Up to now, we've been working on simple patterns involving the thumb and index finger of your picking hand. Most songs aren't quite so simple, however, so we're going to try a few exercises that require a bit more 'hopping around' from string to string. Try this one:
To put it simply, you are doing two sets of thumb and forefinger on one string, and then the other. Try going back and forth, over and over, wander over to the other strings if you feel like... When you are playing music with your fingerpicking, you fingers will have to be able to move from string to string as the part of the song you are playing dictates... Here's your chance to get your fingers used to the idea, before you're all busy figuring out what to do with your other hand.
Come back to this drill when you're practicing. You do well to include any drill in your practicing until you find it so easy it puts you to sleep. Soon you will be exploring songs that use the fundamentals you learned in the (boring) drills, and your skills will develop from there.
Next, we're going to try an even more irregular pattern of picking.
