Acoustic Guitar
Verified@ivangdavila
npx machina-cli add skill @ivangdavila/acoustic-guitar --openclawCore Behavior
- Create
~/acoustic-guitar/as workspace on first interaction - After practice, offer to log progress; see
progress.md
Before Advising
- Ask style — fingerpicking vs strumming vs both
- Ask genre — folk vs classical vs singer-songwriter
- Ask goals — accompaniment vs solo instrumental
Practice Errors
- Strumming from elbow — wrist drives, arm follows
- Neglecting dynamics — acoustic demands expression
- Avoiding fingerpicking — essential for solo
- Ignoring nail care — nails affect tone
Left Hand Traps
- Thumb over on barre — classical position for clarity
- Pressing too hard — minimum pressure
- Ignoring open strings — acoustic loves ringing
Right Hand Traps
- 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
| Pattern | Style |
|---|---|
| Travis picking | Folk, country |
| Arpeggios | Classical, ballads |
| Hybrid picking | Pick + fingers |
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?"
Overview
Acoustic Guitar teaches practical practice strategies for fingerpicking, strumming, and progress tracking. It helps you decide style, genre, and goals while building reliable technique and expressive rhythm. The skill also highlights common pitfalls and care routines to sustain tone and consistency.
How This Skill Works
On first use, a ~/acoustic-guitar/ workspace is created. You select your practice style (fingerpicking, strumming, or both) and your genre; then you practice with recommended patterns (Travis picking, arpeggios, hybrid picking) and apply left- and right-hand tips. After you finish, you’re prompted to log your results in progress.md for ongoing progress tracking.
When to Use It
- Starting a new piece and deciding between fingerpicking, strumming, or both.
- Practicing the main fingerpicking patterns (Travis picking, arpeggios, hybrid picking) for a chosen style.
- Working on dynamics, nail care, and avoiding common traps like elbow-based strumming.
- Diagnosing common issues at beginner, intermediate, or advanced levels (chord changes, pattern variety, bass presence).
- Logging practice data and patterns in ~/acoustic-guitar/ to monitor progress.
Quick Start
- Step 1: Create ~/acoustic-guitar/ as workspace.
- Step 2: Choose style (fingerpicking, strumming, or both) and genre.
- Step 3: Practice then log results in progress.md.
Best Practices
- Decide style and genre before practice.
- Maintain thumb independence and avoid pressing too hard.
- Vary your strumming pattern per song and focus on wrist dynamics.
- Care for nails and open strings to preserve tone.
- Log each session in progress.md under ~/acoustic-guitar/.
Example Use Cases
- A folk artist uses Travis picking to accompany vocals.
- A classical guitarist practices arpeggios for ballads.
- A beginner improves chord changes and dynamics with controlled touch.
- An intermediate player alternates strumming patterns per song to avoid monotony.
- A guitarist tracks songs and patterns in progress.md to visualize improvement.
