“Travis” Style Fingerpicking Tutorial For Beginners (with tabs)

What Is Travis Picking?

Travis picking is known for its alternating bass. Your thumb plays bass notes on the beat, which keeps time and drives the music forward. Your fingers add higher notes in between the beats, for melody and color. Together they give a chord progression a sense of movement.

It can get plenty complicated, but this is one of the simpler versions, and it still sounds great.

The Picking Pattern

Start with a C chord: first finger on the second string at the first fret, second finger on the fourth string at the second fret, and third finger on the fifth string at the third fret.

Now set your picking hand: thumb on the fifth string, first finger on the third string and second finger on the second string. Your left hand just holds the C chord; the right hand does the work.

Play the strings in this order: 5, 3, 4, 2, then 5, 3, 4 and a short pause. Your thumb alternates between the fifth and fourth strings, and your fingers fill in the third and second strings.

Count “one and two and three and four and.” The thumb notes land on the numbers, and the finger notes land on the “ands.” If the rhythm doesn’t make sense on paper, watch the video; sometimes it’s easier to hear it first.

Tips for a Good Sound

• Start slowly and just get the finger motion. Speed comes later.
• Push your thumb down toward the guitar instead of yanking it away from the strings.
• Pull your fingers in toward your palm rather than out from the guitar.
• Keep your hand fairly steady. If it pulls away, it has to find its way back to the strings every time.

If this feels like a lot, play only the thumb notes at first, counting out loud. Once that goes without much thought, add the finger notes. When you’re about 80 percent of the way there, you’re ready for the chord progression.

The Chord Progression

The good news: your right hand doesn’t change at all. Same fingers, same strings, same timing. Only the chords change. Play one bar each of C, G/B, Am7 and G/B, and keep cycling.

• G/B: from C, move your second finger to the fifth string at the second fret, and put your pinky on the second string at the third fret.
• Am7: first finger on the second string at the first fret, second finger on the fourth string at the second fret. The fifth string is open.

This is the same progression as the verse of Landslide by Fleetwood Mac. To play along with the recording, put a capo on the third fret.

A Pull-Off to Add Later

When you’re feeling ready, try this. In the pause at the end of the C bar, pull your second finger off the fourth string so the open string sounds. That’s a pull-off. It adds a note, and it gets your hand moving toward G/B. Do the same on Am7: same finger, same note. Skip it on G/B.

Use It With Any Progression

You can use this pattern with any chord progression. It can be a challenge at first, but once your mind can follow the pattern, you’ll be surprised at what you can do. When you want more, try these fingerpicking patterns.