Guitarist Billy Kneebone will be giving a free guitar-picking seminar at the Dolores Public Library on March 31 at 6:30 p.m.

“I’ll be demonstrating two different finger-picking styles. It’s for anyone who wants to learn how, then they can go home and practice,” he said.

Kneebone performs with Deb Hilton in The Porchlights, a favorite local band. He’s played in various other bands as well over the years, including State 38.

Learning to finger pick gives beginners stuck on strumming a new path towards musical talent, Kneebone says.

“A lot of your favorite songs involve finger-picking,” he said. “It’s a common guitar technique.”

Students need to bring a guitar to the class, and he will have you finger-picking within five minutes. It’s pretty simple, but the trick is to start off slow until you have the technique down.

“I see it as another color on your palate to paint with,” Kneebone said. “You can paint all day without blue, but eventually you’ve got to paint that blue sky, and that’s what finger-picking does for a song.”

The event is part of the libraries Winter Tales series featuring presentations from local talent.