The Top 5 Travis Picking Patterns Every Guitarist Should Know

by Simon Candy

Top 5 Travis Picking Patterns In this video, you learn the top 5 fingerpicking guitar patterns in the travis picking style.

The travis picking pattern can be found in thousands upon thousands of songs from artists such as The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, Taylor Swift, and Fleetwood Mac to name just a few. It is arguably the most useful fingerpicking pattern you will ever learn for your guitar playing.

While there are many variations of the travis picking pattern, we can deduce this style of fingerpicking guitar down to 5 basic patterns which are:

1. Inside/Outside
2. Outside/Inside
3. The Pinch
4. The Descending Arpeggio
5. Notes Together

In this lesson, I will take you through each of these travis picking patterns, breaking them down in detail so you can understand them and use them in your own playing.

You also learn how to apply each of these patterns to a chord progression.

Watch the video below to learn more:

Travis Picking Patterns

Below are the top 5 Travis picking patterns, along with their application to an 8-bar blues in E.

Make sure to check out the video above for a full demonstration and step-by-step breakdown of each pattern.

• Pattern 1: Inside/Outside

The first pattern is called the inside/outside pattern, based on how the notes on the higher strings are played:

Travis Picking Pattern 1

Here is the inside/outside pattern applied to an 8 bar blues in E:

Travis Picking Blues 1

• Pattern 2: Outside/Inside

The second pattern is called the outside/inside pattern, based on how the notes on the higher strings are played:

Travis Picking Pattern 2

Here is the outside/inside pattern applied to an 8 bar blues in E:

Travis Picking Blues 2

• Pattern 3: The Pinch

The third pattern is referred to as the pinch, simply because we are pinching two notes together on the first beat of the bar:

Travis Picking Pattern 3

Here is the pinch pattern applied to an 8 bar blues in E:

Travis Picking Blues 3

• Pattern 4: Descending Arpeggio

Pattern 4 features a descending arpeggio across the bar, with one of the bass notes also plucked by the thumb:

Travis Picking Pattern 4

Here is the descending arpeggio pattern applied to an 8 bar blues in E:

Travis Picking Blues 4

• Pattern 5: Notes Together

Pattern 5 involves plucking multiple notes together on the 2nd beat of the bar:

Travis Picking Pattern 5

Here is the notes together pattern applied to an 8 bar blues in E:

Travis Picking Blues 5

Discover these beautiful, easy to play fingerpicking patterns for guitar