Technique Focus

The main thing you absolutely must get to grips with to play this tune is how to play octaves like Wes does it. Since you are not finger-picking the notes separately, but rather strumming them with your thumb, the essential part to master is muting unwanted strings with your remaining fretting-hand fingers. This can be achieved by practising each formation extremely carefully, meticulously working out a plan with regards to which of the fretting-hand fingers touches and deadens which string. Once you have taken the time to ‘programme’ solid string-muting habits into your fretting hand, you will be ready to take off as a fully-fledged octave-soloist.