For this article two short lessons to develop your fingerpicking style.
Both ideas use fingerpicking as technique and can be played as notated. It is also possible to play both ideas while using a Capo. Using the Capo may be a good technique to develop your awareness of the chordnames as you move along the fretboard.

Check out both videos at the bottom of this article to give you a idea about feel and how to play the pieces.

 

Here is the tab. for the first idea:

          C                               Cmaj7                   C9                        C
                                 x2                          x2                        x2  
  E    ———————-     ———————   ——————–  ———–3——-   ———————-

  B   ——————-1—    ——————0— —————-3—  ———–3—-5–   5———————

  G  —————0——–    ————–0——  ————-0——  ——0———5–   5———————

  D ———-2————–    ———-2———-  ———2———-  —2————5–   5———————

  A ——3——————    ——3—————  —-3————–  -3————–3–   3———————-

            T    I     M     R  etc.
   E ————————-    ———————-  ——————–  ——————–  ————————

  Count   1  and   2   and etc.                                                          1 and 2   3^and 4 Let Ring into next bar!!

About the tab: Fingering Right Hand is indicated in standard Thumb, Index, Middle and Ring finger indication 

Suggested tempo is around 100 beats per minute.

Play first three bars twice, the counting underneath first three bars applies to half bar, when you play it twice use similar rhythm. Bar 4 is notated in full rhythm and is only played once, the notes of the last bar are not played but they still ring out from the previous bar!

All Root notes are found on the A string, notice that only top part of the chord changes, the bottom two notes stay same throughout until very end when the C triad changes position.

Try same idea also with using Capo on fret 3 and fret 5 (or any place you like really)

Here is the tab. for the scond idea, which is in 6/8 feel which means you play 6 beats in one bar.
 (suggetsted tempo= 146 beats per bar)

         G                            G/g^b                          G/e              G/d

   E   —————————————      ————————————–

   B   —————3—————–3—-       —————–3—————3—

   G  ———4——————–4——–       ————-4—————-4——

   D —-5———————4————-       ——2—————-0————-

Fingers T     I       M          T     I     M  etc

Count: 1       2           3            4        5     6   etc

 

About the tab:    Piece is in 6/8, you can count it as 123   456 or   1-tri-plet   2-tri-plet  or simply 123 and do this twice for each bar.
Only two bars and then the chords are repeated. Most chords are slash chords which means the smaller note underneath the slash forms the bass of the chord. It is the bass which changes each time, top part of chord stays same throughout.

Try same idea but now using Capo on fret 2, the chord is now an A instead of the original G.
Try Capo on fret 5 to play the idea in the key of C.

Try struming the chords instead of picking, see if you can vary the rhythm.

Most of these ideas are very simple but effective. Whenever you come across a song where you stay on one chord for some time see if you can incorporate some of those ideas into those chords.
When you are creating your own songs, try using some slash chords into the verse of the song.

Here is video for First Idea:

 

Here the video for Second Idea:

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Eddie