Conference napalm::guitar

the thumb, index, middle and third fingers are VERY important.

Although it's best to use all four w/thumb, it's at least best to use 
thumb, and three fingers, and use the pinky for support.

Using the thumb with just the index and middle finger will limit you.

Then, just roll your fingers up and down a chord....  Make sure EACH note
that you pick rings clear.  Take it slow.  It's a start.

	I attempted to fingerpick for 10 + years, self taught, on a steel
    string dreadnought.  When it finally self destructed I went on a
    mission to replace it with another steel string dreadnought.  What
    I wound up buying was a nylon stringed classical instead.  I also
    started on classical lessons.  After 2 years of lessons I can now
    travis pick in my sleep and generally play things on sight that I 
    couldn't even attempt before.  For me there were two morals to the
    story.  
    
    	First, you have to get the right instrument.  A small body (OM
    Style) steel string, strung with light or extra light strings, with a 
    slightly wider fingerboard for ease of right hand technique,
    allows you to get enough volume out of the instrument to make playing
    finger style practical without resorting to fingerpicks.  A classical
    accomplishes the same thing but there is a basic difference in the
    tonal qualities of the instrument which may not be palatable to
    everyone. Dreadnoughts, however, are made for 'chord bangers' as
    you call them.
    
    	Second, the 'snob position' as certain noters refer to the way
    a classical guitarist holds and plays his/her instrument, combined
    with correct (for the individual) hand positioning and finger motion
    allowed me to do things technically I never would have able to do
    otherwise.  The only way to discover what is correct for you IMHO
    is to work with a good teacher over the course of time.  Each unique
    instrument held in the unique hands of each performer requires a
    unique playing method.  Self discovery can take forever. jt  
    

Dreadnaughts are made for "chord bangers"????  

    I would also recommend that you attend the Chris Proctor clinic while
    he's in the New England area.  He was the 1982 national fingerpicking 
    champ and gives a decent clinic.
    
    He shows some ideas of using the thumb for percussion ala Chet Atkins,
    and also shows some techniques used by Windham Hill artists (i.e.,
    Hedges, Ackerman).
    
    Chris also has a few instrumental tapes that come with a Tab booklet to
    help you along, including the alternate tuning used.
    
    Mike

    Some picking patterns to practice (C chord shown, adjust thumb for
    other chords):
    
    T = thumb, 1 = first finger, 2 = middle finger, 3 = ring finger
    
    4/4
    -------3---
    -------2---
    ---1------4
    -----------
    T----------
    -----------
    
    3/4
    ----------3---------
    -------2------2-----
    ---1--------------1-
    --------------------
    T-------------------
    --------------------
    
    6/8
    -------------3-----
    -------2--------2--
    ---1------1--------
    -------------------
    T------------------
    -------------------

    Chrisopher Parkening has a Method book for classic guitar. It's for
    beginners, it'll sho ya the formal way 

    First let me point out that I **LIKE** to bang chords with a pick.
    It's fun and very therapeutic, at least for me.  But.......  most
    dreadnoughts have fairly heavy top bracing and IMO sound best tonal
    quality wise and volume wise when strung with no less than medium
    gauge strings.  The heavier top just doesn't respond to the lighter
    strings.
    
    Volume is important in terms of overall tonal quality.  There was
    a recent NOVA special on music and they talked about the appearance
    of higher order harmonics as the volume of any given instrument,
    voice, violin or whatever increases.  I've always preferred the
    sound of an acoustic guitar when played loudly as opposed to its
    sound when played more softly.  That's probably why I like "chord
    banging" so much.
    
    Unfortunately, when I play with only fingernails, I have found it
    difficult to get the volume, speed and dexterity I'd like to with
    heavier gauge strings.  Soooooooooooo, if ya want playability, sound
    quality, volume etc when playing fingerstyle, you **TYPICALLY**
    don't want a dreadnought IMO.  There are, of course, exceptions to
    this.
    
    At the times I want to play an acoustic with a pick, I pull out
    my 12 string dreadnought and go for it. 8^).
    
    PS As always, the skill of the musician is far more important than
    the instrument and, I guess, the main message I was trying to get
    across in .2 was that learning from a good teacher is probably more
    important than any particular exercise regimen.

I have played the new Martin dreadnaughts with "high-performance" 1/4" wide
scalloped bracing which provided _lots_ of volume and excellent tonal balance.
I would agree with the point about volume inproving the qualilty of the sound.
But then, some people think this also applies to electric guitars. :-)