You are brave to start right out with chords and fingerpicking! I've been playing for about a year and haven't mastered fingerpicking. You are doing well and are very entertaining. I look forward to more videos as you continue your journey!

Thank you for listening, Guy; and thank you for cheering me on. I have been reading through your Fingerpicking group--I just joined it. I'm feeling better about moving my sausage fingers around the fret board.

Greg, thank you so much for those kind words. I cannot imagine inspiring anyone right now. Just thank you.

Thank you for watching and the encouragement, Ben. My cats know something, but the little rascals won't tell me what that is! I'm letting my fingers tell me when to move around, as you suggest. So I think I'll just have to keep working at it.

I love her laughter, too, Mary. It usually comes at my expense, though.

Big smiles to y'all!

Keep at it...you're progressing nicely, even if you are becoming a dulcinerd! Oh, and never mind about the cat's objections...what do they know anyway? And in regards to fingerpicking, I think that whatever you can find to work for you, stay with it.

Excellent, Mark. You are doing so well!

Thank y'all for the encouragement and feedback! Ms. Linda Jo's video is remarkably beautiful in that it is smooth and polished. Plus the music is just pretty. Thank you for pointing me to it, Dusty. And thank you for the breakdown in finger/thumb usage. My sausage fingers were not made for any other stringed instrument, so I have no strumming experience--reinforces your theory.

I did notice in the video that Ms. Linda Jo has a very different body position than I do sitting at a table. I'm going to put my hog fiddle in my lap this week. No table.

And I would never be discouraged watching someone as refined as Ms. Linda Jo because that just gives me a goal. I'll suck a little less next week!

I'll think about the picks, Marion. For some reason I'm reluctant to put them on. I'm not sure why. Thank you for sharing my pain!

It is good that you are freeing me up, Carrie. I'm not necessarily a rule follow to start, but it is nice to hear that there is much latitude between one person's mechanics and the next. I think I'll keep trying the thumb until it isn't fun anymore or I get it.

Again, I really appreciate the feedback and encouragement.

Big smiles to y'all!

Mark, I know that song . Finger picking is hard. Not that easy for me. I think you are doing great!!! I can't wait to see week four

The journey has begun, and the discoveries are priceless. It is great for you to share your progress and enthusiasm.

You are progressing wonderfully, Mark. And learning to change strings and tune is an essential hurdle to overcome. Good for you for accomplishing both so successfully!

And if you were to make some dulcinerd shirts, I would certainly buy one. Size L, please. :-)

You smile at the end of Home on the Range is hilarious!

There are basically two approaches to fingerpicking. Some don't use their thumb at all but use their index finger on the melody string, their middle finger on the middle string, and their ring finger on the bass string. Others (including myself) use their thumb on the melody, their index on the middle, and their middle finger on the bass. My sense is that people who use that first method really don't vary it too much. But people who use the second method do. I use my thumb on the melody, but not even most of the time. Most of the time I use my index finger to play a single note or brush across all strings. I use my thumb when I want to pinch (hit the melody and another string at the same time) or when I want to alternate really fast between the melody string and another string. (It might be that those of us who use our thumb started on the guitar and those who don't didn't. But that's just a theory.)

In any case, my main point is that even if you use your thumb, that does not mean that you have to use your thumb all the time. Watch some videos of Stephen Seifert or Linda Brockinton fingerpicking. You will see that although they use their thumbs, they don't do so religiously, but vary things up.

For example, see this video of Linda Jo Brockinton playing The Cowboy Waltz . Don't get discouraged; neither you nor I can play as well as she can. But just pay attention to how she uses her thumb on the melody string but not all the time.