisure!).

Sound extraction methods

Picking guitar melodies can be played not only with your fingers. No one forbids the use of a mediator or even special false nails (plectrums) that play the role of mediators. The latter, by the way, are actively used by virtuoso guitarist Igor Presnyakov. We highly recommend watching a couple of covers performed by him.

Mediator

The method, frankly speaking, is not the simplest, but sometimes it is simply impossible to do without it (although, as a rule, you should not use it). Picking is played not only on an acoustic guitar, but also on an electric one. And only crazy people play it with their fingers (some of them, by the way, are very successful - read about the successes of Fleetwood Mac or Joni Mitchell, or better yet, check out their work). Try playing Street Spirit (Fade Out) with a pick and you will notice how the melody has changed.

Plectrum

In order not to explain in words, look at the picture below. It shows a classic set of plectrums - one for the thumb and three for the rest. They are only suitable for nylon strings.

Beautiful fingerpicking on the guitar is achieved thanks to plectrums, but they are more difficult to control with your fingers. Guitarists borrowed them from the banjo, but, frankly, plectrums didn't catch on. They are rarely used in the guitar world, but this does not mean that they should simply be ignored. There are no uniform rules that explain the only correct way to play the guitar - everyone does what is convenient for them.

Some, for example, use only a bass plectrum.

Exercises

It’s not for nothing that we placed the exercise section at the very end of the article. This was done only for the purpose of skipping the most interesting information forward, and leaving the routine and boring information at the end. Now you know how to play guitar, and you can notice and correct your mistakes yourself.

And you can correct them only with the help of exercises! In fact, there is only one exercise for busting - just play busting. Try to do this slowly and correctly, gradually, systematically increasing the pace.

Hard work is everything!

Develop hand synchronization and try to spend a minimum of effort for each action. Hard work will help you with this. Good luck!

This is what it looks like when you play one day!

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There are two ways to play the guitar: picking and strumming. There are many ways of picking, but the picking, which is called the “eight”, is particularly beautiful and melodious. At first glance, this type of fingerpicking may seem inaccessible, but as they study, many guitarists realize that in fact everything is simpler than it seemed. Every guitarist needs to learn this kind of picking.

How to learn to play the “eight” bust?

In general, it is worth noting that guys who start playing the guitar by fingerpicking are faced with the same problem: at first it is quite difficult to play, their fingers cannot immediately adapt to fingerpicking. They quickly get tired and begin to get tangled in the strings. There is only one way out of this situation: try, try and try again until you learn to play without a fill. In this case, daily training is assumed. The more effort and time you devote to playing brute force, the faster and more effective the result will be achieved. There is no need to be afraid that the melody sounds choppy or ugly, since this happens to every beginning guitarist. Usually, it takes several hours for your fingers to remember the position of the guitar strings. During this time, the fingers will also remember the order of strings in which they need to be pulled.

What is the figure-eight technique?

If a guitarist has just started learning fingerpicking, then at first there is no point in even strumming chords. It's best to concentrate on picking with your right hand. In this case, you need to support the bar with your left hand. Usually, when entering the figure eight, the bass string is plucked. Depending on the composition, this can be either the fifth or sixth string. After this, the third string is plucked with the index finger. Behind her is the second one. Back to the third, from there to the first. And then the combination 3-2-3 is repeated. After the transition combination has been learned to the point of automaticity, it can be combined with holding chords. If you have already learned the keys, then this is a big plus for you. It’s even better if you move from chord to chord in these keys without difficulty or delay. Classical - the key of A minor. That is, the sequence: Dm-Am-E-Am. For a beginner, this combination is quite simple, but at the same time it sounds impressive.

In the Dm chord, the first string is clamped on the first fret, the second on the third, and the third, on the contrary, on the second. In the Am chord, the second country is clamped on the first fret, and the third and fourth countries on the second fret. The E chord is clamped in the same way, only with one string raised up, that is, on the first fret it is not the second, but the third string that is clamped, and on the second fret the fourth and fifth strings are clamped.

Thus, the “eight” in each chord is played either once or twice, depending on the composition. To ensure that the sound is not compressed and dry, you should clamp the strings well. In this case, they are clamped at the end of the fret, closer to the next one.

Changing chords and strumming at the same time may not be very easy at first. However, over time, your fingers will begin to get used to it. The more training you do, the faster this will happen. It is worth noting that having learned to play even in one key, guitarists in another key no longer learn to pick, but everything goes by itself.

A little more complicated, but it will sound more beautiful to try the following sequence: Em-C-Am-H7

First difficulties

Some beginning guitarists find it very difficult to learn how to pick. The fingers of the right hand stubbornly refuse to work correctly, they get tangled in the strings and get tired quickly. There is only one way out: patience and persistent daily guitar lessons. Don’t be afraid and give up what you started if during your first lessons the melody sounds intermittent and not as melodic as you would like. After several hours of practice, your fingers will remember the location of the strings, their order, and playing will become much easier.

How to play in this way, like the "eight" bust?

