Chinese Finger Trap

One of the biggest problems with learning fingerpicking occurs when students try to do something that’s more difficult than they can do accurately considering their skill level. This almost always causes them to tense their hand. This tension becomes a habit that’s difficult to break.

It’s kind of like one of those Chinese Finger Traps where you stick your fingers in a little wicker tube. The harder you pull the more the tube tightens on your fingers. With fingerpicking you want to push yourself to get better but you cannot play smoothly and easily unless your hands are relaxed.

The solution is to start with simple exercises using proper technique and hand position. Then pick up speed and complexity little by little while keeping your hand relaxed.

In this lesson I’ll show you a simple exercise that you can use to practice using the C chord and the G chord. We’ll also use the thumb and all three fingers on the right hand. Remember to be patient and just take it step-by-step.