Travis Picking MASTERCLASS - Parts 1 - 3 Easy - Hard

dean111music · June 2021

Jimbro66 said:

I just took a look at the video and it's a very good introduction to basic technique. Definitely worth following for anyone looking to get into that style of playing.

I've been playing Chet, Merle, Jerry style since I was 16 which is longer ago than I care to admit It's always been a niche style in this country so It's good to see quite a few members here expressing interest.

I prefer the American name 'Kentucky Thumb' because Merle Travis didn't invent the style but when you say Travis Picking everyone knows what you mean.

It'll be interesting to see your Part 2 video Dean.

Thank you so much looking at the video and for your kind words.

I’m writing the content as we speak. Is there anything you would want me to include or feel would be important as the next step?

dean111music · June 2021

Lewy said:

Just had a look - that's a great primer on the style. I usually point people who want to get into fingerpicking towards the Happy Traum videos but I'll point them towards your video from now on.

Nerdy aside: despite this approach being named after him, Merle Travis didn't play this way. His thumb was far more "boom chuck" a la Mother Maybelle Carter than the more precise alternating thumb bass that people often call Travis Picking, but which more closely resembles the playing of Chet Atkins and Mississippi John Hurt. He also only used his index finger for upstrokes, his other three fingers were planted on the top.

I’m so glad you liked it and I feel honoured you will point people towards this!

thanks so much for the background behind the style. I did hear that he only used his index finger which is interesting. It’s great to see and hear how others have developed this style too.

dean111music · June 2021

merlin said:

I enjoyed the video, many thanks Dean. The kind of picking I've been getting into is more like Rockabilly than Folk. However, this is a good place to start for a whole load of stuff! Good work.

I’m so glad you liked the video. Yes Rockabilly is definitely a style this series can go into. Any particular song(s) you wish to play in that style?

dean111music · June 2021

mattacjones said:

me too please!

Thank you. PM sent

Jimbro66 · June 2021

dean111music said:

I’m writing the content as we speak. Is there anything you would want me to include or feel would be important as the next step?

Because it is a style that is chord-based I've found that telling new players to initially work out the chords of the tune they want to play, then learn the inversions of those chords, will enable them to find the melody at any position up and down the neck.

For those like @merlin who are interest in Travis-style playing in Rockabilly perhaps show the importance of sixth and ninth extended chords in getting the authentic sound.

Following on from your A, D and E picking examples in the first video perhaps introduce the D7 chord form with F# in the bass which is very commonly used in Travis style. Perhaps also show the option of thumb-over fretting of the sixth (and fifth) strings that Merle did all the time.

I can sense a Dean part 3 video in the making

lincolnblue · June 2021

Yes please - I've wanted to get t grips with this for ages

dean111music · June 2021

lincolnblue said:

Yes please - I've wanted to get t grips with this for ages

Thanks. PM sent

Jetfire · June 2021

I'd be interested in a look

Aqmltd · June 2021

Me too, please

dean111music · June 2021

Aqmltd said:

Me too, please

PM sent

dean111music · June 2021

Jetfire said:

I'd be interested in a look

PM Sent

dean111music · June 2021

I would like to thank to everyone who has watched the video or is interested in this topic. I will be growing the channel more and more and fingerstyle is something that I love doing. I'm excited by the future content as many have said what they would like to learn and i'm going towards that path,

I'll keep private messaging everyone with the link to this video.

Thanks for your support so far!

dean111music · June 2021

Jimbro66 said:

dean111music said:

I’m writing the content as we speak. Is there anything you would want me to include or feel would be important as the next step?

Because it is a style that is chord-based I've found that telling new players to initially work out the chords of the tune they want to play, then learn the inversions of those chords, will enable them to find the melody at any position up and down the neck.

For those like @merlin who are interest in Travis-style playing in Rockabilly perhaps show the importance of sixth and ninth extended chords in getting the authentic sound.

Following on from your A, D and E picking examples in the first video perhaps introduce the D7 chord form with F# in the bass which is very commonly used in Travis style. Perhaps also show the option of thumb-over fretting of the sixth (and fifth) strings that Merle did all the time.

I can sense a Dean part 3 video in the making

Oh my! I can't wait to dive into this. I think it could this could easily turn into 4 or 5 parts. Watch out Fast and Furious!

damodai · June 2021

Can I get it too , please ?

dchwhite · June 2021

Could I also please ask for the link?

dean111music · June 2021

damodai said:

Can I get it too , please ?

PM sent

dean111music · June 2021

PM sent

terada · June 2021

Yes please for me too if you don't mind

DavidR · June 2021

I think that unless you come to it early when you're young or in your teens, separating the base line thumb notes and the treble line using your fingers is very difficult. I have always played fingerstyle with 3 picks. A friend who has only ever played with a plectrum tried to master fingerstyle during lockdown and got fed up trying and he's a much better player than me. I mean you can just keep going but playing is supposed to be fun.

Rev Gary Davis, possibly the greatest ever proponent of this style, mainly just used his thumb and forefinger which I find amazing. But then he was a genius which must have helped! He would practice one hour every morning and evening.

Classical playing/lessons when you're younger helps since there is very little technically different between the two although the traditions are separate.

On my SoundCloud recordings, scroll down to St Louis Blues as a good example of Travis picking. People who listen to this style of playing sometimes think that it's two guitars because the base line and the treble line can be very separate. It does take practice but the effect is very satisfying. Rev Gary Davis used to call his guitar a 'six string piano' by which I suspect he meant that his thumb was like the left hand piano base clef and his fingers were like the right hand treble clef.

https://soundcloud.com/user-501038181

dean111music · June 2021

terada said:

Yes please for me too if you don't mind

Pm sent

dean111music · June 2021

DavidR said:

I think that unless you come to it early when you're young or in your teens, separating the base line thumb notes and the treble line using your fingers is very difficult. I have always played fingerstyle with 3 picks. A friend who has only ever played with a plectrum tried to master fingerstyle during lockdown and got fed up trying and he's a much better player than me. I mean you can just keep going but playing is supposed to be fun.

