The Complete Fingerstyle Guitar Method: Intermediate Fingerstyle Guitar: Guitar CD

Stepping from single-note melodies into the textures of fingerstyle arrangement—bass lines moving beneath melodic voices, chords opening up through modal and alternate tuning contexts. The styles span intimate fingerpicking (Celtic, country blues) to contemplative new age soundscapes, creating a sense of expressive range and creative possibility.

Fingerstyle guitarists with solid technical foundation who are ready to explore harmonic depth, modal playing, and stylistic breadth. This method serves students preparing for recitals, private lesson students advancing beyond foundational materials, and self-taught players seeking structured guidance on arranging and style integration.

• Work through the CD demonstrations slowly at first, pausing after each example to practice independently before moving forward.
• Apply the barre chord techniques to pieces you already know before tackling unfamiliar material, building confidence in the mechanics.
• Record yourself playing the bass line examples separately from the melodic patterns, then layer them together to internalize the coordination.
• Experiment with alternate tunings on a piece you know well before learning new compositions in those tunings; the familiar melody makes the tonal shifts clearer.

Use this in private studio lessons as a core text for intermediate fingerstyle guitarists over 2-3 semesters, selecting chapters strategically based on student interests and recital goals. The arranging chapter works well when students are preparing their own interpretations of folk or contemporary pieces for performance.

• Alternate tunings and their harmonic properties
• Modal playing and diatonic harmony application
• Fingerpicking patterns and accompaniment textures
• Barre chord voicing and hand positioning
• Bass line construction and independent voice movement
• Special techniques (slurs, harmonics, percussive elements)
• Arranging fingerstyle pieces from melody to full texture
• Style recognition and idiomatic playing across Celtic, blues, and contemporary genres