How come with classical guitar training I can't play acoustic fingerstyle songs cos the technique differs?

Question

Classical uses all p-i-m-a all four fingers, however travis picking and chet atkins usually use only 3 fingers, so am I supposed to keep taking classical lessons or is it going to be a waste of time for what I wanna play like you're still the one, stairs to heaven, tears in heaven, etc

Answer 1

Listen to the music. Watch the performers.



It is a matter of learned reflex and having to adjust your particular sequences in finger pattern and speed to best express what song or composition you want to play. Your way. Automatic.



Realize, Merle Travis (1940's) started as a banjo player (get the picture?) and guitar great, Chet Atkins, actually was influenced by listening to Travis' radio broadcasts of country music performances. He then (Atkins) influenced today's Doyle Dykes (who played with Chet as background in his recordings) and Tommy Emmanuel, who as well listened to Chet Atkin's recordings.



Listen to the music. As I did with Chet's recording too.



And all of a sudden one day... I was doing it too!



Quite an adventure, to say the least in the experience of playing guitar. Of which, I started out on a classical as well.

Answer 2

If I am not mistaken, p-i-m-a stands for thumb - index - middle - ring finger (in common english). This means you still use the three fingers and the thumb just like in fingerstyle guitar. Reading an instructional book on fingerstyle or a magazine on fingerstyle guitar playing should provide the same answer.



However, if you do not like to play classical music then you should look into fingerstyle lessons. Personally, I found that once I started to play music that it opened up my ear to lots of other styles. I began to appreciate the the musicianship that went into making the music.



In the end it all comes back to what you want to do. Playing with a classical guitar will not limit you to playing classical songs. It all depends on how to want to play it. A steel string acoustic guitar might be more suited to the fingerstyle guitar player but you can play it in the classical style by propping up your left leg and placing the guitar on it and using the same classical style fingering techniques.

Answer 3

The intro for Master of Puppets by Metallica. I just learned how to play basic notes, and I suck at chords, but that song's intro was really fun to play. You just need to play it slower. You may be saying, "That's not acoustic!" I played it on the acoustic guitar. It sounds so eerily similar it's awesome.