Fingerstyle Guitar Skool · With Aaron Tonner
This Weird Fingerpicking Song
Will Get You Good Fast
Will Get You Good Fast
I've been teaching myself guitar for 16 years — and this one song will fast-track your fingerpicking progress like almost nothing else.
🔒 The song is revealed at the end — can you guess it?
I'm going to teach you this fingerpicking song by breaking it down into 3 stages. Whether you're a beginner or advanced, this song will fix your technique and help you get to the next level.
Step 1 — We only learn the bass and master the rhythm. Perfect if you're a total beginner.
Step 2 — We learn just the fingerpicking pattern without the bass, which makes learning the final step so much easier.
Step 3 — We combine everything. You'll slowly but surely learn the entire song — and find out what it is.
How this works
1
Work through each step in order. Don't skip ahead — the method is the magic.
2
Complete the homework before moving on. Your progress will be tracked as you check off tasks.
3
The song is revealed in Step 3. Upload your attempt to the community for feedback from Aaron!
Want more exclusive lessons?The complete downloadable tabs with step-by-step homework are inside the Fingerstyle Guitar Skool community — free for 7 days.
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Step 1 of 3🔒 Song TBA
Bass & Rhythm Mastery
Today's goalMaster the bass walk down and lock in the rhythm before touching a single fingerpicking pattern. If this feels easy — that's the point. The rhythm you build here is the foundation for everything.
1
Bass walk down — 4 bars (watch the video for timing)
Only strike notes on the 1, 3, & 4 count — then only 1 & 4 for the last bar. Tap your foot with the beat.
e|----------------------------------------------| B|----------------------------------------------| G|----------------------------------------------| D|----------------------------------------------| A|0----------0-----0----------------------------| E|-----------------------4-----------4-----4----|
e|---------------------------------------------------| B|---------------------------------------------------| G|---------------------------------------------------| D|---------------------------------------------------| A|---------------------------------------------------| E|3----------3-----3-----2---------------2-----2-----|
e|-------------------------------------------------| B|-------------------------------------------------| G|-------------------------------------------------| D|-------------------------------------------------| A|---------------------------0----------0-----0----| E|1--------------1-----1---------------------------|
e|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------| G|----------------------------------| D|----------------------------------| A|----------------------------------| E|1-----------1---0-------------0---|
Technique tips
◆Use a Google metronome at 120 BPM — don't move to Step 2 until you can play this without the metronome.
◆Tap your foot with the beat. This builds internal rhythm that no app can give you.
◆Keep your thumb relaxed — the bass is the heartbeat of the entire song.
Homework — tap to check off
Use the Google metronome at 120 BPM and play all 4 bars without stopping.
Take the metronome away and play from memory — only move to Step 2 when you can do this confidently.
Tap your foot the entire time. No foot tap = not ready yet!
Want real feedback on your playing?Students in Fingerstyle Guitar Skool upload videos and get direct feedback from Aaron — plus exclusive video breakdowns for every level.
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Step 2 of 3🔒 Song TBA
Fingerpicking Pattern
Today's goalLearn the fingerpicking pattern without the bass notes from Step 1. This simplifies everything and will make combining them in Step 3 so much easier. If you can repeat the full cycle 3 times without stopping, consider yourself intermediate!
1
Fingerpicking pattern — 4 bars
h = Hammer Onp = Pull Off
e|-----------0--------------0-----------0-------|
B|------0h1--------1-----0-----0-----0-----0----|
G|---2----------2-----2-------------------------|
D|--------------------------------2----------2--|
A|0---------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------4----------------------|
e|-----0--------0---------------------0--------------| B|0h1--------1-----1--------0h1p0--------3-----1-----| G|---------------------------------2--------2-----2--| D|--------2-----------2------------------------------| A|---------------------------------------------------| E|3----------------------2---------------------------|
e|------------0--3--0-------------------0----------| B|--0h1p0--------------1-----------0h1--------1----| G|---------2--------------2-----2----------2-------| D|-----------------------------------------------0-| A|---------------------------0---------------------| E|1------------------------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------| B|------0---------------0-----------| G|----2---2-----------2---1---------| D|--0-------1---1---2-------2-------| A|----------------------------2-----| E|1-----------1---0-------------0---|
Technique tips
◆Take the hammer-ons and pull-offs slowly at first — they need to ring cleanly before you speed up.
