How to play Travis picking patterns on guitar (with audio and tabs)

Travis picking is a fingerpicking method named after guitarist “Merle Travis”, who has influenced guitarists over the last decades, including Chet Atkins and Tommy Emmanuel. This fingerpicking style is characterized by a repeated bass pattern, while playing chords and melody at the same time. In this post, we’ll cover how to play Travis picking patterns … Read more

How to play guitar fingerpicking patterns (including exercises and audio)

If you’ve ever tried learning a song that uses a fingerpicking method on guitar, you’ll often see a repeating pattern in your picking hand as the chords change. Picking patterns are used to create rhythm and interest when playing a chord progression. This post covers common fingerpicking patterns that you can apply over different chords … Read more

Fingerstyle vs pick – which method is better?

Perhaps you’re learning to play the guitar and are still trying to figure out what picking method is best to learn. In this post, I highlight some advantages and disadvantages between a fingerstyle picking method versus using a pick to help you choose the right method for you. In short, choosing between using a fingerstyle … Read more