I've been playing since 1968. Based on that many years of experience, here's the books I'd recommend that you obtain and work through if you want to play fingerstyle:
Do this one FIRST, it'll have you amazing yourself in a very short amount of time...
The Art of Contemporary Travis Picking by Mark Hanson $13.57
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Contemporary-Travis-Picking-Fingerpicking/dp/0936799005/sr=1-1/qid=1165686362/ref=sr_1_1/102-0961200-3158529?ie=UTF8&s=books" target="_blank"> http://www.amazon.com/Art-Contemporary- … ing-Finger picking/dp/0936799005/sr=1-1/qid=1165686362/ref=sr_1_1/102-0 961200-3158529?ie=UTF8&s=books</a>
If you still can't get enough of that funky stuff, do this one next...
The Art of Solo Fingerpicking, How To Play Alternating-Bass Fingerstyle Guitar Solos by Mark Hanson $13.57
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Solo-Fingerpicking-Alternating-Bass-Fingerstyle/dp/093679903X/sr=1-1/qid=1165686406/ref=sr_1_1/102-0961200-3158529?ie=UTF8&s=books" target="_blank"> http://www.amazon.com/Art-Solo-Fingerpi … nating-Bas s-Fingerstyle/dp/093679903X/sr=1-1/qid=1165686406/ref=sr_1_1 /102-0961200-3158529?ie=UTF8&s=books</a>
After that, you're sort of on your own. But you finish that much and you'll be good! After that, grab some Chet Atkins tablature, or Leo Kottke, et al.
For your fundamental overall guitar knowledge, get this book. Every guitarist should own a copy.
The Guitar Handbook by Ralph Denyer $17.13
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Handbook-Ralph-Denyer/dp/0679742751/sr=1-1/qid=1165686218/ref=sr_1_1/102-0961200-3158529?ie=UTF8&s=bo14.56+oks" target="_blank"> http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Handbook-R … /dp/067974 2751/sr=1-1/qid=1165686218/ref=sr_1_1/102-0961200-3158529?ie =UTF8&s=bo14.56+oks</a>
This is a good first look at scales, and there really isn't anything BUT scales, once you understand the big picture:
Guitar Chords & Scales, An Easy Reference for Acoustic or Electric Guitar from Hal Leonard Publishing $5.95
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Chords-Scales-Reference-Acoustic/dp/063405273X/sr=1-1/qid=1165686274/ref=sr_1_1/102-0961200-3158529?ie=UTF8&s=books" target="_blank"> http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Chords-Sca … ce-Acousti c/dp/063405273X/sr=1-1/qid=1165686274/ref=sr_1_1/102-0961200 -3158529?ie=UTF8&s=books</a>
This will make theory understandable without much pain and also help train your ear:
Music Theory, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know But Were Afraid to Ask by Tom Kolb $12.21
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Music-Theory-Guitarists-Everything-Wanted/dp/063406651X/sr=11-1/qid=1165686317/ref=sr_11_1/102-0961200-3158529" target="_blank"> http://www.amazon.com/Music-Theory-Guit … ything-Wan ted/dp/063406651X/sr=11-1/qid=1165686317/ref=sr_11_1/102-096 1200-3158529</a>
And once you've got the fundamentals and the fingerstyle stuff under your belt, you might want to have a go at flatpicking as well, just to be well rounded. Flatpicking entails everything from Django to Yngwie:
Flatpicking Guitar Essentials, Folk and Bluegrass, from Acoustic Guitar Magazine's Private Lessons series $14.56
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flatpicking-Essentials-Acoustic-Magazines-Private/dp/1890490075/sr=1-1/qid=1165686460/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-0961200-3158529?ie=UTF8&s=books" target="_blank"> http://www.amazon.com/Flatpicking-Essen … tic-Magazi nes-Private/dp/1890490075/sr=1-1/qid=1165686460/ref=pd_bbs_s r_1/102-0961200-3158529?ie=UTF8&s=books</a>
This is the grail when it comes to flatpicking books. Crary is not only a terrific guitarist but also a natural teacher...
The Flatpicker's Guide by Dan Crary $19.95
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dan-Crary-Flatpickers-Guide/dp/1574240587/sr=11-1/qid=1165686507/ref=sr_11_1/102-0961200-3158529" target="_blank"> http://www.amazon.com/Dan-Crary-Flatpic … dp/1574240 587/sr=11-1/qid=1165686507/ref=sr_11_1/102-0961200-3158529</a>
Those are the seven best books I know. For about a hundred bucks, you've got the foundation of being a genuinely great guitarist, if you bother to work through the material. Even if you don't like the particular styles of music represented in those books, they'll still give you the skills and background to take off in any direction you want to go.
Keep playing, never stop learning, push yourself past your limits.
Oubaas <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_smile.gif" border=0 alt="Smile">