finger picking

[strat10]

im learning a song with has finger picking the whole way through and....well....my finger picking sucks!!
the song is sisters by steve vai
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogeUP...eature=related
are there any finger picking excercises i can do to build my technique. at the moment i can only really use my thumb and 1st finger with confidence, my 2nd finger is iffy and the rest might as well not be there!!
so any excercises that focus on finger picking technique....
...we can talk about the tap harmonics in that song when we get there!!

[musophilr]

picking hand nomenclature:

p = thumb (spanish pulgar)
i = index
m - middle
a = ring finger (spanish annulus)

pinky usually not used but Lowell George of Little Feat reputedly used his, likewise John Williams (classical bloke)

Try assigning p to E, A, D strings as required; i to G string, m to B string, a to E string

Pick your way through E A and D shape chords with p on the root, others on top 3 strings. Mark out a rhythm with the picking (crotchets to start with then try quavers) making sure you play the root on the downbeat of each bar. Try 3/4 4/4 6/8 time signatures to start with.

Doubtless other people will suggest other ideas but IMO this is a place to start.

NB arch your picking hand wrist. p will tend to point 'down' the neck towards the nut and i m a will be closer to the bridge. You are likely to use the 'free stroke' (tirando) in which the movement is made at the joint after the knuckle and after the string being plucked the tip of the finger tends to travel towards the palm, being lifted away from the plane of the strings. That's in contrast to the 'rest stroke' (apoyando) which leaves the finger in the plane of the strings in order to stop the vibration of the string beow the one you just plucked. It's a technique not often used by non-classical players. For completeness, the movement in this stroke is from the knuckle with the finger being banana-bent.

Hope this helps.

[prmtherocker]

oooo.... Are you a beginner or pro?? Well if you are beginner which i assume u are becoz of your explanation in your thread.. you should try for easy songs first man.. This song is bit hard.. How about more easier songs like Time Of Your Life - Greenday, Wasting Love - Iron Maiden, Then start to play songs like More Than Words - Extreme, Six feet From The Edge - Creed, etc..

[Dulcetjones]

+1 to both responses so far, start with some basic exercises and easy songs or you'll waste a lot of time struggling with a song you're not ready to tackle. Early in my fingerstyle days I took on a complicated Bach piece and drove myself crazy for months, when I finally gave up and turned to an easy Carulli tune it felt so good to be able to actually play it even though it was a simple little diddy. I learned a fact about performing live in 2 settings, one was with a rock band and one was playing solo fingerstyle instrumental. In both cases people would applaud more and react more positively to an easy song played well than to a complicated song you're struggling with. Sometimes even if you do pull off a great version of a complex song it will just go right by them anyway. Of course a player like Steve Vai can fill a room with the type of people that will appreciate this kind of thing but at the average pub or coffee house, you're on your own.

[bptank]

Play some classical stuff from ABRSM, best thing I ever did for my finger picking.