Finger picking.

Am I just retarded, I'm by no means that good at playing, but I'm trying to play this one song.

http://pnwpest.org/coopl/if_I_needed.txt

And I have to keep playing with my thumb while my other fingers play the higher strings. It's kind of like tapping your head while rubbing your tummy. How the fuck do I tell my thumb doing one thing and fingers doing something else. :(

That looks easy as fuck. Is this your first attempt at finger picking? The thumb is easiest to use, whats tough is four finger rolls.

I can do black bird pretty well, but other than that yeah.

Learn it as a pattern

I'll give you a hint. It's starts with a "P."

P = Thumb
I = Index
M = Middle
A = Ring

Put on a G chord and try this pattern...

-----------A------------
------------------A-----
-----M-------M---------
---I-----I---------I-----
------------------------
P-----------------------

Switch it to a C chord and move the bass note P to the 5th string. All other strings remain the same.

Now try a pinch

-----------A------------
A------------------A----
-----M-------M---------
---I-----I---------I-----
------------------------
P-----------------------

notice u are striking thumb "P" and ring "A" at the same time creating a "pinch"

get used to these patterns and you will start picking up on other common patterns. I love the sound of a pinch at the beginning of a chord and hammering on a note in side the chord. When you perform this hammer it takes up an extra 1/8th note so you can't do the normal P,I,M,I,A,M,I,A pattern you must allow room for the hammer so remove the I that follows the pinch making it P, ,M,I,A,M,I,A

that pattern looked like P,M,I,A(hammer),P,I,A however it tells you to keep bass going and I would have to hear it to be sure what they mean by that.