How to Master Travis Picking Bass: 4 Essential Alternating Bass Patterns
by Simon Candy
In this video, you’re going to learn the most important part of Travis picking guitar… the bass.
A lot of players try to learn Travis picking as one big thing — the bass, the chords, the melody — all at once. But that’s actually the fastest way to get frustrated, because you never really understand what drives that classic boom-chick groove.
The truth is that Travis picking has three pillars: bass, harmony, and melody — and the bass is the engine. Without it, the whole thing falls apart.
So in this lesson, I show you exactly how to lock in your Travis picking bass.
You’ll learn the four essential alternating bass guitar patterns, plus how to use a thumb pick to get
that deep, grooving sound you hear from players like Chet Atkins and Tommy Emmanuel.
Watch the video below to learn more:
Travis Picking: The Bass
Watch the video above for a detailed explanation and demonstration of each example below.
Travis picking is built around four core Travis picking patterns, each defined by the order of the bass strings you pluck.
Bass Pattern 1: 6-4-6-4
The first alternating bass pattern is 6-4-6-4.
It’s perfect for chords with their root note on the 6th string.
Here it is applied to an open G chord:
Bass Pattern 2: 6-4-5-4
The second pattern is a variation of the first — the 6-4-5-4 pattern.
This also works for chords rooted on the 6th string.
Here it is applied to an open G chord:
Bass Pattern 3: 5-4-5-4
The third pattern, 5-4-5-4, is ideal for chords whose root note sits on the 5th string.
Here it is applied to an open C chord:
Bass Pattern 4: 5-4-6-4
The final pattern is 5-4-6-4 — another variation suited for 5th-string root chords.
Here it is applied to an open C chord:
Bass Patterns: Aura Lee
Here’s a combination of these Travis picking bass patterns applied to the opening four bars of “Aura Lee”:
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