Acoustic Guitar 101

with Scott Law

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Acoustic Guitar 101 - Section 1

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Acoustic Guitar 101 Lessons: Lesson 15: Right Hand Part 2

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[MUSIC]
We haven't employed anything yet

with time or meter, cuz we've been

learning about the parts of the guitar and
tuning.

But now, let's throw this into the mix for
a second.

Now you noticed we're going
downstrokes on the thumb

[MUSIC]

upstrokes on the index finger.

Now this isn't as much about our final
technique for playing as it is conceptual.

I just wanna kind of introduce this idea.

If we're counting now and
we're counting in some rhythm,

we could have something like this.

One and two and three and

four and one and two and three and

four and one and two and three.

Now I could also go, where I'm employing

not just the downstroke of the thumb.

You heard me counting, one and
two and three and four and.

So, I'm just introducing the idea of

a group of four beats in a measure.

I call it a measure,

cuz we're just measuring these
things out in groups of four.

But I also introduce
the idea of each beat has

a downstroke, which is on the count.

When I say, one and two and
three and four and.

What's going on with those ands?

Well, you could say, one and

two and three and four and.

So you've got, one and two and
three and four and one and.

This technique is not a technique.

This is more just to get you going on
the idea of a downstroke and an upstroke.

That the use of the thumb and
the index finger

together is an introduction
to finger picking, where.

[MUSIC]
Just

using a basic two

finger idea.

So getting used to that idea, now we
are moving through time a little bit.

We're looking at downstrokes
[SOUND] that come to

rest [SOUND] on the adjacent string.

What happens if we put
a pick into the mix?

Now, [SOUND] same thing.

[SOUND] One and two and

three and four and one and.

Now if I go, one and two and

three and four and one and

two and three and four and one and

two and three and four and.

[SOUND] So what I just was doing there,

getting you used to the idea
of alternate picking.

And [SOUND] we're gonna hit
more on that in a little bit,

but having brought the pick in,
let's talk about it.

Let's talk about how you hold it.

My method for
showing folks how to do this and

I guess it's how I do it,
I always imagine I've got

a mug with my favorite liquid in it and
whatever that might be.

It depends on what time of day.

And it's got a handle that I can put
everything all my fingers in and

it looks like that.

And then as if I put my thumb down and
I put my pick in there and you see I use

kind of a big triangle pick, it's
a little thick that's just my preference.

I'll talk a little bit more
about that in a minute.

I put the pick down with that point.

I sort of prefer the rounded point and

I just leave a little bit of
it hanging out like that.

Now this part doesn't stay,
but this part does.

And generally, when I go to reach
to get a little set position,

a little home base,
I use my pinky as sort of a reference.

It doesn't always stay there,
it might float around a little bit,

depending on what I'm doing and
it's just a nice little home base.

[MUSIC]
So

just playing

around on a C

chord here.

[SOUND] And [SOUND] when I'm strumming.

[MUSIC]
Playing rhythm,

I'm not using that home base idea so much.

[SOUND] But when I'm flat picking,
[MUSIC]

sometimes it's gonna

float in that direction.

[MUSIC]

?

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Acoustic Guitar 101 Lessons: Lesson 15: Right Hand Part 2

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