TRAVIS PICKING
TRAVIS PICKING IN C
Learn Travis Picking Patterns in the next 30 minutes – with audio!
Travis Picking is a wonderful guitar technique to learn.
Lets learn some travis picking patterns in C – these exercises help you learn them step by step
Bass Pattern - Travis Picking Patterns in C
Fret a C chord. The starting point for any Travis Picking is to get the bass pattern working well.
So we play four bass notes
- The first note is C (5th string at 3rd fret)
- Then E (4th string at 2nd fret)
- Then G (6th string at 3rd fret)
- Then E again
Play this until it sounds smooth and your thumb is playing each note at solid, regular pace.
Exercise 1 Audio – Slow
Exercise 1 Audio – Fast
Adding note 1 - Travis Picking Patterns in C
Then we add the first note. This time we will ‘pinch’ a note on the 2nd string. Pinching notes means playing them at the same time.
In fingerpicking speak, you are playing a bass note and high note at the same time – so if you looked at your left hand, you would see your fingers “pinch” these two notes when playing them at the same time.
Exercise 2 Audio – Slow
Exercise 2 Audio – Fast
Adding note 2 - Travis Picking Patterns in C
Now we add a 2nd note.
This note is “in-between” the 2 bass notes. Look at the tab below to understand this visually.
Whereas the first note is a pinch and played at the same time as a bass note, this one is played in-between two bass notes which gives it a certain feel.
When you do this, it makes the bassline and the high melody notes sound more “independent” from each other – so worth practicing
Exercise 3 Audio Slow
Exercise 3 Audio Fast
Summary
Travis Picking is an amazing guitar style to learn. It is worth putting some time into learning Travis Picking patterns because they open up a new world to you as a fingerpicker.
Make sure you learn the bassline first – and master it
Then add melody notes one note at a time.
Then add some melody notes at the same time as a bass note – and som melody (finger) notes off the beat – meaning in-between bass notes.
If you want to learn fingerstyle on guitar, this is a vital skill to learn.
Once you are comfortable with this lesson, the next lesson in the Travis Picking in C series is perfect for you
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