Let's start with the brute force technique. If you are a beginner, don't press the chords with your left hand just yet, just let it hold the neck. Use the thumb of your right hand to pluck the bass string. Depending on the chord, this could be the sixth, fifth, or fourth string.

Picking the “eight” will help you play the most beautiful, tender and romantic songs. Its diagram looks like this: b-3-2-3-1-3-2-3, etc., where b is the bass string.

When you already remember the combination well, you can combine playing with chords. To begin with, we suggest using the following chords: Am, Dm, E. The combination is not difficult for a beginner, and the melody is very pleasant and gentle. To do this, hold the second string on the first fret with the index finger of your left hand, the fourth string on the second fret with the middle finger, and the third string on the second fret with the ring finger.

After playing the combination b-3-2-3-1-3-2-3 twice, we take the next chord. To play Dm, you need to pinch the first string on the first fret, the middle string on the third string on the second fret, and the index string on the second string on the third fret. The combination is played 1 time, after which you need to take the E chord. It is pressed in the same way as Am, but 1 string higher. Next, play the chords in a circle.

Remember to pinch the strings well so that the sound is loud and ringing. Playing fingerpicks and changing chords at the same time is not easy at first, but after a few hours of practicing with the guitar, you will start to get the hang of it.

Methods for extracting sound when playing by fingerpicking

Playing with fingers. Actually, there is no need to explain anything here. The sound is produced with the fingers of the right hand. This style is perfect for acoustic guitar lovers.
Mediator. If you have already learned how to use a mediator, then there should not be any big difficulties with picking. Until you fully master the technique, try to play slowly (although this advice can be applied to each method).
With fingernails. This type of sound production is popular among classical guitar lovers, as the sound is louder and more sonorous.

Do not forget that under no circumstances should you have long nails on your right hand, because this way you are unlikely to be able to pinch a chord.

Basic rules when playing brute force

When playing figure eight on the guitar, you need to follow a few simple rules:

The thumb only plays the bass strings (fourth to sixth). The index finger is on the third, the middle finger is on the second, and the ring finger is only on the first.
The bass string is always the one that is above the chord itself, but not included in it. For example, for a D chord, the bass string will be the fourth string, since neither the fifth nor the sixth is included in it. For Am - the fifth, for G and E - the sixth. If two identical chords are played in a row, alternate bass strings for better sound.
Try playing in different ways (fingernails, pick or fingers) and decide which one suits you best.
Don’t try to learn several types of brute force at the same time; first, master one well.

Try not to look at your fingers; in songs with complex chords, this skill will give you additional time gain.

Never stop there, try to select different techniques yourself, learn new parts, because busting the “eight” is far from the limit.

Start mastering the figure eight stroke at a slow pace and gradually increase the speed.

Remember: you won't be able to play fast unless you learn to play it slowly. If you have already taken on such a task, be patient and calm.

Don't be afraid of failure! You can brag about your first successes to your family and loved ones, but if you are too shy, play it for a cat or dog. After their approval, you can move on to the wider public.

Do not ignore the technique of sound production and rhythm, because without this all efforts will be in vain.

And finally - not even advice, but rather a request: learn to enjoy the very process of playing the guitar, otherwise why all the effort?

During guitar lessons, mastering simple searches- this is one of the top priorities. After all, this type of game will significantly expand your repertoire. And it’s not even that strumming a guitar sounds more beautiful than strumming. Most romances and classical compositions are performed using fingerpicking. And selections from many rock ballads have become the calling cards of many groups. Let us recall, in this regard, the famous intros to the songs Nothing Else Matters (), Don't Cry (), This Love (), Vermillion Part 2 (Slipknot), Still Loving You (Scorpions) and many, many other busts that became a trademark for these and other rock bands.

The first and last rule of most guitar picking

In fact, learning to play guitar is not as difficult as it seems. The first thing to remember: each finger must pluck a specific string , namely:

6th, 5th and 4th strings (i.e. bass) hits the thumb;
3rd string - index;
2nd string - middle;
1st string - nameless.

Exercise No. 1. Preparatory

At first, just practice placing your fingers on the corresponding strings indicated. Play the third, second and first strings alternately so that your fingers remember the position. Why do you often fail to play the guitar? Because many beginners take on the task of mastering fingerpicking without really learning which string is intended for which finger. As a result, you become confused.

Types of fingerpicking on the guitar

So, your fingers have remembered the position, now we begin to master the types of fingerpicking on the guitar.

1. Bust "six"

Let's start with the simplest picking, which is called “six” (it involves only six notes). It is played as follows: bass string (6th, 5th or 4th) - 3 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 3.

That is, you first play one of the three bass strings (remember that they are on top and they are thicker?). Which one exactly depends on the chord you play. For example, the Em chord has a bass string that is the sixth (the thickest), so when you pluck, you play the sixth string.

Next, you alternately play the 3rd, 2nd, 1st, then the 2nd and 3rd strings. Exactly in that order! After playing this selection, you will feel the melody, i.e. that the order of the strings here is not random. Play it slowly at first, using only your right hand, that is, do not bother changing the chords yet. Then, when you have already memorized the order in which to play the strings, practice playing chords. First, take the simplest ones, for example, alternately play “Six” on the chords Am - C, Dm - E, etc. Do everything slowly, your fingers will eventually remember when to rearrange what.

