Acoustic Guitar

• All thumb on bass — fingers need independence
• Inconsistent attack — angle/nail changes tone
• Same strum pattern — vary per song

Mistakes by Level

Beginners: Choppy changes, muted strings, no dynamics

Intermediate: Same pattern always, weak fingerpicking, no bass

Advanced: Style rut, ignoring tunings, capo dependence

Fingerpicking Patterns

Thumb independence first, then add fingers.

Strumming Essentials

• Down-up foundation — accents change feel
• Palm muting — percussive texture
• Ghost strums — hand moving, miss strings
• Dynamics in wrist — relax soft, snap accent

Troubleshooting

• "Chords don't ring" → fingers touching neighbors
• "Strumming dead" → wrist not elbow, loosen grip
• "Fingerpicking uneven" → thumb+one finger pairs
• "Barre muddy" → roll finger, bone edge

Care & Progress

Humidity 45-55% — cracks without it. Log to ~/acoustic-guitar/: songs, patterns

What to Surface

• "Travis solid? Try Chet Atkins?" / "Strum done — fingerpicking?"