Fingerpicking opens up a whole side of the guitar that a pick alone can’t reach. Whether you’re playing folk, blues, country, or just want to accompany yourself while you sing, getting your fingers working independently is one of the most useful skills you can develop. And it doesn’t take years to get started — you can have a solid bass-pluck pattern going in your first practice session.
These nine lessons cover everything from your very first fingerpicking pattern to flatpicking licks you can use in a jam. If you’re brand new, start with the three-part beginner series and work through it in order. If you’ve already got the basics, jump to whichever topic fills in the gaps.
Fingerpicking for Beginners — A Three-Part Series
Start here if you’ve never fingerpicked before. Colin walks you through the fundamentals one step at a time, building from a simple bass-pluck to full arpeggio patterns.
Fingerpicking for Beginners — The Bass-Pluck Foundation (Part 1)
Where to put your fingers, the claw hammer position, and your first bass-pluck pattern. Covers both 4/4 and 3/4 timing with alternating bass notes.
Fingerpicking Exercises — The Three-Group Pattern (Part 2)
Adds a third element: bass, single string pluck, then a two-string pluck together. A versatile three-group pattern that works across tempos and chord shapes.
Fingerpicking Patterns — Arpeggio Techniques (Part 3)
The most advanced step — playing individual chord tones as arpeggios. Finger-to-string assignments and rhythmic variations from 16th notes to quarter notes.
Fingerstyle Foundations
Intro to Fingerstyle Guitar
The big-picture decisions: how many fingers, which fingers, nails or no nails, pick or no pick. Colin walks through the options so you can choose the right approach for your playing style.
Electric Guitar Fingerstyle Techniques
Fingerpicking isn’t just for acoustic. Colin compares classical, folk, and hybrid approaches on electric guitar, referencing everyone from Segovia to Brad Paisley.
Picking Technique and Tools
Pick vs Fingers Guitar — Choosing Your Method
The full comparison: picks, fingers, thumb picks, finger picks, and hybrid. Pros and cons of each, with references to Eddie Van Halen, Warren Haynes, and Chet Atkins.
Hybrid Picking Guitar — Combine Pick and Fingers
Colin’s preferred technique explained in detail. Use a pick for bass notes and your remaining three fingers for the upper strings. Practical starting patterns included.
Flatpicking
Flatpicking uses a pick with open string positions to create single-note lines over chord progressions. These two lessons use relative major and minor scales to unlock your flatpicking across different keys.
Flatpicking Guitar — Intermediate Riffs in the Key of C
Using the A minor scale (relative to C major) over a C-F-G progression. Learn to resolve to C and get the full spectrum of notes from the relative minor position.
Flatpicking Licks in the Key of G
E minor pentatonic over G-C-D — the same relative minor concept applied to a new key. Inspired by Doc Watson, with tips on resolution and practice setups.