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"Dead thumb" fingerpicking

- JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH TABLATURE ARRANGED BY JIMMY BROWN

AS I STATED last month, my favorite band lineup is the guitar-bass-drums power trio. With the guitar being the primary chordal and melodic instrument in the ensemble, there are challenges inherent in the role. But with those challenges come great freedoms to direct the music however I might feel like doing at any given moment on stage. This is something I strive to take advantage of in just about every song I play with my trio.

A great example of what I’m talking about here can be found in the title track to my 2022 EP Threw Me to the Wolves, which features both electric and acoustic versions of the tune. “Threw Me to the Wolves” is a song that I play at just about every live show, and in that setting I like to stretch out and explore the song dynamically, from quiet, unaccompanied fingerpicking to full-on power trio Mountain-style soloing.

Essential to the song is the fingerpicked rhythm part during the verse sections. As shown in FIGURE 1, I play all 1st-position chords here, starting with Am to C to G5.