Fingerstyle Guitar

Genre and Style Guitar Course from Jim Deeming

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Fingerstyle guitar allows you to play the bass, harmony, and melody of a song all within the context of a single guitar part.

22 Lessons

Complete course with step-by-step lessons and practice examples.

Multi-Camera

Course filmed with 6 cameras for the perfect angles.

85% Appoval

403 of 435 of our members have given this their approval.

Tabs & Info

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Included

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Full Course Breakdown

Jim Deeming is a modern master of fingerstyle guitar. In this series you will learn basic fingerstyle techniques as well as some beautiful fingerstyle music.

Begin the Course
1

Intro to Fingerstyle

This lesson serves as an introduction for Fingerstyle Guitar with Jim Deeming. Come on in and get started!

24:32 Runtime

0.5 Difficulty

2

Basic Fingerstyle

Jim demonstrates a basic fingerstyle exercise that you can use with any of the chords you know.

16:05 Runtime

1.5 Difficulty

3

More Picking Patterns

Jim expands on lesson 2 and teaches several different picking patterns. He also covers the basics of muting.

14:23 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

4

Using Syncopation

Jim Deeming explains how to integrate basic syncopation into your rhythm playing.

17:00 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

5

Picking Melody Notes

This lesson is all about picking melody notes. Fingerstyle guitar really gets interesting when you combine bass, harmony, and melody.

33:00 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

6

Aura Lee

Jim Deeming teaches a fingerstyle version of the classic Civil War era song "Aura Lee."

43:23 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

7

Chet Atkins Style

Jim explains key components of Chet Atkins' guitar style.

18:12 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

8

3/4 Time and a Song

Jim Deeming teaches a fingerstyle arrangement of "Bicycle Built for Two." He uses this piece as an example of 3/4 or waltz timing.

37:34 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

9

Two Songs at Once

Jim Deeming teaches a fingerstyle arrangement of "Yankee Doodle" and "Dixie." Both songs are played simultaneously!

30:03 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

10

Open G Tuning

Jim Deeming teaches the basics of open G tuning. He also teaches a song entitled "Spanish Fandango" to show how the tuning can be used.

39:58 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

11

Carter Family Style

Jim Deeming introduces a playing style called "Carter Family Style." The technique is also referred to as "Frailing" or "Clawhammer" style.

13:07 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

12

DADGAD Tuning

Jim Deeming teaches the many wonders of DADGAD tuning.

32:25 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

13

Thumb Independence

Jim Deeming tackles the topic of thumb independence.

31:51 Runtime

1.5 Difficulty

View this Lesson
14

The JamPlay Song

Jim Deeming teaches a more advanced version of the aptly named "JamPlay Song."

7:24 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

15

The Wayfaring Stranger

Jim Deeming teaches a fingerstyle version of the classic song "The Wayfaring Stranger."

31:27 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

16

The Official Thumbpick Guide

Jim Deeming answers one of the most common fingerstyle questions, "which thumbpick should I use?"

13:03 Runtime

1.0 Difficulty

17

Fingernail Guide

Jim Deeming presents his thoughts on how to properly grow and groom your fingernails.

7:07 Runtime

1.0 Difficulty

18

The Entertainer

Jim Deeming teaches a fingerstyle arrangement of "The Entertainer," a classic piano song ported over to the guitar.

20:40 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

19

Arranging Fingerstyle Songs

Jim Deeming teaches the skills necessary to transform any song into a solo fingerstyle masterpiece.

37:04 Runtime

4.0 Difficulty

20

Arranging Fingerstyle Songs Pt. 2

Jim talks more about arranging fingerstyle songs. This time around he discusses harmonization and chord inversions.

13:35 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

21

Arranging Fingerstyle Songs Pt. 3

Jim Deeming demonstrates alternate ways to play the CAGED chords that can be very useful when playing melody and accompaniment simultaneously.

30:38 Runtime

1.5 Difficulty

22

Arranging Fingerstyle Songs Pt. 4

In this lesson Jim Deeming talks about a simple way to add harmony notes to the melody section of fingerstyle songs. This technique is quite simple and can add a whole new dimension to your playing.

5:51 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

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Jim Deeming

403
  • Berthoud, CO
  • Playing since 1969
  • 160 lessons at JamPlay
Begin Course
Jim Deeming got his first guitar when he was only six years old. His Dad was taking fingerpicking lessons, and Jim wanted to be just like him. The Mel Bay books didn't last very long before he strapped on a thumb pick and added the Chet part to Red River Valley so it sounded better.

