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Uncle Bob's Guitar Lessons
Lesson 8 - Finger-Picking
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Finger-Picking Exercises

The following finger-picking exercises are small excerpts from the 120 Exercises for the Right Hand by Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829). They were given to me years ago by a classical guitar tutor that I once studied with. I've found them all to be some of the best technique and accuracy builders for either classical guitar or finger-style playing. All of these exercises, for the sake of simplicity, use the same following C Major and G7 chords as displayed in the illustration below...

The exercises are meant to be played repeatedly until the concept being presented has been mastered, and then you can progress on to the next exercise. For added difficulty, the individual exercises can be played together or in varying order. For example, Exercise #1 and Exercise #2 can be grouped together to form an exercise in alternating picking patterns.

Exercise #1

E |-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-----1-------1-------1-------1---|
B |---1---1---1---1---1---1---1---1-|---4---4---4---4---4---4---4---4-|
G |-----------------0---------------|-----------------0---------------|
D |---------2-----------------------|---------0-----------------------|
A |-3-----------------------3-------|-2-----------------------2-------|
E |---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
    P i m i P i m i P i m i P i m i   P i m i P i m i P i m i P i m i

Exercise #2

E |---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0-|---1---1---1---1---1---1---1---1-|
B |-----1-------1-------1-------1---|-----4-------4-------4-------4---|
G |-----------------0---------------|-----------------0---------------|
D |---------2-----------------------|---------0-----------------------|
A |-3-----------------------3-------|-2-----------------------2-------|
E |---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
    P m i m P m i m P m i m P m i m   P m i m P m i m P m i m P m i m

Exercise #3

E |-------0-------0-------0-------0-|-------1-------1-------1-------1-|
B |-----1-------1-------1-------1---|-----4-------4-------4-------4---|
G |---0-------0-------0-------0-----|---0-------0-------0-------0-----|
D |---------2---------------2-------|---------0-----------------------|
A |-3---------------3---------------|-2-----------------------2-------|
E |---------------------------------|-----------------3---------------|
    P i m a P i m a P i m a P i m a   P i m a P i m a P i m a P i m a

Exercise #4

E |---0-------0-------0-------0-----|---1-------1-------1-------1-----|
B |-----1-------1-------1-------1---|-----4-------4-------4-------4---|
G |-------0-------0-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-------0-------0-|
D |---------2---------------2-------|---------0-----------------------|
A |-3---------------3---------------|-2-----------------------2-------|
E |---------------------------------|-----------------3---------------|
    P a m i P a m i P a m i P a m i   P a m i P a m i P a m i P a m i

Exercise #5

E |---------------0---------------0-|---------------1-----------------|
B |-------1-----1---------1-----1---|-------4-----4-----------------4-|
G |-----0-----0---------0-----0-----|-----0-----0-----------0-----0---|
D |---2-----2---------2-----2-------|---0-----0-----------0-----0-----|
A |-3---------------3---------------|-2-----------------2-----2-------|
E |---------------------------------|-----------------3---------------|
    P i m a P i m a P i m a P i m a   P i m a P i m a P i m a P i m a

Exercise #6

E |-----------0---------------0-----|-----------1---------------------|
B |---1---------1-----1---------1---|---4---------4-------------4-----|
G |-----0---------0-----0---------0-|-----0---------0---0---------0---|
D |-------2-2-------------2-2-------|-------0-0-----------0---------0-|
A |-3---------------3---------------|-2---------------------2-2-------|
E |---------------------------------|-----------------3---------------|
    P a m i P a m i P a m i P a m i   P a m i P a m i P a m i P a m i

Exercise #7

E |---------0---------------0-------|---------1---------------1-------|
B |-------1---1-----------1---1-----|-------4---4-----------4---4-----|
G |-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|
D |---2-----------2---2-----------2-|---0-----------0---0-----------0-|
A |-3---------------3---------------|-2---------------2---------------|
E |---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
    P P i m a m i i P P i m a m i i   P P i m a m i i P P i m a m i i

Exercise #8

E |---0-----------0---0-----------0-|---1-----------1---1-----------1-|
B |-----1-------1-------1-------1---|-----4-------4-------4-------4---|
G |-------0---0-----------0---0-----|-------0---0-----------0---0-----|
D |---------2---------------2-------|---------0---------------0-------|
A |-3---------------3---------------|-2---------------2---------------|
E |---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
    P a m i P i m a P a m i P i m a   P a m i P i m a P a m i P i m a

Exercise #9

E |----0-------0-------0-------0----|----1-------1-------1-------1----|
B |---1-1-----1-1-----1-1-----1-1---|---4-4-----4-4-----4-4-----4-4---|
G |--0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0--|--0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0--|
D |---------2---------------2-------|---------0-----------------------|
A |-3---------------3---------------|-2-----------------------2-------|
E |---------------------------------|-----------------3---------------|
    Pimami  Pimami  Pimami  Pimami    Pimami  Pimami  Pimami  Pimami

Exercise #10

E |---0-0-0---0-0-0---0-0-0---0-0-0-|---1-1-1---1-1-1---1-1-1---1-1-1-|
B |-------------------------1-------|-------------------------4-------|
G |-----------------0---------------|-----------------0---------------|
D |---------2-----------------------|---------0-----------------------|
A |-3-------------------------------|-2-------------------------------|
E |---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
    P a m i P i m a P a m i P i m a   P a m i P i m a P a m i P i m a