Travis Picking

[Matthjs]

I’m wondering how many of you have mastered Travis Picking. I’ve been trying to do so for a long time. There are some songs that require mastering it to play them effectively. Unfortunately, I’ve come up with an alternative pattern that is close that I’ve used for years, so when I try to learn the absolute correct method, I have an incredibly difficult time kicking the old pattern. Has anyone else had a similar issue? Any Travis Picking tips you can pass on would be appreciated. It’s time for me to focus on technique and eliminate that old habits, but it’s not easily done.

[srick]

Matt - try recording yourself and listening critically. If you are keeping the beat, it probably doesn't matter a whole lot if you are perfectly accurate - most listeners won't hear it.

Then, during your practice, play slowly and remember to breathe. A metronome or drum track may help, but I prefer to either play with someone else or to slow down a piece I am practicing.

Don't overthink it, that's when you make mistakes.

[mercy]

thats true when trying to learn something that is similar but different of anything. The brain is saying no to something while saying yes to something so theres more thinking going on than learning something new and different.

[DukeX]

There are many variances of Travis Picking, not just one pattern. I probably do it a dozen different ways depending on the piece I write/play. Pattern diversity is good.

[UncleJesse]

When I first started it was essential to break down a pattern or song bar by bar. I played a single bar over and over and over and over until I could do it in my sleep. Green Green Rocky Road is a great tune to pick apart like that. Easy and sounds good.

[frankmcr]

Originally Posted by Matthjs

the absolute correct method,

That would be the way Merle Travis himself did it, which was alternating bass using only thumb & first finger.

As time went by, thanks to the "Oh, don't be pedantic" crowd, Travis picking has come to mean any kind of fingerpicking, using thumb & 1, 2, 3, or 4 fingers, often not even using an alternating bass.

At this point the term has become pretty much meaningless.

So hey, take comfort in the fact that any way you want to do can be called correct.

"Freedom!"

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by UncleJesse

When I first started it was essential to break down a pattern or song bar by bar. I played a single bar over and over and over and over until I could do it in my sleep.

This!

That's exactly how I taught myself back in the day. Not the so-called "independent thumb" method, where you work on the bass line first. I tackled the whole pattern, thumb and fingers together, but slow - beat by beat, bar by bar. It's about working the coordination in there from the start. The thumb is never "independent" - it interlocks with the fingers, and it makes no sense to separate it first. (And I don't care what Tommy Emmanuel says!)

It's the same for every new song. Not only is that the best way to learn the technique, it saves you getting too habituated to one generic pattern you apply to everything.

[Matthjs]

As usual, good ideas from each of you. I am going to learn to master this. There are too many great songs for which Travis picking is the anchor. Plus it sounds amazing to me. Thanks for the ideas and support.

[Blueser100]

This guy, Mark Hanson, for Travis picking. I learned the basics from this book years ago and now it's committed to muscle memory.

https://www.amazon.com/Contemporary-...s%2C233&sr=8-4

[Glennwillow]

Hi Matthjs,

I don't know if this free tutorial that I recently put up will be helpful to you, but it might be worth a try. https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=561864

I think the Travis pick is hard for most people to learn, so I tried to come up with some new box diagrams that are a little different to try to give players some added help. This may or may not work for you.

I wish you well on your finger picking journey.

- Glenn

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Blueser100

This guy, Mark Hanson, for Travis picking. I learned the basics from this book years ago and now it's committed to muscle memory.

https://www.amazon.com/Contemporary-...s%2C233&sr=8-4

Me too, plus many more of us. I had used both of his Travis books.

[Matthjs]

Thanks Glenn! Very cool.

[webwzrd]

When I was learning Travis picking the line I heard that sticks in my mind is learn the pattern, practice the pattern and then forget the pattern.

I believe what this means is to learn what you think is precise Travis picking but realize it's just an exercise to train your mind and fingers. From there a whole world opens up.