FO-104 • Major Chord Scale Relations (C, G and F)

[bobdavis62]

I think I understood everything about this lesson except... what should I be doing with my picking hand? I'm assuming I should continue to use the same fingering as in the previous lessons i.e. thumb on E, A, and D strings, index on G, middle finger on B and ring finger on E? Is this correct?

[DucesWild]

if your just getting going with the folk fingerstyle, then yes i would recomend that you stay with the fingering Justin says to.  ring finger on the high e, middle finger on the b string, and index/pointer finger on the g string. you thumb should be the only one jumping strings. (for now)

stick with it

[bobdavis62]

DucesWild, Thanks for your reply. I guess what I'm wondering is, for this particular lesson, in which we are just exploring combining major scales with chord patterns, if it would be acceptable to just pluck the strings with your index finger (when you're playing individual scale notes) and then use your thumb to "strum" the chord?

This is what I observed Justin to do in the next lesson, FO-105 Easy Happy Birthday. Towards the end of the lesson (around 9:18) he demonstrates how to insert "scale playing" in between the regular melody and chords, and uses this sort of fingering.

Anyway, in lesson FO-104 he doesn't explicitly state what the right hand should be doing, but I kind of suspect he's using his thumb and index finger in much the same way as he is towards the end of lesson FO-105.

It would be great to hear from Justin and to have him confirm that this is, indeed, the way he intended us to practice lesson FO-104 or if, alternatively, we should be using the folk fingerstyle fingering as he demonstrated in the first two lessons (FO-101 and FO-102).

[DucesWild]

after watching the entire lesson over again, im fairly sure he didnt want you to know exactly what finger he was using exactly. i believe that at this point he wants you to start feeling the flow of fingerstyle. your fingers should know their assignments and almost want to go there. but there are times when it can often feel more natural to do something a different way. 'there is no right or wrong way' its whatever sounds good. if you want to get nit picky i do believe he most often uses his thumb for the strumming, but i have seen him use the back of his nail like a pick. so i sure he often changes between them.

i think the underlying thing with these lessons, other than teaching happy birthday, is showing you that when you use chords derived from of a certain key its is (relatively) easy to find melody notes that sound good with that chord from its corresponding major scale (if the key is major of course)  



i really dont know what your level is, so its hard to answer your question completely. but i wouldnt get in the habbit of only using my first finger to pluck the lower three strings, you want to have your right hand sorted out before you go and try to confuse them with tricky stuff. but again its whatever works for you, just try not to develop bad habits is all

[Nemozeus]

I had the same question about the right-hand fingering for this lesson. Then I went back and listened closely to what Justin says. After demonstrating the three chords in the C Major scale, he talks about fingering and the need to "muck around with it." I initially thought he was talking about the left hand, but he also comments about the right hand fingering (e.g. when the melody is on the D string and when two notes are played consecutively on the same string) and he encourages experimentation. It isn't clear on first listening to it but he does cover it. Listen closely and you'll see (hear) what I mean.

[bunnahowen]

Really enjoying this series of lessons but confused in this lesson by the way the scale is set out. I would usually start the scale on the 5th string 3rd fret and ascend a la do re mi......etc. Have I missed something somewhere along the line or why is it set out in reverse? Any help appreciated.
Thanks
Bunn.

[shadowscott007]

I think the only reason he is starting high and going low is because in the context of the lesson you are playing the chords in the lower register of the scale and would play the melody lines on the high strings.

So instead of starting low and going high, he starts high and goes low.  The melody notes "sit on top" of the chords so to speak.

Shadow