This tune is from the Jamzone. Tremolo picking is very fast and is common in classical, folk and metal styles. In these ActionTabs we will go back to traditional roots here and use tremolo picking in traditional Italian style. Time to dust off your acoustic guitar and warm your fingers up!
So, we'll start here by playing a nice, classical chord progression in this ActionTab. This will be the backing for some tremolo picking on acoustic guitar.
The chord progression here is in the key of C major, using only the standard I-IV-V chords (C major, F major and G major). The Theory Section on Chords will help you learn more about basic chord progressions. Basically, if you are wishing to solo over the top - use the C major scale:
C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C
The chords here are fingerpicked using the T/3-2-1 pattern. This is a simple and very pleasant fingerpicking pattern - perfect for tunes with a 3/4 time signature (i.e. 3 beats per bar). The Core Skills section on Fingerpicking will help you if you don't know what fingerpicking patterns are, but a quick recap here should help you follow it...
Watch the warm-up sequence at the start of the ActionTab. This is just a C major chord played using the T/3-2-1 fingerpicking pattern (repeated 4 times).
Forget the fretboard hand for the moment. But pay attention to the Picking fingers. Use the Light Strings Option (in the 'Settings' Toolbar at the top of the ActionTab). Play the ActionTab from the start until here. You should notice that the same strings light up in a repeating order. That's what a fingerpicking pattern is all about. If you switch to Tablature View, you'll also see how there is an organised structure to the notes.
1. The Thumb and 3rd finger are used to play the respective low / high notes together.
2. The 2nd finger then picks the open G string.
3. The 1st finger then picks the E note.
4. Repeat.
Fingerpicking patterns bring structure to the way you play chords. They can be much nicer than strumming, and aren't actually that hard to do. Many songs use them - not just classical music, so it's worth learning them.
Just make sure to practice that first C major chord / pattern over and over until your fingers just know what to do. Get it automatic - An important advantage to fingerpicking patterns is that once your fingers get used to the pattern - they can 'automatically' keep picking away, almost by themselves. This allows you to concentrate more on the fretboard and the music!
Aim to get consistent, that is more important than rushing to get as fast as the normal speed audio. That will come with time. When ready, move onto the rest of the tune.
From that point on, the fretboard hand gets a little more busy. Nothing too evil, but you'll need to play melodies on the top strings, and change chords. The fingerpicking pattern remains consistent throughout.
The chord progression is as follows:
C major (intro / warm up)
C major (change notes on the B string to get a little melody as you apply the pattern to this chord)
G major (same with the melody)
C major (The exact same as the previous C major / melody)
Then for the last part of the tune:
F major (only play pattern once, no melody)
G major (only play pattern once, no melody)
C major (play pattern twice, no melody)
Repeat that last part again, except for the very last C major, just pluck all 4 strings to end.
