Beginner Travis Picking Guitar Lesson | Guitar Tricks

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In this Guitar Tricks lesson, Gary introduces the fundamentals of Travis picking, one of the most iconic fingerstyle guitar techniques. Named after the legendary Merle Travis, this technique allows a guitarist to sound like both a bass player and a rhythm guitarist at the same time by alternating bass notes with the thumb while plucking melody or harmony notes with the fingers.

Gary starts by explaining the basic Travis picking concept over a C chord, demonstrating how to alternate between the root and fifth or third of the chord on the bass strings. He then introduces three beginner-friendly Travis picking patterns, all demonstrated on a D chord using the top four strings. These patterns are simple yet versatile and can be applied to any chord or chord progression.

Pattern 1: Alternates between strings 4 and 3 with thumb, while index and middle fingers pluck strings 2 and 1 (4-2-3-1).

Pattern 2: A variation that goes 4-1-3-2, still without simultaneous plucking.

Pattern 3: Introduces thumb and finger plucking at the same time, creating a fuller Travis-style sound (outside 3-2-4-1-3).

Pattern 4: Another advanced variation that plucks multiple strings together for a richer tone (4-3&1-4-2-3-1).

Gary also provides useful Travis picking technique tips like using the "lobster claw" (thumb and index only), planting your pinky for control, and adjusting finger movement to ensure tone clarity. He emphasizes starting slow, repeating for muscle memory, and gradually increasing speed only after mastering the pattern.

These patterns can be applied to common chords like A minor, C, and D for endless creativity. For more in-depth fingerpicking guitar lessons, check out the full Travis picking course at GuitarTricks.com and subscribe for more online guitar tutorials.

In this guitar lesson, learn beginner travis picking on guitar. Travis picking is a type of finger picking that uses your thumb to hit bass notes, while your other fingers are plucking the treble strings. It sounds really cool when you get it right but can be a little tricky since you have to balance picking with your thumb and your other fingers.

Travis Picking gets its name from Merle Travis who was known for his finger picking style. This type of picking is really popular in all sorts of music from blues, to folk, rock and more. One of the most frustrating things about Travis Picking is that you can get your fingers mixed up. This means, you must practice the rhythm super slow so that you can feel exactly how to play it as well as how it sounds.

Gary will show you a beginner level Travis picking pattern. Give it a try!

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