An Easy First Fingerpicking Pattern for Guitar

Fingerpicking gives the guitar a soft, flowing sound that's perfect for slow songs and lullabies. It looks tricky, but it's really just one simple pattern repeated over and over.

Give every finger a job

Guitarists name the picking-hand fingers with letters:

• p: thumb. It plays the three thick bass strings (low E, A and D).
• i: index finger. It plays the G string.
• m: middle finger. It plays the B string.
• a: ring finger. It plays the high E string.

Rest your hand lightly over the sound hole with each finger just touching its string. Your little finger stays relaxed and out of the way.

The pattern

Play the strings one at a time in this order:

p – i – m – a – m – i

Count it as six even beats: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. The thumb always starts, playing the root note of the chord, the note the chord is named after.

Try it with four chords

For each chord, choose the right string for your thumb:

• Am and C: thumb plays the A string.
• G and Em: thumb plays the low E string.

Play the pattern twice on each chord, then move on: Am → C → G → Em, and back to the start.

Make it sound musical

• Keep the chord shape pressed down the whole time so every note keeps ringing.
• Pluck with the soft pad of your finger, pulling slightly up and away from the guitar.
• Try playing the thumb a little louder than the other fingers. It makes the bass line sing.

Free toolOnline MetronomeA precise, free metronome with click, tick-tock or voice counting, tap tempo, time signatures and subdivisions.

Last updated 9 October 2026

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