The Sweetest Melody I’ve Ever Composed

Fingerpicking lesson

Hey guys, welcome to another fingerpicking lesson. Today I am going to show you one of the sweetest melody I’ve ever composed on acoustic guitar.

As you know I really like to write beautiful yet simple, and easy to play melodies on fingerstyle guitar.

I always try to make my playing look effortless so that you can get inspired, not intimidated.

In this fingerpicking guitar lesson I am going to show you a super simple melody in E major which can be played on acoustic and classical guitar.

Info about the lesson

Key: E major

Technique: Fingerstyle.

Concept: Simple melody in E major played with symmetrical plucking pattern.

Plucking Pattern: One fingerpicking patterns played on different strings. There is a section where the thumb plucks the 3rd string G.

Sections: Three sections with different chords. First section E – B/D# – C#m – A. Second section E – B – C#m – A. Third section C#m – B/D# – E – B/D# – C#m – B – A – B – E.

Level: For beginners and intermediate guitar players.

Let’s get started.

Tab available on Patreon!

Get the Tab here!

The Video

Sweet Fingerpicking Pattern

The fingerpicking pattern is one of the most important aspect of this simple melody. It’s the tool we use to convey our musical ideas on the guitar so it is extremely important that you understand how to pluck the strings correctly.

If you the melody to sound sweet, you must follow three simple rules that will make your plucking impeccable.

The 45 degree angle

The index, middle and ring finger should be positioned on a 45 degree angle close to the strings, that will give you a great tone, control and perfect balance with the thumb.

When you pluck the strings, achieving a clean and beautiful sounding tone is of paramount importance for many different reasons. It makes your playing unique and and gives you a voice on the instrument.

Spend time working on your tone. Start by implementing the 45 degree angle then adjust based on your style and fingers.

Thumb Position

Another important aspect for achieving a sweet, pure tone is the thumb position.

Fingerpicking is balance between thumb and fingers. Without this balance, your plucking can be sloppy, uneven and “ugly”.

The thumb should always be positioned in front of the fingers. That will give room to the finger to pluck upwards.

Pluck with the side of the thumb and if you have nails, always use a combination of flesh and nail.

Make sure the thumb is always in line with the wrist and avoid any other position that doesn’t look like the one below.

There is always room for small adjustments but the one below is a pretty good reference to follow.

Left Hand and Chords

The number one rule when playing a sweet melody is the over-ringing, which should be applied throughout.

The over-ringing is way of playing in which the chords ring out nicely.

As we are in E major key, over-ringing is really pleasant and easy to achieve. Try to hold the chords and notes of the melody for a little longer so that you can create a beautiful ringing sound.