Fingerstyle Lesson #3 - Travis Picking

Print the article

This entry was posted on 6/19/2008 2:32 PM and is filed under Guitar Lessons.

This is a very (relatively) simple lesson on "Travis Picking", a style of playing guitar popularized by Country musician Merle Travis.  Our example is a very repetitive pattern and not too much like a real Merle Travis guitar part but it will get you started with the concept.

One very important element is that we have your right hand thumb playing on each downbeat.  It is alternating between the "Root" and the "Fifth" of the chord with the roots on beats "One and "Three" and the 5ths on beats "Two" and "Four".  Everything else in the pattern is played by the other fingers and like our other fingerstyle lessons you want to "assign" fingers to specific strings...



Click here for a printable version of this lesson.






Be sure to check out my new forum at http://markweinguitarlessons.com/forum/index.php for guitar stuff and more!



 

What did you think of this article?




Trackbacks
Trackback specific URL for this entry
  • No trackbacks exist for this entry.
Comments

    • 6/21/2008 7:27 PM Vinny Chapel wrote:
      Thanks for posting these lessons.

      I think finger picking, at least in the rock/pop genre, is a dying art. But when it's done right, I actually prefer it over using a pick.

      I'm getting better at it myself...

      Vinny
      Reply to this
    • 6/21/2008 7:43 PM Mark wrote:
      No Problem!

      I am actually not the worlds greatest fingerpicker but I think its a skill that every guitarist should have. What I actually go the most is hybrid picking, where I can also utilize my pick...
      Reply to this
    Leave a comment

    Submitted comments will be subject to moderation before being displayed.

     Enter the above security code (required)

     Name

     Email (will not be published)

     Website

    Your comment is 0 characters limited to 3000 characters.