If you're completely new to fingerpicking start by choosing something with a pattern that repeats throughout the song. Preferably something fairly simple 😅. Cause then you only have to learn 1 pattern and just add cords. Once you've picked a song. Start by learning the pattern on a single cord. You could do it without holding a cord, but then it doesn't sound as good. Once you've mastered the pattern on a single cord you can start trying to switch between cords and even adding embellishments. Hope this helps
Travis "poser" here. I started playing guitar at 15 years old in 1983. Within the first 6 months I got a hold of the Tab for "Dust In The Wind" and couldn't figure out why what I was doing didn't sound like the record. A little later than that I tried picking out Lindsey Buckingham licks from their hits and wondered why what I was doing didn't sound like the record when I could actually play the into to "The Trees" by Rush and it sounded just like the record. 40 years later, I still play Dust In The Wind and Rhianon all wrong but The Trees sounds perfect. But as Mr. Daniels says, " it's OK ...you don't have to be any good". Thank you Mr. Daniels! PS: loved ya in Gettysburg!
it's always neat to watch finger picking guitarists when you have a background in classical guitar because they're often really innovative and use slight variations on techniques used in classical. while right hand independence is something we spend thousands of hours refining and sometimes these techniques we can accurately emulate with our own techniques there's some really fun nuanced difference learning their techniques as they play them which brings out character of the sound that's hard to capture. also percussive techniques while not completely unheard of in classical technique they're really fun and really common in finger picking styles. most of the difference in technique stems from differences between classical guitars and posture compared to the steel string guitar. just where it sits makes a big difference in where your arm is and that actually accounts for a large portion of technique differences. I would love to see you sit down and work on some classical techniques like tremolo and getting that to actually sound good. while it's not the hardest technique ever it's kind of a lifetime skill to get sounding good.
Travis picking, or just finger picking in general, is always something I’ve had a love/hate relationship with. I’ve always gravitated towards playing with my fingers when playing acoustic, but even after almost 20 years of playing I’m still not particularly good at it. I can get by, I’ve written a couple songs with fingerpicking, but it just never really clicked with me. Besides the physical coordination it takes to do the biggest obstacle for me was always the timing. Figuring out the rhythm of parts that are finger picked (knowing where the beats land, and then practicing to a metronome) can go a long way.
I so relate to the part where you go off on some tangent trying things as your attempting to learn something. “Stay focused” lol You end up hearing something good and then you start playing around with it, totally forgetting what you were doing. I can go off doing that for hours
Travis picking is truly next level and took me years and years to get to a point where the flow is completely natural. Keep working Tyler, you’re getting it. 🤘🎸🤘
This is what i love about playing an instrument. Travis picking for me came very naturally, but still there is a ton of stuff i have yet to learn. Good luck, I would gladly show you what i cinsider the easy way to learn this!
You need a dunlop thumb pick and move the pick a bit closer to the end of your finger. Also you missed he uses steel banjo finger picks. Check out Jorma instruction videos
This may be noteworthy... I find this one of the BESTEST videos for compilation of information and production inclusions. I am kind of at a similar level of finger-picking, so it really hits the LIKE button on me. ¡?¡
Luckily my uncle taught me to play kinda muted while i am watching tv for muscle memory, so i learned it early on but a lot of other things being mostly self taught I'm still playing catch up on. Also having a guitar in every room of the house is the best practice guarantee (if you have enough guitars) or just next to somewhere you often sit other than your room helps a ton
I love that you did this. It's a beautiful song and I love that you showed everyone how difficult a "simple" song can actually be, and sort of the hidden gem of what makes it great. If Jeff is ever in Nashville, have him stop by and say hello! I'd love to hear more about just guitar stuff from him.
Travis picking does take a while, but it’s actually easy. You just have to NOT think about the bass line or the riff, but just let them come out of little “vertical slices” (think: of tab) of the notes you need to play. I did that instead of trying to get the bass down, then add the melody. No problem. Now a thumb pick, that’s a whole ‘nother thing . . .
If you’re looking for a new challenge, I think you should look at Take the Journey by Molly Tuttle. I think it’s a fun riff and solo even if it’s not good enough for a video lol. I’ve been trying it for years and still can’t nail the claw hammer guitar technique. I think you’ll like it!
the air guitar method of practicing is so damn useful. im naturally as fidgety person so its my go to stim. the best part is it really does train your muscle memory like you said. i
Try swapping out that BlackMountian pick for a fitted Dunlop, I really like my BlackMountian picks but they are not the same as a one piece that you mold to fit your thumb. It might be the difference that your missing.
Nice video, I just went through my "oh how come I never learned Travis picking" phase some month ago. It feels so cool when it starts ticking together after some weeks of practice. I never tried thumb picking though, however I purchased a guitar some month earlier and just checked the case a few days ago what's inside, and there were 2 thumb picks, maybe it was a sign? Maybe, but I throw them in the trash immediately so I missed the divine help I guess.
Dude, you want to fingerpick? I noticed you have no nails. The meat of your fingers produces a dull, kinda bassy tone. Nails (or finger picks) produces a much brighter tone.
