If you're looking to get into fingerpicking, here's a classic song I use with students new to fingerpicking-- my template is a bare-bones arrangement of "Freight Train," the Elizabeth Cotten fingerstyle classic. It's here for anyone who wants to try it on their own-- but if you'd like to take some lessons, I can show you the basics of this style without too much stress. (CLICK ON THE MUSIC TO ENLARGE)
My basic fingerstyle approach here is as follows-- quarter notes in the bass part, and mostly half notes in the top voice (melody). Once you can play this arrangement as written, you can spiff it up in various ways-- adding notes in between the top and bottom parts (this usually involves the G string, which is mostly not used in the melody part) or syncopating the melody, adding more notes to the melody, etc.
I'm not a fingerstyle specialist-- my strategy for getting the maximum result with minimum result is to be pretty repetitive with the bass/accompaniment, then add melody on top. I may put up more complex variations later, but for now work this arrangement up. It's a bit stiff, as you'll hear, but it's rhythmically repetitive to make it easier to absorb.
A few tips-- use the thumb for the root on the F chord. I sometimes finger chord notes that are not in the notation-- it varies with different chords. I leave out the A string notes unless (as in the case of C major chord) the root is on the A string. With the G, E, and F chords, I'm leaving out the A string. This gives you a less cluttered sound in the bass, and in most cases makes the chords easier to play. I'm often fretting a G string chord tone, even though it's not in the notation-- this is so I can add that note in later for rolls, etc. (The G string can give you a thicker texture, moving you away from the stark sound of bass plus melody.)
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