Travis picking

[Yanto]

Hi all. Want to learn to Travis pick. Are there any particular resources online that will help please? Ian

[MFG]

You might check out richardsmithmusic.com - he is one of the world's foremost fingerpickers.

[Mking]

There are a lots of folks doing good instructional videos on YouTube and they are free.

[reeve21]

A lot of us got started with this book by Mark Hanson.

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Contempor...40_&dpSrc=srch

I can also recommend Toby Walker's learning to fingerpicking video, very helpful.

http://www.littletobywalker.com/lear...ingerpick.html

[Skarsaune]

Originally Posted by reeve21

A lot of us got started with this book by Mark Hanson.

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Contempor...40_&dpSrc=srch

+1 on the Hanson book.

[Mr. Paul]

+2 on the Hanson book

[TBman]

+47 on the Hanson books. There's 2 in the Travis learning series. In the Show and Tell section of this forum someone posted their cover of "Strawberry Curl" which is in the second Travis book.

Strawberry Curl

[mercy]

My first tune was Greensleeves then Freight Train. I didnt try to be accurate just to be able to play something. I struggled dwith Wendy and Warm next that was a mistake. I was eventually able to play it and its a lot of fun but way too hard to learn on. Then I got the Hanson books and then some more books. I cant learn online but books work well for me.

[Pitar]

Alternating thumb style, aka Travis Style, sometimes known as Independent Thumb, though the latter can be all over the picking spectrum and patterns. I learned it from a very thin book published by Mel Bay back in 73. I mean, a quick illustration of the basic pattern does not require pages of explanation, just ages of practice. It took me probably a month of focus to get the basic alternating thing developed. After that using it to make melodies has been a lifetime of curiosity seeking.

My 2-cents demo shows the index finger and middle finger assigned to the G and B strings, respectively. They don't do anything but hold the rhythm in this piece. The progression is a standard 1-4-5 beginning in C (F,G). The thumb is creating the melody in this.

Edit: Capo 2nd fret

[gwlee7]

Just ordered the first Hanson book. Gonna be brutal. 🤣

[TBman]

Originally Posted by gwlee7

Just ordered the first Hanson book. Gonna be brutal. 🤣

Just go slow with it. Don't race to try to keep up with the demos of the exercises. Believe it or not, going super slow builds speed when learning something new faster than going at your speed limit. Going faster with mistakes is not better than going slow with none.

[gwlee7]

Originally Posted by TBman

Just go slow with it. Don't race to try to keep up with the demos of the exercises. Believe it or not, going super slow builds speed when learning something new faster than going at your speed limit. Going faster with mistakes is not better than going slow with none.

Thanks for the reminder. I am a decent “flat picker”. I have just now decided that finger picking styles need to be added to the arsenal. I have played for years but have never truly attempted learning this way of playing. I intend to take my time and do it right. Not necessarily looking to be able to play solo arrangements of tunes (altough that would be great) as much as bringing cleaner finger picking into songs I have have written or like to play.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Yanto

Hi all. Want to learn to Travis pick. Are there any particular resources online that will help please? Ian

Hi Yanto

Thom Bresh (Merle Travis's son) has a great DVD on Travis picking. It's called "Like Father Like Son" and amazon sells it.

Good content and he goes into detail.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by gwlee7

Thanks for the reminder. I am a decent “flat picker”. I have just now decided that finger picking styles need to be added to the arsenal. I have played for years but have never truly attempted learning this way of playing. I intend to take my time and do it right. Not necessarily looking to be able to play solo arrangements of tunes (altough that would be great) as much as bringing cleaner finger picking into songs I have have written or like to play.

The hardest part of learning Travis/finger style coming from being an established flat picker is fighting the urge to reach for the pick out of frustration. I had to move all my picks out of reach and set aside special practice time just to learn finger style. (Now that's all I play).

[srick]

Hi Yanto -

In a way, learning Travis picking depends on where you are starting from. As for myself, I needed to develop a strong sense of rhythm before my Travis picking developed, but then, that is a problem with being self-taught.

So, I'll recommend another resource. Happy Traum's "Conquer the Challenge of the Steady Thumb" from Homespun. In this lesson, like many others, Happy takes you up step by step, first playing a drone, then on the beat, then adding in more notes in between the beats.

The steady thumb is the key to the style. Gradually, you can add the "simmer" to the style, which is all in the syncopation.

You'll have many hours of practice ahead, but will be greatly rewarded for your effort!

best,

Rick