Another question about Travis picking

[Wooly]

I'm half way trough the "Contemporary Travis Picking" book. I'm finding it very easy because I am already a finger style player. I am learning new patterns and a few other things I didn't know however.

In the book it says that you should use the ring finger for the high E string unless you need to shift to the upper strings and the bass note is therefore on the 4th string as in a D chord. It's usually not a problem but I am finding that some of the songs I do now are awkward using the ring finger on the high E. Can this rule sometimes be broken or should I force myself to do it all the time?

I'm a long time self taught player so no doubt have some bad habits.

[Kerbie]

My vote is that you do what's comfortable for you. I frequently use just two fingers on my right hand, the index and second, and move them in pairs between the E/B strings and the B/G strings. But for other songs, I use three fingers on my right hand, on each of the G, B and E strings. I think it depends on you and what the song requires.

Mark's books are great, aren't they?

[TBman]

I agree with Kerbie, but I recall that when learning Strawberry Curl from his other book, Art of Solo Fingerpicking, that if I didn't use his right hand fingering suggestions it was harder to play at performance pace. It was awkward at first for me, but it worked once I got used to it. Now that I haven't played his songs in years I just do what comes naturally .

One of my favorite acoustic guitar CDs is his Author's Notes. The tabs for a lot of the songs on the CD are on his website as single song purchases.

[6L6]

I wear a plastic thumbpick and two metal fingerpicks when I do Travis style.

For many years I used three metal fingerpicks but eventually found I rarely used my ring finger. So... I ditched the ring finger pic and don't miss it a bit.

For me a Holy Grail of "the Travis picking sound" is Patrick Sky's tune from 1965 titled "Separation Blues". Get this sound in your head and you'll be "there".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1clMuuQFto

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Wooly

I'm half way trough the "Contemporary Travis Picking" book. I'm finding it very easy because I am already a finger style player. I am learning new patterns and a few other things I didn't know however.

In the book it says that you should use the ring finger for the high E string unless you need to shift to the upper strings and the bass note is therefore on the 4th string as in a D chord. It's usually not a problem but I am finding that some of the songs I do now are awkward using the ring finger on the high E. Can this rule sometimes be broken or should I force myself to do it all the time?

I'm a long time self taught player so no doubt have some bad habits.

Ring finger on 1st string is standard classical technique. That doesn't necessarily apply to Travis picking, IMO.
I'd say it was a good habit to try and acquire, if you have problems using your ring finger, just so you can have thumb and three fingers available at all times. But most players in this style only use index and middle on everything - bringing in ring only when necessary.
((Personally I mostly use middle and ring, with index as my spare. That's my own self-taught habit.)
Merle Travis himself, of course, used thumb and index alone. So if he could break the rules...

I guess I just have a problem with calling this style "Travis picking" in the first place. He didn't invent it; and if you're going to teach something called "Travis picking", then surely you ought to teach Merle's own method. (Just my personal beef... )

[Wooly]

Originally Posted by TBman

I agree with Kerbie, but I recall that when learning Strawberry Curl from his other book, Art of Solo Fingerpicking, that if I didn't use his right hand fingering suggestions it was harder to play at performance pace. It was awkward at first for me, but it worked once I got used to it. Now that I haven't played his songs in years I just do what comes naturally .

One of my favorite acoustic guitar CDs is his Author's Notes. The tabs for a lot of the songs on the CD are on his website as single song purchases.

I will check that out. Thanks

[Wooly]

Originally Posted by JonPR

I guess I just have a problem with calling this style "Travis picking" in the first place. He didn't invent it; and if you're going to teach something called "Travis picking", then surely you ought to teach Merle's own method. (Just my personal beef... )

I wouldn't say that this is true Travis picking either. I would call it "alternating bass finger style" but I guess that's how things evolve. One could say then that Chet Atkins was a Travis picker??

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Wooly

I wouldn't say that this is true Travis picking either. I would call it "alternating bass finger style"

So would I.

Originally Posted by Wooly

but I guess that's how things evolve.

I see the evolution (as far as we know from recordings) as beginning with Blind Blake, and similar ragtime-blues pickers of the 20s and 30s. Merle Travis certainly brought the style to wider recognition in the 40s and 50s, and deserves his reputation in that sense. He did also develop his own personal take on it. There was really no one else like him back then.

Originally Posted by Wooly

One could say then that Chet Atkins was a Travis picker??

Yes. He clearly followed on from Merle's style - with those damped bass strings - developing it in more detail. He used 3 fingers to pick (only the pinky rested on the scratchplate).

[TBman]

Mark's style doesn't really have that "boom chick" sound that you get with Chet or TE or Doc, but he is still a great player and we can all learn something from him. As long as we play and basically are hitting the right strings at the right time it will all fall into place eventually

[Pitar]

I'd suggest keeping your mind open about which finger to use and when. I Travis pick using thumb and all fingers. If your plan is to assign hard and fast limits you're planning to limit yourself as a player. That's my general take on your question but, more specifically, you're probably seeking some immediate response to accommodate the book with or versus your skills. To that I'd say get that ring finger into your skills set. Then get the little finger earning its keep as well.

[Wooly]

Originally Posted by Pitar

If your plan is to assign hard and fast limits you're planning to limit yourself as a player.

You have a point. Good to know. Thanks

[Joscefi78]

There's only one way to Travis Pick, like Merle Travis. He used
only two fingers, with a kind of frailing and clawhammer, with
occasional single not runs. A thumbpick is vital to his sound,
it's the only way to get that thump. Also with the metal pick on
the index finger. Any other way than that is just pretend.

"Midnight Special"



https://youtu.be/8VikAbi4hTs

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Joscefi78

There's only one way to Travis Pick, like Merle Travis. He used only two fingers

Two? Maybe you're counting his thumb?
I only ever see his thumb and index picking - that middle is stuck on the scratchplate along with ring and pinky.

I agree with you in principle. That's how Merle Travis played, so that's what I'd call "Travis picking". But most people who play in this style - even copying his tunes or teaching his method - use two or even three fingers (along with thumb). It all sounds the same.

[guitar4fun]

A typical Travis pattern will entail playing 2-3 alternating bass strings with the thumb. Depending on the pattern, your fingers will be responsible for playing the 2-3 other strings. If the pattern only requires 2 "treble" strings, play with 2 fingers. If the pattern requires 3 "treble" strings, use 3 fingers including the ring finger on the E string. I found using the ring finger awkward at first, but more accurate and faster once I got the hang of it. But as others have said, do what works best for you.

BTW - Since I am new to Travis style too, I have TAB'ed out a few very simple songs in Travis style just for practice. These are NOT performance songs by any stretch. Just familiar old tunes and fun to practice new skills. If anyone is interested, send me a PM and I'll provide a TAB or two to try.

[Joscefi78]

Originally Posted by JonPR

Two? Maybe you're counting his thumb?
I only ever see his thumb and index picking - that middle is stuck on the scratchplate along with ring and pinky.

I agree with you in principle. That's how Merle Travis played, so that's what I'd call "Travis picking". But most people who play in this style - even copying his tunes or teaching his method - use two or even three fingers (along with thumb). It all sounds the same.

That's what I meant - one finger and one thumb.