◆Practice as slowly and quietly as possible. Speed is a byproduct of clean, quiet practice.
◆Bar 2 has a hammer-on into a pull-off (0h1p0) — isolate that single move until it's smooth before running the bar.
Homework — tap to check off
Repeat the entire 4-bar cycle 3 times without stopping.
Isolate any bar that feels shaky and repeat it 10 times before moving on.
Upload a video of your attempt to the community for feedback!
By the way — if you want real feedback on your playing...Students inside Fingerstyle Guitar Skool upload videos and get direct feedback from Aaron, plus tons more exclusive breakdowns just like this one.
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Step 3 of 3
Full Song — The Reveal 🎉
Final step goalCombine the bass from Step 1 with the fingerpicking from Step 2 into the complete arrangement. Take it bar by bar, and don't rush — the full downloadable tabs with homework are also available inside the community.
1
Full arrangement — Steps 1 + 2 combined
h = Hammer Onp = Pull Off
e|-----------0--------------0-----------0-------|
B|------0h1--------1-----0-----0-----0-----0----|
G|---2----------2-----2-------------------------|
D|--------------------------------2----------2--|
A|0----------0-----0----------------------------|
E|-----------------------4-----------4-----4----|
e|-----0--------0---------------------0--------------| B|0h1--------1-----1--------0h1p0--------3-----1-----| G|---------------------------------2--------2-----2--| D|--------2-----------2------------------------------| A|---------------------------------------------------| E|3----------3-----3-----2---------------2-----2-----|
e|------------0--3--0-------------------0----------| B|--0h1p0--------------1-----------0h1--------1----| G|---------2--------------2-----2----------2-------| D|-----------------------------------------------0-| A|---------------------------0----------0-----0----| E|1--------------1-----1---------------------------|
e|----------------------------------| B|------0---------------0-----------| G|----2---2-----------2---1---------| D|--0-------1---1---2-------2-------| A|----------------------------2-----| E|1-----------1---0-------------0---|
Final technique tips
◆Bar 4 is the trickiest — the D string walk is what gives this song its Nick Drake signature feel. Slow it right down.
◆Once you can play through all 4 bars, try playing along to Nick Drake's original recording. That's your real test.
◆Listen to Pink Moon and Five Leaves Left by Nick Drake — we'll be learning lots of songs like these.
Final homework — tap to check off
Play all 4 bars of the full arrangement without stopping.
Play along to Nick Drake's original recording of Day is Done — if you can do this, you're entering advanced territory!
Listen to Nick Drake's full albums Pink Moon & Five Leaves Left for inspiration.
Record yourself and upload it to the community — Aaron will review it!
The full tabs PDF is waiting for you inside.Get the complete downloadable tab booklet, more Nick Drake lessons, and direct feedback from Aaron — free for 7 days.
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🎬 Full YouTube Lesson
Watch the Full Breakdown
What to watch forI break down the timing, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and how the bass and fingerpicking lock together. Watch my right hand position throughout — this is what the technique looks like in real time.
▶
Day is Done — Full 3-Step Video Lesson
While you watch
◆Pay close attention to how I count aloud in Step 1 — internalising that count is everything.
◆Notice the hammer-on and pull-off technique — clean articulation makes or breaks this song.
Want more lessons like this?Inside Fingerstyle Guitar Skool there are full video breakdowns of songs like this for every level — plus a community of players getting better together with my direct coaching.
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