Guitar Finger Picking Patterns
79Half a Dozen Finger Picking Patterns and Video
This article contains a 9-minute video that will teach you how to play half a dozen finger-picking patterns on the guitar. I originally made this video for my Newsletter list of people interested in worship songs. (I make Worship Guitar Class instructional DVDs.)
To show you how the patterns can work in a song, I wrote a simple one for the lesson. Writing songs is fun and easy. For the song in this lesson, I picked up a Bible, found a good verse and wrote the song in a couple minutes.
The song writing ideas and finger-picking patterns, on the video, will work with any style of music. If you would like to see the patterns written out and try them with the song, you can download a PDF of the music at my Worship Guitar Class Blog.
Travis Pick
One of the finger-picking patterns is called the Travis Pick after Merle Travis. People loved Travis’ guitar playing style and I don’t know if he actually originated this picking pattern, but he certainly made it famous. One day for fun, I wrote out as many variations of the Travis Pick I could think of. I found at least 27 different variations.
The Travis Pick is using alternating basses on the strong beats with your thumb, beats 1 2 3 & 4. Then you use your fingers to play notes on the treble strings on some of the off beats. Here is an example of the Travis Pick:
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
T – T m T i T –
The fingers of your right hand are called índice (index), medio (middle) and anular (ring finger.) These are the Spanish names of the fingers and used for guitar music internationally. Did you know that the guitar roots are in Spain? The first guitar books came out of Spain in the late 1500’s.
The ‘T’ represents your thumb and you use it to play the alternating basses. Every chord is made up of several notes. The main bass of a chord is that actual name of that chord. For example and ‘A’ chord would have the note ‘A’ as the first bass.
I hope you enjoy the lesson and wish you years of enjoyment creating and playing music with your guitar. (You may also be interested in seeing a free guitar lesson for little kids - Worship Guitar Class for Kids.)
6 Finger Picking Patterns with a Simple Song
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Comments
Thanks Jana! If they are really little, I have lesons for kids ages 5 - 9. It's at KidsWorshipGuitar.com.
Great hub page, I also visited your webpage great material, I especially liked your YouTube instructional video.
Always wanted to know more about playing the guitar - thanks for including so much great info
Really enjoyed the YouTube instructional video. I love guitar worship music, and I always wanted to learn to play the guitar - at least a little finger pickin'! Thanks.
~ Margaret Hampton
Thanks for all your kind comments. Playing a guitar is a wonderful way to express yourself.. and it's never too late to start! I've had students from ages 5 to 90+.
Hello Music Lady,
Great hub. It does remind me when I was Youth Minister at my church for 4 years I ran out of things to say so I got an old and not very good guitar and learned to (Kachunk,kachunk,kachunk). God bless those beautiful young people, They tollerated it and we had fun.
PS. My son Chuck went on to spend several years as youth minister in that church and does wonderful things, musically and otherwise, in the community to this day. God does work in mysterious ways.
Thanks, NEIL
Neil, that's so cool! One of my students was a missionary in World Impact. They moved and I found out years later that all three of her kids became worship leaders! How exciting to see your son follow in your footsteps both as a Youth Minister and then musically too.
Richest Blessings in HIM, Jean
Very cool hub, music lady. Brought me back to my folk singing years and how I could be mesmerized by a single plucking pattern. I haven't picked up my guitar in a long time. Maybe I will soon.
Wow! Great hub! Thanks for the solid info.
I always wanted to play the guitar. Never had the patience or the teach.
Thanks for setting the example with your hubpage.
John McLaughlin, Day Traders -Conaultant / Coach
Great video, Music Lady. You have a relaxed teaching style. I'm sending my hubbie to this page!
Cheers,
Sheila
Thanks Sheila!
Very nice. Makes me want to go out and buy a guitar! I appreciate your gentle teaching style. Nice job.
Nice and helpful hub!
You Tube, the Internet, how wonderful that teachers of your caliber are able to talk to so many so easily. This is great stuff. Thank you.
Mon.
Thanks Momitor! I was at a Christimas Concert at a huge church. There were probably 200 singers and a good size orchestra. I looked at each of these accomplished musicians and through 'Wow, God wanted an orchestra to honor Him.'
Funny how we each have natural gifts. Mine, like these musicians I saw, was in music. I used to practice around 4 hours a day. Not that I had to.... I just loved playing and the time would fly by.
I knew that the trumpet player spent hours mastering his craft, the piano player and each one on that stage had spent time developing their skills. Each person on this planet has something very special that no one else has.
God has given each one of us special talents and gifts. And you're right, the Internet can be a vehicle to share those gifts more easily with the world.
Great hub. Wish you taught banjo. I've had one laying around for years and can't play a cord!
This is your not the guitar player fan again.
Nice work - great to be recognized for your hard work and creativity in design.
John McLaughlin, Day Traders - Consultant / Coach
Thank you, Music Lady, for your obedience to Christ. I enjoy praising and worshiping the Lord with you. He's blessed me often through you. May the Lord bless you more.
April, that's very sweet! Thanks for your comment. I appreciate it and appreciate you.
Blessings in HIM,
Jean
Great Hub you have here :) please read my new hub about getting free online car quotes...
I have wanted to play in the church, but never had the guts. I will after seeing the vidio. Thank You. Joel Curtez
Praise our LOrd Jesus for the spiritual gifts He has given you through which He is glorified and us blessed.
very nice. i never
lol wat i ment to say was very nice vid.....up until today i was never interested in learning 2 fingure pic...but now that iv looked into it and acctualy tried it 4 the first time i feel so.......free. ur vid was truley inpireing. u hav a wonderful gift. SALLYS TROVE it is a terrible waste to let a magnificent gift fade away and i do truley hope u pick up ur guitare soon! i
how about guitar lessons for teenagers ? or children who are at the adolescent stage ? thank you .. you have been a very great help .. it inspires me to make worship songs for Our Father.
Thanks Ynna. I do have guitar lessons for adolesents or teens. It's here - http://www.worshipguitarclass.com/guitar-video-dvd
I like playing guitar but not expert.nice information
Thank you for teching me this =) now I think it will feel less boring to play, when I can switch between different patterns! tack så mycket från Marlene i Sverige!
Jana67 says:
2 years ago
Very nice, my kids will love this, very interested in guitar. Thanks :)