Classical Guitar Finger-Picking: Right Hand Arpeggios

Name: Classical Guitar Finger-Picking: Right Hand Arpeggios
Rating: 4.5 (37 reviews)

Learn how to pick with your right hand fingers accurately and confidently with this easy- to- follow course

Created byBrian Riggs

Last updated 1/2016

English

What you'll learn

Play the guitar strings with your right-hand fingers, using one the most common and important musical textures
Sound like 2 guitar players playing at the same time by playing a melody and a background texture at the same time
Use common techniques that are the stock-in-trade of all serious classical and finger-style guitarists

Course content

8 sections • 19 lectures • 2h 13m total length

Introduction2:29
This is the introduction lecture, you can jump right in to one of the lessons, but it would be good top take a quick look.

Learn to tell the difference between Ascending and Descending Arpeggios5:04
This lecture starts with some basic information on playing arpeggios on the guitar. This lesson, and the whole course in fact, focus on your right hand and how you can use your fingers to pluck the strings one at a time in an arpeggio texture.
Right Hand Planting- What it is and how to do it correctly10:43
Planting is a very important technique in a guitar playing. Don't neglect it (as I did when I was first learning).
Study Piece on planting and ascending arpeggios7:50
All the sections have a study piece written by yours truly to demonstrate the concepts. I admit that some of these study pieces are more inspired than others, so feel free to make up your own songs, or to apply the technique to a chord progression that you're already playing.

Playing an arpeggio with a rest-stroke on the highest note8:36
This technique is cool because you can start to create the impression that there are 2 people playing when in fact it's just you. Amazing.
Study Piece with an arpeggio with rest-stroke on the highest note5:59
Another study piece, if you like this song, then check out "Spanish Romance" (That's where I stole the idea from).
Playing an arpeggio with the melody in the lowest voice9:26
Basically the same idea, but now the melodic voice is in the bass (lowest-sounding) voice.
Study Piece on playing an arpeggio with the melody in the lowest voice7:52
Make sure the melody sings out, I recommend playing the bass notes that you pick with your right hand thumb all by themselves to warm up.

Going back and forth with the right hand thumb and a right hand finger10:27
This is one of those things that are kind of unique to the way I play and think about playing. A lot of really good guitarists play this way but you never see this talked about in books or in video lessons so I thought, what the hey, I'll include it here.
Another kind of arpeggio texture, let's call it voice-leading7:36
Same thing, a lot of people play this way but you never see popular lessons books or videos talk about it.
Study Piece using thumb and finger technique7:58
I actually like this study piece, make sure the transitions between chords are all smooth.

Drag Finger Arpeggio- Definition and how to play it6:51
This section continues the theme of a technique that a lot of advanced guitar players use, but that isn't really taught outside of private lessons with high-profile teachers. I'm not high-profile, but here it is anyway.
Study Piece using the drag finger arpeggio technique6:33
Feel free to make up your own study piece, I do like the idea of using open strings to make the left hand shifts easier.

Tremolo Basics and how to apporach it5:16
I know that tremolo is actually distinct from arpeggios, but this is a topic that is similar in terms of right hand technique, and I think you need either a video or live lesson in order to be able to see how the technique is done.
Strategies and Exercises for developing tremolo technique7:34
These are some practice strategies that I've found helpful.
Study Piece using Tremolo Technique6:30
A short study piece to help you develop your tremolo technique.

Practicing with the metronome-how to get the most out of your practice time7:40
You don't have to practice with the metronome every time that you play, but it will really help your playing and musicianship if you have the ability to keep strict time. Being able to keep strict time is actually doubly important if you want to be expressive in your playing. This video is a great introduction to practicing with the metronome, so it isn't intimidating.
Tuning a guitar (it can be tricky sometimes)7:29
Basically, you've got to use your ear and develop your skill at tuning the way that you would develop any other technique.

Description

This is a short, easy-to-follow course where you will learn how to use your right hand fingers to pluck the strings in a variety of musical contexts so that you'll be able to play the pieces that you love with accuracy and confidence.

The sounds and the music that you can make on the guitar with your right-hand fingers is beautiful and complex, but that doesn't mean that playing with your right-hand needs to be complicated or difficult. You'll start by learning the most important principles of using your right hand fingers to play, and by then gradually building on these skills, you'll be able to play guitar better and express yourself with more interesting and complex music.

You're going to really enjoy this course if you would like:

to start playing guitar with your right-hand fingers
to learn the correct way to play the strings with your right-hand fingers and avoid bad habits
to learn how to sound like 2 people at once by playing a melody and a finger-picked accompaniment at the same time
to impress others with your ability to play guitar music that's sounds more challenging and interesting

The premise of the course is straightforward, that if you want to play music that has more than 1 part going on at a time, then it's necessary to use your right hand fingers to play the strings. The most common way to use your right-hand fingers to finger-pick on the guitar is to play an arpeggio. In the course, you'll learn what that means and you'll see there doesn't need to be anything difficult or stressful about that, and you don't need any special background or skills to learn how to finger-pick.

You'll start by learning the basics of playing an arpeggio with your right-hand fingers, then you'll move on to playing an arpeggio pattern while you have a melody playing at the same time, first in the highest voice, and then in the lowest voice. You'll move on to some useful picking patterns and approaches, and you'll wrap up with a bonus section on a more challenging technique called tremolo.

By the end of the course, you and everyone who listens to you play will be able to hear a difference as you play music that sounds more complex and interesting.

Who this course is for:

This course is for you if you would like to learn how to use your right-hand fingers to pluck the guitar strings
This course for guitarists who are looking for answers and how to build good technique and avoid bad habits
This course starts off very basic, but that being said, if you've never played guitar before this course isn't for you right now

Classical Guitar Finger-Picking: Right Hand Arpeggios

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction1 lecture • 2min

Basic Arpeggio Technique3 lectures • 24min

Playing an arpeggio while playing a melody at the same time4 lectures • 32min

Thumb and Finger Arpeggio- A common technique used by all types of guitarists3 lectures • 26min

Drag Finger Arpeggio2 lectures • 13min

Tremolo Technique- A Introduction to a more challenging technique3 lectures • 19min

Important things to remember so that you get the most out of your practicing2 lectures • 15min

Conclusion1 lecture • 2min

Description

Who this course is for: