Lesson Classical Guitar Patterns Using Fingers (No Pick)

Classical plucking offers infinite melodic variations and tonal possibilties without using a pick. Hybrid picking allows a picking guitarist to play some things otherwise impossible; however, there are limitations to the technique. The primary issue stems from the angle at which the free fingers must pick the strings. While a player who only uses his or her fingers to pluck the strings (e.g., a classical guitarist) holds their hand at such an angle that the fingers travel perpendicular to the strings, allowing for a clear attack, a player holding the pick naturally positions their hand such that the pick strikes perpendicular to the strings, putting the fingers in a position almost parallel to the strings. This makes the attack of the free fingers of a hybrid picking guitarist considerably weaker than that of a purely fingerpicking guitarist. The angle of the fingers for a hybrid picker also limits the speed at which fingerpicked notes can be played.

Right Hand: This is a very unique pattern which plays all strings on the guitar. It is to be played allegro (fast) for 50 over measures. You can play this with a pick but it will be tiring doing this for the entire song allegro!

Here are 5 examples of plucking patterns using pima
I have included only the first bar(s) of the songs by various composers
Every song I posted here can be found on ultimate-guitar.com or at my website www.chrisliang.com.

Try to play some of the following patterns with your own chords. You can play around with these plucking variations by doing arpeggios on top of chords. Using the right hand to pluck makes you a better player not relying on a pick all the time.


The right hand notation for classical/flamenco/spanish.

p = pulgar = thumb
i = indice = index
m = medio = middle
a = anular = ring
x = pinky


1. Double Stop Plucking

Song: Symphony 9 - theme (Ode To Joy)
Composer: Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Pattern: m i
p

e--0------0------1------3-------3------1------0-----------
B---------------------------------------------------3-----
G-----0-------0-----0-------0------0-------0-----0-----0--
D---------2-------------2--------------0------------0-----
A--3-------------3--------------2-------------2-----------
E---------------------------------------------------------

RH m i m i m i m i m i m i m i m i
p p p p p p p p


Right Hand: Double stop plucking (2 at a time).
Rock song exmple: check out "Julia" by the Beatles for double stop arpeggio.

2. Tremolo

Song: Recuerdos de la Alhambra
Composer: Francisco Tarrega (1852-1909)

Pattern: pami

E|-------------------------------------------------|
B|---5-5-5---5-5-5---5-5-5---5-5-5---3-5-5---3-5-5-|
G|-----------------5---------------4---------------|
D|---------2---------------2---------------2-------|
A|-0-----------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

R p a m i p a m i p a m i p a m i p a m i p a m i


Right hand. Tremolo played fast gives a glimmering effect. Another pattern that needs to be played fast and difficult with a pick. Practice this pattern until you can get it to go "auto pilot". youtube example

3. Rasgueado

A rasgueado is a method of strumming the strings of the guitar but it is much more complicated than the typical western style strumming. Because you use all five of your fingers, you are able to add an innumerable amount of rhythmic variations and patterns.


Pattern: 5 Finger Rasguedo

E|--0---0---0---0---0----------------------------------|
B|--0---0---0---0---0----------------------------------|
G|--1---1---1---1---1----------------------------------|
D|--2---2---2---2---2----------------------------------|
A|--2---2---2---2---2----------------------------------|
E|--0---0---0---0---0----------------------------------|

R t x a m i
v ^ ^ ^ ^

4. Sweep Plucking

Song: Opus 48 No5- Studio in Em
Composer: Mario Giuliani (1781-1829)

Pattern: pimami

E|--------0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----|
B|------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0---|
G|----0-------0---0-------0---0-------0---0-------0-|
D|--------------2-----------2-----------2-----------|
A|--------------------------------------------------|
E|--0-----------------------------------------------|

R p i m a m i p i m a m i p i m a m i p i m a m i


Right Hand: With a pick, player will have to move your right hand up and down constanly. By using (pima) fingers your wrist doesn't even have to move! Instead your wrist hovers over the string while you sweep your fingers across the strings.

5. Four Finger pattern (across all strings)

Song: Etude 1 in E minor
Composer: by Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)

Pattern: pipi-pmiam-maim-pipi

e||----------------0---0--------------||
B||------------0-----0-----0----------||
G||o-------0-----0-------0-----0-----o||
D||o---2-----2---------------2-----2-o||
A||------2-----------------------2----||
E||--0=======================---------||
p i p i p m i a m a i m p i p i