Go-To Fingerpicking "patterns"?

[lovgren]

It seems when people say "fingerpicking" they're often talking about arrangements. One of my favorite things to do is just choose a song and play / sing it, either just myself or to accompany a singer.

Singers generally don't want to sing over melody arrangements.

Let's say we want to, off the cuff, play and sing something like "Jesus Loves Me" or "Leavin on a Jet Plane". The strumming patterns are easy to figure out on the fly. In fact, they almost happen automatically. But what about fingerpicking patterns? Something simple that fills the space and emphasizes beats 1 and 3 or whatever. That's where I'm lost.

Are there standard fingerpicking techniques / patterns that can be used generically in place of simple strumming patterns? A simple 4:4 or D-Du-uDu.

[Tony Done]

I can squeeze just about anything basic into an alternating bass pattern or simple derivative thereof, when the thumb keeps the beat by alternating between two bass strings, while the finger pick the melody, with the beat and/or in counterpoint to it.

[Steel and wood]

I use an alternative thumb pattern (Travis style) which I mix up or alternatively a simple banjo roll.

[SunnyDee]

Originally Posted by lovgren

It seems when people say "fingerpicking" they're often talking about arrangements. One of my favorite things to do is just choose a song and play / sing it, either just myself or to accompany a singer.

Singers generally don't want to sing over melody arrangements.

Let's say we want to, off the cuff, play and sing something like "Jesus Loves Me" or "Leavin on a Jet Plane". The strumming patterns are easy to figure out on the fly. In fact, they almost happen automatically. But what about fingerpicking patterns? Something simple that fills the space and emphasizes beats 1 and 3 or whatever. That's where I'm lost.

Are there standard fingerpicking techniques / patterns that can be used generically in place of simple strumming patterns? A simple 4:4 or D-Du-uDu.

With simple songs there is usually a beat pattern to the lyrics that suggests a rhythm to me. Jesus loves me sounds like 1212, so I'd do something with that. Usually there's something in the melody, too, that will be reflected in one pattern over another. I want the pattern to put the accents in the right place for the lyric. To me, Jesus loves me sounds like TiTm ascending like that. I usually change the rhythm/pattern a bit to fill the places where there is no lyric. Anyway, I try out different things.

[DukeX]

As already stated there are various simple Travis picking patterns as well as Arpeggio picking patterns of 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 (depending on the time structure).