I enjoyed this one quite a bit. Like you, I felt a need to work on this song after I saw the clip from The Kelly Clarkson Show. I posted a short of my attempt, but I am still working on it because his playing style is a little different than other Travis Picking songs I have worked on.
The thing I still have trouble with is when you hammer on or pull-off so that the resulting note coincides with the next bass note. My brain has trouble coordinating them. It's used in Jansch-type folk a lot too.
Good video. And good effort by you! Though I still don't have any big desire to do this kind of picking, I've got one of those thumb picks in my guitar case for years and I think I'll take it out and give it a try this week. Like you I'm a procrastinator also, heck I didn't even get a birth mark until I was 7. 😊 JOE.
He's definitely worth checking out. Love his crazy "in the style of" videos. Reminds me of artists like Chris Cornell who did his own thing with other people's originals that turn out to be amazing and way different than the original.
Nice going, Taylor... I mean Travis... I mean Tyler! 😉 Maybe try a different thumb pick. That thing looks bulky and uncomfortable. I'm not a big thumb pick guy myself, but when I have used them I find that a lightweight Dunlop or similar that fits my thumb well works best. I hardly know it's there after a few minutes. If need be you can put a plastic thumb pick in hot water to make it malleable, so you can adjust it to your thumb better. But often just getting the right size (small, medium or large) is enough.
Tommy the cat on bass (the main riff ) i wanted to learn for ao long . So ine day i had enough and just slowed down the video to see. After a while i did get it . Ill never be Les. But uts close
Tyler: "For the guy who wants to sweep pick but can't sweep pick but I hit a pinch harmonic now and then and it sounds pretty cool." (Give or take) Me: "That's not you anymore bro. We took that long break and came back fresh and now we can hit like 2 different sweeps now and then and pinch harmonics are EASY!...F**k."
After 50 years I'm still a hacker. I'm ok with that, but I'm better than I was last year, and 5 years ago, etc. But something you said was the spark. It's the try, not the getting. (Although it does give a good feeling when it does happen.) As I tell people when they ask why I still practice and take lessons.: There's three ways of playing guitar. There's stuff you're great at. There's stuff you're ok at, but feel you could be better. There's stuff you suck at. You keep learning and practicing to have less suck. And as Jeff says, "It's ok, you don't have to be any good." Just enjoy the ride.
I used to be a metal guitarist and I ended up putting my instruments down for almost 10 years between college and my first jobs. A friend got me into fingerstyle playing and I had to start basically from the ground up because I had totally forgot how to play. Its an incredible style and feels more connected to me. Getting accustomed to the songs feels great, learning them feels great. I did the boom chick pattern while watching tv for a few days to get used to it while not thinking about it. You'll only ever have notes that line up with the boom chick and notes that don't, so pinches and alternate picks. Then what helps me a lot is just going though every permutation you think of when you learn a new pattern. Practice doing it with only your index finger, only your middle, etc. Practice it with index and middle, then with middle and ring, then with all three. Tabs are incredible useful there's so many notes happening at once, you need a tab. Take it ridiculously slow and laugh at how bad you are while you're learning it because there's no shame and some of these songs are so difficult they make good players sound like they just started. And then learn from the greats! Im using Brooks Robertson's tutorials, Tim Van Roy, etc learning songs I like and just having fun. Having fun is important too you learn better when you're enjoying it
Maybe Freight Train by Elizabeth Cotten (T.E. or Chet Atkin version) would have been a much more easier song to pick to get the technique right. But kudos to you! Happy finger picking !
I understand, drives me crazy until I figure something out. Jeff is really good for a "casual" player. As someone else stated, interview the man and have him show you how he plays. On another note, please do a thumb pick demo of various types, like your flat pick demo! Please loose the hybrid and give thumb picks a try. Great content as always, thank you!
If you play it wrong fast, you're just programming your brain to mess up fast. You can reduce your practice time if you just learn it slow. Your hand looks really tense. Going slow with the pinky down would really really improve your accuracy. You can pick faster if you don't float your hand, too.
It’s so funny what techniques are hard or easy for some. My dad first taught me guitar. His biggest influence was Gordon lightfoot and Travis style was most of what he played and one of the first techniques I learned. It comes naturally now, but I couldn’t sweep pick to my save my life
A tiny nuance thing that might help with your fingerpicking that I got from classical guitar is try to relax your wrist a little more into a slight arch. You look like you did it when you explained finger picking, but revert to a more anchored position when you play. Keep at it!
There was a time when I wasn't into your videos . But lately they are great. Was it the bottle? (Too soon?) Love your editing and sound design. P.S. That dude needs to be caught and made to listen to Guitar Center licks for the entirety of a long jail sentence
So how often do you hear that your wife is tired of hearing the same thing over n over? I hear it a lot. Been learning When the children cry lately and she's tired of it. 😆 🤣 😂
Question for everyone, when did you stop just learning other people’s songs and just play stuff you come up with. I can’t sit and learn an entire song by someone else but can play for hours making up stuff.
