Why Learn To Finger Pick Guitar?

Let us take some time to talk about WHY you should learn how to finger pick guitar.  The simple answer to why you should learn can be summed up by saying:

(1) You will benefit.  When you learn finger picking guitar it will open a whole new world of skills to you.  It is truly a great challenge to learn finger picking and therefore it’s satisfying!

(2) Your audience will enjoy your talents even more.  Those who listen to you, that is your family, friends, or your audience of devoted fans, if you’re a professional, will enjoy your music even more than they do now if you learn how to finger pick guitar.

I know that likely you already want to learn finger picking.  That’s why you’re here at this site.  However, I want you to REALLY WANT it.  The above answers are simple and have been put in a nut shell.  However, you will become even more motivated to learn finger picking then you already are if you considering in more detail the reasons WHY you should learn. So please be patient and read on as I discuss more about WHY you should learn how to finger pick guitar.  You’ll benefit yourself if you take the time to read this.

There are probably as many styles of guitar playing as there are guitar players.  It is a beautiful thing that each one of us can develop our own style.  So then WHY should you learn finger picking guitar?  Or WHY should you learn finger style guitar?  You might be thinking – “Does it really matter?  -  When you get right down to it, it’s really a matter of taste and personal preference”'.  Yes! This is true! However, when it comes to music there should be more to it than just your "personal preference" because there is your audience too!

If you’re thinking that you 'play guitar only for yourself' or 'only for your own enjoyment' as people sometimes say then I feel sorry for you.  Actually, I don't believe people really mean that when they say it.  I believe the real reason they say that is because they don’t feel that they play well enough to “show off” their skills.  So they prefer to do it in privacy.  That makes sense to me and there is nothing wrong with that.  However, playing the guitar should be more than just about you.  Music is an expression of your feelings, and therefore an expression of yourself.  It's only natural to want others to hear your expressions.  No doubt  you’re not in the habit of going in a room or your closet and talking to yourself are you?  If you answer YES to that then again I would say I feel sorry for you.  If that’s the case then I can understand why you might be only “closet” guitarist.  For the rest of us "more normal" people we would naturally like others to "hear" us when we express ourselves.  If you are a person that usually prefers to play guitar in solitude then I ask you to be honest with yourself.  Would you not admit that secretly you would like people to listen to your music and enjoy it but you feel your music isn’t “good” enough or you aren’t “talented” enough?

I know that was certainly true of me.  Deep down in side me there is this desire to be able to serenade the woman I love and have her heart just melt as my music pours over her.  As I stated at the outset, that is one of the main reason I want people to come to this web site.  It’s for the simple reason that I want people to listen to my music and like it.  This comes from that basic hearts desire to have my music heard.  I believe that should be true of any musician and I'm sure that if your honest with yourself it is true of you too.  If it isn't....well I believe it should be!  Now you may not be interested in playing professionally.  That I can understand.  You may not care to play publicly at all.  I get that too.  Even if this is true, I'm certain you would like others to hear your music.  Perhaps your girl friend or boy friend or others that you love like those in your family.  Even if you're very timid or shy, I'm sure that deep down inside, you would like them to appreciate and enjoy your music.  Secretly, you would like some kind of recognition of your musical expressions! Isn't that so?  Again, if you’re honest with yourself, I believe you will be saying YES!!!  If you are then that's the way it should be.  My point is this - Music SHOULD NOT be just about you!  There are others to consider.  Your music is about your audience too!  I'll be talking more about this later but for now please just REMEMBER THIS - If you learn finger picking guitar, then those who hear you are going to appreciate your guitar playing much more. 

Right now though, you may be just wandering if you should even attempt to learn to play finger style guitar, because you may feel it would be too difficult to learn.  Finger picking guitar is not easy to learn that is true.  But to learn finger picking guitar isn’t beyond your reach.  If you make the effort it is doable.  It is possible and I would like to help you decide to make that effort!  The first step is you must decide that you really what to learn to finger pick.

One thing to help you decide if you should learn how to finger pick guitar is to listen closely (download some of my FREE songs) to accomplished musicians who play finger style guitar.  Likely, if you're like most people, finger picking guitar music will appeal to you. That is probably why you're here at this web site in the first place.  It may be just the thing that you want to learn to do.  However, even if it doesn't really appeal you, you should still make the effort to learn finger picking guitar.  Why is that?  Because you'll be happy you did in the long run.  This is especially true if you're a professional musician who needs to appeal to large numbers of the general public.  This is because finger picking does just that - it APPEALS to the general public.

More than likely though, you're not a professional.  You probably just play the guitar as a source of enjoyment, perhaps with a friend or two or maybe just with your family. It may be like a hobby for you.  Even so, you should still learn how to finger pick guitar.  Why is that? Again, because you'll be happy you did.  If you learn finger picking you will find that your hobby has taken on new dimensions.  It will give you much more satisfaction then when you didn't play finger style.  It will do this just because the very nature of the art of finger picking guitar is challenging.  In my opinion, it is the most challenging style of guitar playing that there is.  Because it is so challenging, when you make progress, it is that much more rewarding.  You will find that the music that comes rolling off of your fingers is even impressing YOURSELF!  "Wow...I can't believe that I just played that", is the kind of feelings you will be having when you are finger picking.  You will find that you can't wait to the next time you can pick up your guitar to start finger picking it again.

By now I hope you're starting to get the idea that I'm trying to convince you to learn finger picking.  I hope so because that's exactly what I'm trying to do.  You may be thinking "but I already want to learn finger picking".  That's GREAT!!!  I'm happy you do, however, I want you to REALLY WANT to learn finger picking guitar.  As in REALLY HAVE THAT DESIRE to learn.  Why is that?  This is not just because it has brought me so much satisfaction and enjoyment.  It's because you’re going to need lots of motivation to continue.  I'm certain that finger picking will bring you lots of enjoyment just like it has me, but it's also going to take a lot of hard work, and determination on your part to do what I'm going to be teaching you.  The thing is you will be doing this through the marvel of the internet. So unfortunately I'm not going to be right there with you to "hold your hand" so to speak.  The drive to learn has to come from within you.  It's been my experience that many who start out to learn finger picking using plastic finger picks end up giving up and doing something else they feel is easier or faster.  I don't want that to happen to you.  So I’m basically giving you a pep talk to keep with it. 

So if finger picking does appeal to you, and you would like to learn it but you feel you could never play that way because it's just too difficult please be assured that I want to help you.  Please know that I CAN and WILL help you.  This web site can be just what you need and it will do just that - please read on.