As well as being a great little piece,
this is also an excellent way to learn good timing for fingerpicking.
I have added some notes and practice tips at the end.
[Notation]
p, i, m, a are right hand fingerings
(p = thumb; i = 1st finger; m = 2nd; a = 3rd)
|---3---| = triplet rhythm
[2/4 time]
[Section A]
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
|-0-------0------|-3--------------|-0-------0------|-3--------------|
|-1-------1------|-3--------------|-1-------1------|-3--------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|-3-------3------|-2--------------|-3-------3------|-2--------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
a a (etc)
m m
p p
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
|-0--------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|---------1------|---------3------|-1-------0------|-1--------------|
|----------------|-2--------------|-0--------------|----------------|
|---------2------|-3--------------|----------------|----------------|
|-3--------------|----------------|----------------|-3--------------|
|----------------|----------------|---------3------|----------------|
a m i m i m i
p p p p p p
[Section B]
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
|-0-------0------|-3--------------|-0-------0------|-3--------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|-----0-------0--|-----0-------0--|-----0-------0--|-----0-------0--|
|---------2------|---------0------|---------2------|---------0------|
|-3--------------|-2--------------|-3--------------|-2--------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
a i a i a i p i (etc)
p p p p
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
|-0--------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|---------0------|-----0---1---3--|-1-------0------|-1--------------|
|-----0-------0--|-2--------------|-----0-------0--|----------------|
|---------2------|-3--------------|-2-------0------|----------------|
|-3--------------|----------------|----------------|-3--------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
a i m i m i m i m i m i m
p p p p p p
[Section C]
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
|---3---||---3---|---3---||---3---|---3---||---3---|---3---||---3---|
|-----0----------|-----1----------|-----0----------|-----1----------|
|-------------1--|-------------3--|-------------1--|-------------3--|
|---0-------0----|---0-------0----|---0-------0----|---0-------0----|
|---------2------|-0--------------|---------2------|-0--------------|
|-3--------------|---------2------|-3--------------|---------2------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
p i a p i m p i a p i m (etc)
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
|---3---||---3---|---3---||---3---|---3---||---3---|---3---|
|-----0----------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|-------------1--|---------3------|-1-------0------|---------1------|
|---0-------0----|-----2-----2----|---0-------0----|-----0----------|
|---------2------|---3---------3--|-----2-------0--|---2------------|
|-3--------------|----------------|----------------|-3--------------|
|----------------|-1--------------|-3-------3------|----------------|
p i m a m i a m i a m i p i m a
p p
[Section D]
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
|-------------0--|-3--------------|-------------0--|-3--------------|
|---------1-----1|----------------|---------1-----1|----------------|
|---0---0---0----|---0---0---0---0|---0---0---0----|---0---0---0---0|
|-----2----------|-----0-------0--|-----2----------|-----0-------0--|
|-3--------------|-2-------2------|-3--------------|-2-------2------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
p i p i m i a m a i p i p i p i (etc)
p
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
|-----0----------|---------0------|----------------|----------------|
|-------------1--|-----3-------3--|-----1---------0|-1--------------|
|---0---0---0---0|---2---2---2---2|-------------0--|-0--------------|
|---------2------|-3--------------|---2---2---0----|-2--------------|
|-3--------------|----------------|----------------|-3--------------|
|----------------|----------------|-3-------3------|----------------|
p i a i p i m i p i m i a i m i p i a i p i m a a
m
i
p
[Notes and practice tips]
There are 4 sections, each based on the same simple chord progression,
but with a different rhythm in each section.
The chord progression is played over 8 bars in 2/4 time
(2 beats per bar)
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
|C C |G |C C |G |C C |F F |C G |C |
I suggest the following steps:
1. Practice the chord progression by strumming - one strum per chord.
2. Learn the fingerpicking for bar 1 of each section.
Call them A1, B1, C1, D1.
That will give you a feel for the timing in each case.
The first bar of each section only needs a fixed C chord,
so you can forget your left hand and give all your attention
to your right hand technique and the timing changes between each section.
3. Try playing A1, B1, C1, D1 as a stand alone piece of music.
Start counting the beat as 4/8, not 2/4
(ie, you can think of the music as 4 half beats as well as 2 beats).
Start with B1. Then add A1, which will feel like half speed.
Then add D1, which will feel like double speed.
Then add C1, which is best felt as triplets against A1.
4. When you can play those 4 bars,
you are ready to gradually work along the 8 bars of each section.
5. Put it all together!