For clarity, I offer this diagram. (The numbers are frets (here all the strings are not pressed, which means the fret is zero), the horizontal lines are strings (the thinnest at the top, the thickest at the bottom).

What songs are played by this selection? For example, the song “Wings” by Nautilus Pompilius.

2. Figure-eight busting

The second search you need to remember is this "eight". It is more complex, but also more melodic, it involves eight notes. This sorting can be used to play many romances, for example, “Enchanted, bewitched” or the introduction “I have only one fun left.”

The scheme of this search is as follows: bass string (6th, 5th or 4th) - 3−2−3−1−3−2− 3.

You play one (exactly one!) of the bass strings, then the 3rd, 2nd, again the 3rd, then the 1st, then again the 3rd, 2nd and 1st strings. As you can see, it's more complicated here. However, after playing it 3 - 4 times at a slow tempo, you will catch the melody, your fingers will gradually begin to remember the sequence, and gradually you will be able to play the “Eight” without looking at the strings. You should not take on this search without memorizing the “Six”.

3. Search four

The third and last search that needs to be memorized is the complex abbreviated search or “Four” (it is called both).
The sequence is: bass - 3−(2 and 1)−3.

That is, first you play the bass string, then the third, then together (!) the second and first, and then the third again. Having memorized this search, you will be able to play the song Zhuki - “Battery”.

So, I have described to you the basic, simplest guitar picking. As you can see, there are only three of them. But with their help you can play a whole host of songs!

The main recipe for successful play with these busts is practice, practice and more practice .
Train on: played a fingerpicking - rearranged the chord, played a fingerpicking twice - rearranged it, etc. And only when your fingers work “automatically”, then start learning songs by fingerpicking.

Greetings, dear guitarists. I continue to publish a series of lessons for beginning guitarists. In today's lesson, I will tell you about fingerpicking, tell you how to perform it correctly, in which songs it is needed, and also tell and show the types of fingerpicking on the guitar. In fact, it doesn’t matter whether you are a beginner in guitar playing or a professional - in any case, you need fingerpicking, you must be able to play and select the necessary fingerpicking for a particular song.

Picking on the guitar is used both in lyrical songs and in cheerful major-key works. Very often, finger-picking is combined with combat, which gives the song a special sound and makes the game more intense. So let's start our lesson.

Brute force technique

Like any other technique of playing the guitar, fingerpicking has its own technique for correct execution. How quickly you can master this technique depends on how correctly you perform the search. Below you can familiarize yourself with the basic techniques for performing (playing) brute force:

The fingering is played with four fingers: the index, middle and ring fingers, and the bass string is also played with the thumb. If you play fingerpicking with one or two fingers, then know that you are playing incorrectly, it is better to start switching to four fingers now, then it will be more difficult to relearn;
Keep your palm parallel to the soundboard of your guitar, this will make it much more convenient for you to play (play) this or that picking;
Start playing with all your fingers (four) in turn, start with your thumb and index finger, then your middle finger, then use your ring finger.

These are the simple techniques for performing brute force. Practice your guitar.

Exercises to develop a skill

In order to learn how to play brute force well, you need practice, in this case the best practice is to perform a special exercise to develop the skill and technique of brute force. We will practice with the following search, or rather two: (4)(3)(2)(1) and (4)(3)(4)(1)(2)(3). As you might have guessed, the numbers indicate strings. I would like to note that we will practice on open strings, i.e. You don't have to play a chord.

Let's get started:

Take the guitar and start playing the first (suggested above) fingering: with your thumb - the fourth string, with your index finger - the third string, with your middle finger - the second and first with your ring finger. After you bring the game to automaticity, move on to the next search;
The second fingering should be played like this: with your thumb, play the fourth string, then with your index finger, the third, again with your thumb, the fourth, with your ring finger - the first, with your middle finger - the second and with your index finger the third.

After you bring the playing of these exercises on the guitar to automaticity, you will be able to perform fingerpicking of any complexity.

Types of search

Well, in conclusion, I want to show you and tell you about the most common guitar fingerpicking (types of fingerpicking), they fit seventy percent of all songs, if you learn these types, learn how to use them, play them, then consider that you have mastered the technique of playing by busting:

Six. The six roll is performed as follows: (3)(2)(1)(2)3). Just play it correctly: with your index finger on the third string, with your middle finger on the second string and with your ring finger on the first string;
Eight. Another common picking on the guitar, you need to play it like this: (any bass string (6, 5, 4)) (3)(2)(3)(1)(3)(2)(3). We play the bass string with the thumb, then the third string with the index finger, the second string with the middle finger and the first string with the ring finger.

This is how today’s lesson turned out, now playing by fingerpicking will not be difficult for you, various types of playing will already be familiar to you on the guitar. I hope you learned a lot of new and useful things from it.

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