Travis picking is a style of guitar playing that uses the thumb and fingers on the picking hand to play rhythm and melody independently. Syncopation is an important feature of this style, i.e. playing off the beat.
In these two free lessons, I go through a series of exercises by Pete Madsen that was published in the July 2003 edition of Acoustic Guitar Magazine, by String Letter Publishing.
It was a real game-changer for me once I got the hang of this style. It’s one of those things that seems impossible and then it clicks. That’s how it was for me anyway. Once it clicks, you’ll wonder why you found it hard! It can really open up your playing to a new level!
Videos
Lesson 1
Lesson 2
Exercises
There is a link at the bottom to download the full article with Pete Madsen’s instructions and introduction to the style. The article is copyright String Letter Publishing.