Guitar · Rhythm & Strumming

Travis Picking

Named for guitarist Merle Travis, this fingerpicking style keeps a steady alternating bass pulse under the thumb while the fingers pick a syncopated melody on top — a bass line and a tune from one guitar.

Intermediate ⏱ 6 min read 🎸 Interactive

One hand, two independent parts

In basic fingerpicking, the thumb usually just plucks whichever bass string matches the current chord. Travis picking goes further: the thumb alternates continuously between two bass strings — typically the chord's root and the string a fifth above it — creating a steady "boom-chick-boom-chick" pulse that never stops, chord change or not. Meanwhile, the fingers pluck a melody or syncopated pattern on the treble strings, independent of what the thumb is doing. The result sounds like two guitarists playing at once.

The alternating bass pulse

For a C chord, the thumb typically alternates between the A string (the root, C) and the D string (the fifth, G) — thumb, thumb, thumb, thumb, always landing on the beat, string after string after string, completely unaffected by whatever the fingers are doing above it. Getting this alternating bass rock-solid and automatic is the real foundation of the style; the melodic finger part is added only once the thumb doesn't need conscious attention anymore.

🎸 Hear the pattern Thumb alternates bass strings on every beat; fingers add treble notes on the off-beats. Adjust the tempo and play it back.
80BPM
Bottom two rows (A, D) are the alternating thumb; top rows are the finger melody.
💡 Practice order: Loop the thumb's alternating bass alone until it's unshakeable, then add just one finger note at a time. Trying to learn both parts together usually causes the thumb to wobble.

Common questions

What is Travis picking?

A fingerpicking style, named for Merle Travis, where the thumb alternates steadily between two bass strings while the fingers pick a melody on top.

Why does Travis picking sound like two guitar parts at once?

The alternating bass and the finger melody are rhythmically independent, creating the illusion of a bass line and melody played together.

Which strings does the thumb alternate between?

Usually the root note string and the string a fifth above it — for C, typically the A string and the D string.

What genres use Travis picking?

Folk, country, and singer-songwriter guitar most of all, plus blues and early rock and roll acoustic playing.

Master the alternating bass at your own pace

Melody Monkey lets you slow any pattern down and loop it hands-free while you build the thumb's independence.

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