Guitar Books Review #15: Fingerstyle 101 by Dan Thorpe
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
- Is this one of the best or worst method books for fingerstyle guitar?
You can learn to play music by simultaneously using a variety of resources including teachers, online resources, and books.
Dan Thorpe’s Fingerstyle 101 is a method book for learning to play fingerstyle (or “fingerpicking”) guitar. The book is appropriate for absolute beginner fingerstyle players who have some experience with open chords. Intermediate and advanced players will fly through this book and may find a few useful ideas but probably won’t find any revelatory information or inspiring performance pieces. The author has written this book with older adult students in mind, although any beginning students would certainly benefit from working through it. The book contains lots of practical advice on fingerpicking technique, playing posture, and strategies for practicing and memorization. It has sections including “Pro Tips to Make Your Fingerpicking Journey Easier and More Enjoyable,” “The 7 Most Deadly Fingerpicking Mistakes,” and “The 10 Steps for Getting the Most Out of Your Fingerpicking Playing.” There is one section of the book (less than half the book) with actual playing examples, and these examples are great first fingerpicking patterns to learn along with some practical applications.
There is lots of text in the book. Fortunately, this text is informative without being bland. Lots of lists, summaries, pictures, etc. The text has a large font size so it is easy on the eyes. Thorpe provides advice for avoiding guitar-related injuries - i.e. information about how to hold the guitar in the classical style to help older students avoid back pain. There is some psychology about how to learn efficiently/effectively and how to make and set goals. There is a chord reference guide as well as sections on understanding basic rhythms and reading tablature (TAB).
The playing section in the middle of the book progresses at a reasonable pace for a beginner fingerstyle student. Thorpe teaches ten fingerpicking patterns, and for each pattern there are three examples. The first example is as basic as possible over a single chord shape. The second example has you play the pattern over a simple chord progression (always C G D). Since you always utilize the same C G D chord progression, you will be able to focus your brain power on your picking hand and the new pattern. This is also very practical because if you want to fingerpick the guitar while singing, it is useful to try out a pattern over simple chord progressions that you might find in folk or pop songs. Finally, the third example introduces a more complex chord progression, stylistic elements such as hammer-ons and pull-offs, and sometimes a (very simple) moving melody or bass line. These third examples are not long enough to be performance pieces, but they may inspire you to add some flair to your accompaniment fingerpicking or to write your own compositions.
The book doesn’t progress far enough to establish a specific style within the umbrella of fingerstyle guitar. You learn a few classical arpeggiation patterns, a few Travis picking patterns, and a few patterns that have some folk or blues flair. The book doesn’t get into the modern percussive techniques used by modern players like Michael Hedges, Don Ross, Andy McKee, Mike Dawes, etc. No thumb slaps, guitar body percussion, or tapping.
All playing examples are provided in standard notation (treble clef) and tablature. Audio recordings are available for all playing examples.
You could use either a steel string or nylon string classical guitar to work through this book.
Published by Rockstar Publishing © 2015, 2020. Distributed by Hal Leonard.
My eBook: Arranging for Fingerstyle Guitar: go to joemcmurray.com... to purchase a pdf of my eBook.
My music is available on all streaming platforms:
Pins on the Map: my third fingerstyle guitar album will be released on January 19, 2024. The first single, "Open Road," was released 10/20/23. Watch it on UA-cam here: • Joe McMurray - Open Ro... . Three other singles have since been released: “Lost and Found,” “The Matador,” and “Pins on the Map.”
Riding the Wave and Acoustic Oasis: my first two fingerstyle guitar albums.
I discovered Dan Thorpe's book after having given up the guitar for 10 years and deciding that I wanted to return to it and focus on fingerstyle. As an intermediate player, I went through it in about 6 months and it was excellent. I think Joe misses the mark when he talks about the book consisting of "a lot of text" in which the author offers "tips and advice." More accurately, Dan emphasizes the importance of technique in guitar playing and devotes considerable time to explaining the elements of proper technique. This is invaluable for a player at any level. (Before I quit, I developed tendonitis around my thumb and a chronic problem with my picking index finger, all because of bad technique. I won't have the same problems anymore.) The 10 patterns are interesting, and they provide a solid foundation for moving on to more advanced or specialized books. (I'm now going through Hanson's The Art of Contemporary Travis Picking, for example.) Overall, Dan is a superb teacher and I recommend his book to anyone wanting to take up fingerstyle guitar.
Thanks so much for your comment! I actually agree with you whole-heartedly - the advice in the text provides a lot of useful (crucial) information, especially regarding advice for avoiding guitar-related injuries (as you mention). There is some psychology about how to learn efficiently/effectively and how to make and set goals. I gave the book 4/5 stars on my Amazon review, which is high for me (5 stars are reserved for the rare books that I think are incredible).
I do think that there are several other books that provide more (and high quality) playing examples that build your skills, repertoire, and theoretical knowledge (to allow you to modify, simplify, or create your own arrangements).
The solution is to buy this book in conjunction with one of those other books and you get the best of both worlds!
Can't disagree with you there, Joe. I'm enjoying your reviews!@@JoeMcMurrayMusic
So which book WOULD you recommend for beginning fingerstyle guitar?
Hey - great question! At some point once I get through this batch of books I'm planning on doing some comparison videos kind of like what I did with the Christmas books in Episode 14. However it depends on several factors:
1) Are you a complete beginner or can you already strum your basic open chords with decently smooth transitions between them?
2) Are you looking to play fingerstyle patterns and sing or are you looking to play solo fingerstyle compositions?
3) What style are you most interested in? Fingerstyle blues? More of a Chet Atkins/Travis picking style? Celtic music? More classically influenced music? More modern sounding music with thumb slaps, other percussion, tapping, etc.? Fingerstyle jazz?
All of that being said, if you stick with fingerstyle, you probably can't go wrong with the Alfred Beginning Fingerstyle Method. It covers a broad spectrum of information and styles. The Complete Chet Atkins Guitar Method is great for Travis Picking. Fingerstyle Guitar from Scratch (Bruce Emery) takes it slow with lots of examples and fun/helpful text. I'm working on some new books that are promising for beginners as well. Every book that I've reviewed has value!
Which book is best for learn arranging fingerstyle
Hey! Sorry for the delayed response! Shameless plug: I think that my eBook, "Arranging for Fingerstyle Guitar," is a great resource - go to joemcmurray.com/checkout/ to purchase. Otherwise, Alfred Publishing's "Beginning Fingerstyle Arranging and Technique for Guitar" by Patrick Johnson is really good, just different in it's approach.