Travis Picking help

[tbirdman]

I typically play with a thumb and two fingers though Mark Hanson's book also on some songs uses the ring finger. Also there are many variations with using two fingers and three fingers he goes over.

My go to pattern is a outside pinch with a thumb and a finger, and I also use a three string alternate bass in the same pattern. I can play this in my sleep because I just played this very slowly for like three months and then slowly sped it up until it was muscle memory. It was painful at first, but now it's second nature.

The tough part is if you Travis Pick and add in the melody.

[nickv6]

When I watch Merle Travis picking it seems to me that he just chuggs away at the bass, he doesn't seem to alternate much just ploughs the thumb in wherever.
Chet seems to me to have refined it into proper and disciplined alternate pickiing.
They don't sound the same to me.
Just my thoughts.
Nick

[Riverwolf]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

Hi Riverwolf,

I have never put a course together on Travis picking, but you might get something out of my tutorial on how to play the fairly simple "Clay Pigeons" song HERE.

- Glenn

Thanks.
I have started with David Potts at songnotes.com.
He uses this song as a first to learn and has a lesson on it too.

[Aspiring]

If you look up Paul Davids Travis Picking in you tube he has a great lesson on it.

Although it sounds like you may have covered a good part of the ground

After Paul Davids lesson I went back and looked at Dust in The Wind in a whole new light.

[Brent Hutto]

Originally Posted by nickv6

When I watch Merle Travis picking it seems to me that he just chuggs away at the bass, he doesn't seem to alternate much just ploughs the thumb in wherever.
Chet seems to me to have refined it into proper and disciplined alternate pickiing.
They don't sound the same to me.
Just my thoughts.
Nick

I agree. Chet Atkins refined the style and polished it up to a modern (at the time) Nashville sheen. Travis was a musician, Atkins a virtuoso. But still seems (to me) like their playing is rooted in the same style.

[Robin, Wales]

Originally Posted by nickv6

When I watch Merle Travis picking it seems to me that he just chuggs away at the bass, he doesn't seem to alternate much just ploughs the thumb in wherever.
Chet seems to me to have refined it into proper and disciplined alternate pickiing.
They don't sound the same to me.
Just my thoughts.
Nick

I think that Merle is alternating bass strings with his thumb pick, but he is palm muting to "chug". The most important thing however is his wonderful singing voice - that's what got him booked not his guitar playing!

[nickv6]

What a great video. Thanks for sharing.
He's the whole deal isn't he?
Nick

[Blueser100]

This article and video on Travis picking just turned up in my email mailbox, from issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine.

https://acousticguitar.com/lesson-le...eid=b9026870a5

[phydaux]

Originally Posted by Riverwolf

Somewhat familiar.
Does he also do Travis picking or just fingerstyle?

Originally Posted by Jamolay

Wouldn’t “Travis Picking” just be a subset or type of finger style? What is the difference?

To me, finger style is playing with your fingers. Do what ever feels good and works for the sound you are trying to make.

Whew. What a question.

Fingerstyle is a broad category. Chord melody is a subset of fingerstyle, and Travis Picking is a subset of chord melody.

[MrDB]

I taught myself. I started on the inside 4 strings on a C and Am chord pattern. I used the basic T 2 T 1 pattern, thumb strikes the bass note (5th string) 2nd finger strikes the 2nd string thumb strikes the 4th string then 1st finger strikes the 3rd string.

I repeated that pattern over and over until I had it down, then moved on to rotating the bass notes and then treble strings. It only took about six weeks until I had it down pat.

Changing the cadence, pinching strings together, palm muting, etc all combine to make the Travis picking less monotonous, so work on that as well once you have the basics down.

[biotechmgr]

You could take the
"Dust in the Wind course"

I found the symmetry of the picking helped me learn Travis picking (and the reps too)
Pinch. Outside. T m
Inside strings. T i
Outside strings T m
Inside strings. T i

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by nickv6

When I watch Merle Travis picking it seems to me that he just chuggs away at the bass, he doesn't seem to alternate much just ploughs the thumb in wherever.

He alternates all the time, except when he is actually doing a lot more with this thumb. The only finger he is using is his index, so thumb and index are both pretty busy.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Robin, Wales

I think that Merle is alternating bass strings with his thumb pick, but he is palm muting to "chug". The most important thing however is his wonderful singing voice - that's what got him booked not his guitar playing!

Great point. It's easy for us guitarists to just hunker down in our guitar ghetto and forget about what actually entertains non-musicians. And most of the time, that ain't guitar playing, however fancy it gets.

[Brent Hutto]

Originally Posted by JonPR

Great point. It's easy for us guitarists to just hunker down in our guitar ghetto and forget about what actually entertains non-musicians. And most of the time, that ain't guitar playing, however fancy it gets.

I'm not a professional or even an amateur performer. Just a living-room musical adventurer but I learned a similar lesson a few years ago...

I can play some stuff on piano halfway decently and play mandolin and guitar just a little. Singing and playing at the same time? That's beyond me except on a few VERY simple little tunes (eg, singing Danny Boy with rudimentary piano comping, singing Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain while strumming guitar).

When my mother was alive, she always wanted me to sing when she came to our house to visit. She just loved singing and loved it even more when it was one of her children doing it! For a few years I really stressed out over trying to practice a couple songs so I could do them for her, singing and playing. It never really worked, my playing abilities are just too limited and the whole thing fell apart under pressure (even an audience of one or two people is still pressure).

Gradually it dawned on me...you don't need accompaniment to sing. I've got a good ear for pitch so I finally settled on a dozen or so songs I could sing a capella and I mixed those in with a few other tunes to play on the piano without singing. She enjoyed the piano playing but it was obvious her real joy was in the singing.

[Robin, Wales]

Originally Posted by JonPR

Great point. It's easy for us guitarists to just hunker down in our guitar ghetto and forget about what actually entertains non-musicians. And most of the time, that ain't guitar playing, however fancy it gets.

LOL!!!! I have always said the goal for my guitar playing is to play so well that nobody notices it!