Most of Jim's early learning was by ear. With unlimited access to his Dad's collection of Chet Atkins albums, he spent countless hours decoding his favorite songs. They were never "right" until they sounded just like Chet. Around the age of 12, Jim heard Jerry Reed for the first time and just knew he had to be able to make that "Alabama Wild Man" sound. The styles of Chet & Jerry always have been a big influence on his playing.

More recently he has pursued arrangements by Tommy Emmanuel and Doyle Dykes, in addition to creating some of his own and writing originals.

Jim has performed in front of a variety of audiences, including concerts, competitions, weddings and the like, but playing at church has always been a mainstay. Whether playing in worship bands or guitar solos, gospel music is deep in his roots and is also the driving theme behind his debut CD release, titled "First Fruits".

Jim has been playing for about 38 years. He also has taught private lessons in the past but believes JamPlay.com is an exciting and better venue with many advantages over the traditional method of weekly 30 minute sessions.

Jim lives in Berthoud, Colorado with his wife, Linda, and their four children. Although he still has a "day job", he is actively performing and is already back in the studio working on the next CD. If you wonder how he finds time, look no further than the back seat of his truck where he keeps a "travel guitar" to take advantage of any practice or song-writing opportunities he can get.

The opening song you hear in Jim's introductory JamPlay video is called, "A Pick In My Pocket". It's an original tune, written in memory of Jim's father who told him early on he should always keep a pick in his pocket in case he ever met Chet Atkins and got the chance to play for him. That song is slated to be the title track for his next CD, which will feature several more originals plus some of his favorite covers of Chet and Jerry arrangements.
Reviews & Feedback 85/100 with 435 ratings
myjamplays

like the content

WumpusEATSu

Great intro, lots of thoughtful detail, nothing just glossed over.

grandadskywalker

great lesson

moffetttrucker

like his style plan to learn finger style for classical

jfolinsb

great intro

neophytosdm

Even though not my kind of song, the though process was very useful and the way was taught was easily understandable

lemuelkenneth60

I am learning fast! thank you. I know there will be some that will be hard, real hard. I hope you guys will be patient then. I am glad I joined. I love country when it has a R&B feel to it. Jim has a rhythm feel with one of his picking that

Sleuth86

The way Jim breaks songs down into chunks really helps learn the material. He makes difficult stuff actually easier to learn. Great job Jim!

sriramveera

I like the way of teaching very much. This is very useful for fingerstyle beginners like me.

krawhi

Constant battle for me, thanks for the info.

guitarmonstermaster

Always wanted to learn that one.

jgmurphy33

Love this series and it's just getting better. Wonderful arrangement of this song.

SteveAiken

Jim is one of my favorites. Excellent teacher and wise in aspects of guitar and guitarist.

luv6string

Good series

rodneybooth

Very good discussion about guitar neck width, use of picks, finger conditioning. I never thought about any of that, just dealt with it unconsciously. Jim has a great voice for the lessons and plays much the music in which I am interested. Big

hhjjkkl1

Where are the tabs? good lesson but there are no tabs or i couldnt find any.

Cabnetman

Jim breaks it down into very simple progression. Love his teaching. Keep it up Jim

kenrob

Communicates and illustrates very very well. Born to teach obviously.

Jayjo123

Really great job! I loved the clarity and the pace of the lesson. Thanks!

deltaroots

Good stuff! This kind of stuff needs to be taught earlier to students. I've been wanting to know this kind of stuff for so long, and most people wait until a student is advanced before introducing it.

john losoya

i would have marked all three good stuff

starfish5

Jim explains every lesion in depth and clear.

AWillman

Jim is really easy to learn from. I've really enjoyed this series thus far.

Autorotation64

Great lesson.

shieldwolf64

I have been a fan of many styles, but keep finding myself gravitating back toward fingerstyle and/or with a combination of folk writing. I have never had lessons and am somewhat self-taught. I found this first presentation covering what I have

BethG

Love the humor in this lesson. Jim covers a lot this time but, as always, he explains and demonstrates everything very well. Great teacher.

SamoaDave

Thanks Jim. Very helpful!

MikeBostock

Really clear and useful material. Great!

Dgarner23

Nice teaching style

okmijnuhb

He is a great teacher

mdsuarez

good pace, clear instructions. suggestion: musical/song example

PKJpkj7

Easy to understand.

AChamberland

Great teacher, Ioved phase 1 and I'm sure to love phase 2 lessons.

Joestat

excellent teacher

prestating

First class instruction .Thankyou Jim.

redrooster

Jim is very easy to follow I like his teaching