Travis picking
A fingerstyle pattern in which the thumb alternates steadily between bass strings while the fingers pick melody or chords on top.
Named after Merle Travis, the pattern uses the thumb as an independent, metronomic bass line, usually alternating between the root and fifth of the chord, while the index and middle fingers play notes on the treble strings. Because the thumb never stops, the guitar can sound like two players at once, which is why the style underpins so much folk, country and singer-songwriter accompaniment. The hard part is that the thumb must keep its pulse while the fingers play syncopated material against it.
Example: A folk song in which the thumb walks between the sixth and fourth strings while the fingers pick a melody on the top strings is Travis picking.
See also
Related
- PageFingerstyle
- PageFinger independence
- PageAccent
- PageAction height
- PageAlternate picking
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