Rev Gary Davis, possibly the greatest ever proponent of this style, mainly just used his thumb and forefinger which I find amazing. But then he was a genius which must have helped! He would practice one hour every morning and evening.

Classical playing/lessons when you're younger helps since there is very little technically different between the two although the traditions are separate.

On my SoundCloud recordings, scroll down to St Louis Blues as a good example of Travis picking. People who listen to this style of playing sometimes think that it's two guitars because the base line and the treble line can be very separate. It does take practice but the effect is very satisfying. Rev Gary Davis used to call his guitar a 'six string piano' by which I suspect he meant that his thumb was like the left hand piano base clef and his fingers were like the right hand treble clef.

https://soundcloud.com/user-501038181

Hi

I guess you are quite seasoned on this style?

i would love to see what you think of the video? I can PM the link?

I feel confident I have broken it down in a simple but really effective way to get to a certain level.

Supportact · June 2021

Hello can you send it to me as well please? Thanks

dean111music · June 2021

Supportact said:

Hello can you send it to me as well please? Thanks

DM Sent

Jimbro66 · June 2021

DavidR said:

I think that unless you come to it early when you're young or in your teens, separating the base line thumb notes and the treble line using your fingers is very difficult. I have always played fingerstyle with 3 picks. A friend who has only ever played with a plectrum tried to master fingerstyle during lockdown and got fed up trying and he's a much better player than me. I mean you can just keep going but playing is supposed to be fun.

Rev Gary Davis, possibly the greatest ever proponent of this style, mainly just used his thumb and forefinger which I find amazing. But then he was a genius which must have helped! He would practice one hour every morning and evening.

Classical playing/lessons when you're younger helps since there is very little technically different between the two although the traditions are separate.

On my SoundCloud recordings, scroll down to St Louis Blues as a good example of Travis picking. People who listen to this style of playing sometimes think that it's two guitars because the base line and the treble line can be very separate. It does take practice but the effect is very satisfying. Rev Gary Davis used to call his guitar a 'six string piano' by which I suspect he meant that his thumb was like the left hand piano base clef and his fingers were like the right hand treble clef.

https://soundcloud.com/user-501038181

I love the playing of Rev Gary Davis but it's not at all what I would regard as Travis Picking ( the subject of this thread). The bass lines of Davis' work are far more intricate and not muted, simulating a piano player's left hand. By comparison Travis style simulates a rhythm section being mostly muted lower strings played in a percussive style.

The Travis Picking lineage went from Arnold Shultz to Kennedy Jones to Mose Rager to Merle Travis then on to Chet Atkins and others. Arnold Shultz's playing had similar roots to Rev Gary Davis but Jones and Rager gradually took it in a different direction and Travis cemented the style that we know today.

As for learning, I think it's fair to say that most things are more easily absorbed at a young age. Later in life some are more able than others to tackle new skills but they should not be discouraged from trying. @dean111music has a teaching approach that minimises the likelihood of new players floundering.

I enjoyed DavidR's Soundcloud cover track of the Rev's St Louis Blues. Very well played. By way of comparison here is Chet's cover of the same tune which underlines the considerable differences between the two styles.

in

DavidR · June 2021

I guess you could categorise Rev Gary Davis as more 'Ragtime' style. However both styles are based around alternate-bass fingerpicking and syncopated melodies - and variations thereof. (I strongly suspect that neither Rev Gary Davis nor Merle Travis would have cared too much what you called their music.!)

What they both were was fast!

I meant to mention that for anyone trying to master whatever you want to call this technique, Elizabeth Cotten's pieces are useful. Simple, and pretty too. Tabs available on www if you look.

How do we search for your video on You Tube Dean?

dean111music · June 2021

DavidR said:

I guess you could categorise Rev Gary Davis as more 'Ragtime' style. However both styles are based around alternate-bass fingerpicking and syncopated melodies - and variations thereof. (I strongly suspect that neither Rev Gary Davis nor Merle Travis would have cared too much what you called their music.!)

What they both were was fast!

I meant to mention that for anyone trying to master whatever you want to call this technique, Elizabeth Cotten's pieces are useful. Simple, and pretty too. Tabs available on www if you look.

How do we search for your video on You Tube Dean?

Hi thanks for the message. I’ll look at Elizabeth Cotten too.

I have PM you with the link.

DaveB666 · June 2021

#MeToo please.

Cheers

Dave

(Who is hoping to play Pearl Jam - Just Breathe after learning how to "do" it)

ronnyb · June 2021

I've fingerpicked since i started to play guitar arpeggio picking etc. I never play with a pick. Without wanting to sound clever i found that travis picking was relatively easy to learn its just a case of practise and practise. Not sure if it's true travis picking but i learnt by playing Paul Simon's stuff like Homeward Bound, Scarborough Fair and The Boxer. What i have found difficult to pick up is the dead thumb delta blues style. Whether it's because i'm so used to playing the alternating thumb and transitioning to the monotone thumb if that makes sense. My thumb wants to pluck every time i play the melody on the higher strings.

Mr_Claw · June 2021

Yes please!!!!!

dean111music · June 2021

Mr_Claw said:

Yes please!!!!!

PM sent, thank you

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Travis Picking MASTERCLASS - Parts 1 - 3 Easy - Hard

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