How to read picking patterns from guitar books

Hi,

I'm only new to playing guitar and I have been give a pattern for picking in a music book that has a 4/4 beat and goes like:

---------a---------------------|--------m-------------
---------m------------|--------|-------a---------------
---|-----|-------------|--------i-------|--------------
---|-----|-------------|---------------|-------------
---|-----|-------------|---------------|-------------
---a-------------------p---------------|--------------

I can't seem to get the beat right and have no idea how to pick this to make it sound like the music.

I know the a is ring finger, m is middle etc... but what is the beat of this, I can't make it sound like the music I'm playing.

Any help appreciated.

Cheers,
Adam

Hi Adam... I can't help you with that particular bit of music.. for me there isn't enough information there to get an idea of what the book is suggesting but someone else might be able to figure it out for you.

In the meantime, have you checked out Lisa McCormick's lessons on acoustic fingerpicking for beginners? They are excellent. Very easy to follow and clearly explained:

http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=596

Good Luck!
Cal

I'm assuming the first "a" is a typo and you meant "p". Without knowing what type of notes they are, there is no way for us to guess the beat. Are they half, notes, quarter notes, eighth notes??

Also have no idea what those vertical lines are supposed to be.