Travis Picking

Travis picking is the fingerstyle sound of country, folk and old-time guitar: a thumb that never stops, alternating between two bass strings like a drummer, while the fingers dance a melody on top. Named after Merle Travis, it's the pattern behind countless acoustic songs, and once it clicks your guitar sounds like two players at once.

This chapter teaches Travis picking for beginners step by step, in C major and open position. You'll start with the alternating bass on C and G, palm-muting the low strings lightly so the bass thumps instead of booming, then add a pinch on beat one and the fingers on the off-beats. Next you'll put a simple melody on the high e string over the running bass. Then you'll take the pattern through the ragtime progression C, A7, D7, G7, where the top note of each pinch outlines the chord. The last lesson gives you short melodic fills to drop between verses.

Every Travis picking tab plays in your browser with a click. Keep the thumb steady and slow: speed comes once it runs on autopilot.