Ready to be your own band, playing melody, bass and harmony all at once? Fingerstyle guitar unlocks a world of rhythmic drive, melodic beauty, and rich harmony, all through the fingertips of both hands. Whether you’re drawn to classic folk tunes, country blues, Celtic airs and dances, or innovative modern arrangements, fingerstyle technique is your gateway to expressive, versatile music-making.
Fingerstyle isn’t just a technique, it’s a way to make your guitar come alive. By playing melody, harmony, and rhythm all at once, you’ll sound like a full band with just two hands.
Musical independence - Play bass lines, chords, and melodies simultaneously.
Personal growth - Strengthen coordination, timing, and musical understanding, whether you’re a beginner or seasoned player
Rich Repertoire - Explore songs across genres from modern fingerstyle masterpieces back through the folk boom to early blues and ragtime
Creative Versatility - Learn to arrange your favorite songs or create your own unique guitar pieces
Tradition & innovation: Connect with time-honored styles while exploring new, modern approaches to guitar
Curious to hear what fingerstyle can do? Here are just a few iconic pieces and artists:
Angie/Anji - Davy Graham (or Bert Jansch/Paul Simon covers)
Blackbird - The Beatles
Deep River Blues - Doc Watson
Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right - Bob Dylan
Dust In The Wind - Kansas
Fast Car - Tracy Chapman
Freight Train - Elizabeth Cotten
Hallelujah - arr. Jeff Buckley
Hey Hey - Big Bill Broonzy (or Eric Clapton's version)
House of the Rising Sun - Traditional
Little Martha - Duane Allman (or Leo Kottke's arrangement)
Neon - John Mayer
Nothing Else Matters - Metallica
Rylnn or Drifting - Andy McKee
Sí Bheag, Sí Mhór or Merrily Kissed the Quaker - arr. Pierre Bensusan
Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran
Any by Mississippi John Hurt, Robert Johnson, James Taylor, Michael Hedges, Tommy Emmanuel, ...
Essential Fingerstyle Techniques - Including Thumb/finger independence, alternating bass, Travis picking, syncopation, and more
Advanced Techniques - Percussive playing, harmonics, tapping, ornamentation, etc.
Alternate Tunings - Drop D, DADGAD, Open G, Open D, etc.
Particular Styles - Celtic, piedmont or delta blues, folk, folk baroque, modern or percussive fingerstyle
Repertoire & Arranging - Learn classic tunes or arrange your favorites for solo guitar, from folk and blues to pop and movie themes
Reading & Theory - Develop your understanding of music theory, chord/melody arrangement, and reading tablature or standard notation for two hands
Improvisation & Songwriting - Use fingerstyle as a tool for composing, improvising, or accompanying your own songs.
History & Inspiration - Discover fingerstyle's roots, its popularity in British and American folk, and its emergence as its own, modern "genre"
Step-by-step, hands-on instruction to get you confidently playing fingerstyle
Personalized lessons focused on your musical tastes and goals
Practical resources such as Chord charts, scale diagrams, practice materials, video recordings, and song music/tabs
Supportive, encouraging guidance for all ages and levels
Alberto Whitmer holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (specializing in fingerstyle guitar) and a Master’s degree from the University of Limerick (focused on Irish Traditional Music including fingerstyle). He has also worked with John Stropes, Tony McManus, Clive Carroll, Calum Graham, Pierre Bensusan and many other modern masters. With a passion for both performance and teaching, Alberto brings professional training, experience, and a supportive approach to every lesson.
If you are fortunate enough to live near the Detroit area, come check out one of his monthly hands-on fingerstyle workshops at Pursell Lutherie (donations accepted for the Michigan Fingerstyle Guitar Society).
Whether you want to fingerpick classic folk, groove through the blues, dance through Celtic tunes, or push the boundaries with modern techniques, fingerstyle guitar lessons are your invitation to a new level of musical expression.
Contact me to discuss your interest and schedule your first lesson.
Let’s make your guitar sing, fingerstyle!