Since fingerstyle is so closely linked with the singer-songwriter and Americana genres, we'll be looking at chord movements and voicings loosely inspired by Jim Croce's sound in songs like "Operator" or "These Dreams," as well as other related fills that could be used in similar circumstances.

How to Reharmonize Using Open Strings

Our first few examples demonstrate common passing chords you can use to navigate between the main chords in a typical pop ballad. Notice how we are playing open strings where we can to add interest to the chords. In Ex. 1 you can see how a simple walkdown can get you from Em to G while keeping the 3rd string open.

Syncopations and Fingerstyle Rolls

Next up we'll focus on different fingerpicking rolls and syncopations to create movement. Not all fingerstyle fits into the standard Merle Travis "boom-chick" style where the bass is alternating quarter-notes and states the root of each chord on the first beat of each measure. There are more subtle ways to imply rhythm in a progression. We'll explore this in the following examples using some of the chords and progressions from earlier.

The simple pattern in Ex. 4 moves through the progression we looked at in Ex. 1. Keep the 1st string ringing throughout and the chord shape in place while you pick the notes. Notice how some of the open strings allow those arpeggios to feel like they're creating a melody of their own, and how changing the order of the picking pattern changes those melodies? If we were using very simple chords, it would be harder to achieve this effect.

Product Details

• Full Video Tutorials
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• Video Format ‏ : ‎ Digital DVD Video
• Actors ‏ : ‎Jim Croce
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