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Guitar chord forum - chordie → Acoustic → Picking chords??
can someone please help...when i find a song i want to learn and i get the chords for it....i dont know what strings to pick. example would be American Soldier by Toby Keith. i have the chords but its picked and not strummed, but i dont know which strings to pick. would appreciate any advice.
dont know that song but my best advice is to listen to the tempo and rythm of the songs in mind, long as youve got the timing right of the song takes careful listening
Learn the song by strumming it 1st. Then as you get to know the song well you'll start to hear for yourself what string is doing what.
Just to complicate matters, the artist in question may be adding in some extra finger movements on top of the chords, so concentrate on getting the strumming right first.
Well.............that's what I do anyway.
I've been learning fingerpick style. When I play that way, I don't worry about getting it "right." I just try to play something pleasing to my ear with something relatively close to the right chords. I can't help you with knowing which strings whoever played guitar on the album track did it, but I'd recommend that when you play you should just sit down and experiment to see what order/tempo/rhythm works to please your ears. Unless of course, you're Toby Keith, in which case you should remember for yourself. If you aren't Toby Keith, no need to play exactly like him. Put some of YOU into the song. The only things that you should get close to "right" are any signature licks in the song.
- Zurf
thanks for the advice and tips...it was excellent. i got on my ax last night and had fun getting it down to making it sound 'like' the song but the way i wanted it to sound. i appreciate you all taking the time.
Each chord has a root note which you pick with your thumb. Then you pick a high string with your first finger, thumb on root again and then pick a high string with your index finger. Look up basic 'travis picking' and 'clawhammer'. There's a lot of debate over what these terms mean but you should find the simple beginning pattern. I'll post a good link when I find one.
Guitar chord forum - chordie → Acoustic → Picking chords??
