How to Build Awesome Fingerpicking Instrumentals

Guitarist and educator Toby Walker understands what you need to bring your guitar technique to a higher level. This fantastic lesson, for intermediate and experienced fingerpickers alike, teaches three exciting, performance-worthy guitar solos. Toby starts with an easy version of each piece, then adds the “bells and whistles” that build a show-stopping solo from the ground up.

The country classic Cannonball Rag helps you brush up on your Travis-style thumb bass, right hand muting and various chord forms. Then add walking lines, banjo rolls, picking patterns, jazzier chords, single string licks and other ear-catching embellishments for an arrangement that will keep even advanced players on your toes.

Toby’s Boogie-Woogie is a rockin’ blues. He starts it with the ubiquitous boogie bass line and basic chords, then adds more advanced shapes and lots of cool blues moves, taking it far up the neck and into virtuoso territory. Swing Bean is reminiscent of a big-band tune, with unique chord changes under a swinging bass line. The complete arrangement features a rhythm section, “horn” parts, drum beats and lead lines, all played on solo guitar.

A real workout, but the results will be well worth the work you put into it.