GUITAR PICKING - A HISTORY
The use of muscle memory in playing music throughout the past.
The guitar is one of the most popular instruments in the western world with hundreds of techniques and styles it can be used for. For example chords, harmonics, melodies, bass, and the one i am focusing on this project, finger picking. Finger picking is where one hand will hold a formation on the frets at the end of the guitar, and with your other hand at the base of the guitar, you pluck the strings in quick successions. As the song will go on the chord formations will change and plucking style may differ, but this ability is hard to master as it involves the quick handed ability to form chords immediately and accurately as well as maintaining a consistent picking pattern.
​
This technique has been used for decades and leads back to the instruments initial creation and can be found in many styles of music around the world such as Gaelic tunes, country music, rock, punk, pop and even lullabies. It is used globally and sounds spectacular.
​
The guitar was made in the 16th Century and has developed greatly since then and has branched off into many different types, for example, electric, bass, and acoustic which branch off further using different components, like a steel or nylon string, or the shape of the base of the guitar which will effect the sound it makes when played.
​
In my project i have used a steel stringed acoustic guitar and have chosen to learn the song 'Is There Anybody Out There' by Pink Floyd.
​
This song is a classic example of finger picking and what the style sounds like, which is why i chose to learn it.
​
To listen to the song i have learnt click the button below.
​