What is Travis style picking?

Travis picking, also called pattern picking or the alternating-thumb style, refers to an accompaniment style based on repeating a particular kind of right-hand pattern of thumb and finger moves throughout a song, adapting that pattern to the notes of each chord, and conforming to a specific way of choosing the bass …

Why do they call it Travis picking?

Named after the great Merle Travis, travis picking is all about using your right- hand thumb to play a steady bass pattern while your other fingers play the melody (often syncopated).

What acoustic Did Chet Atkins play?

The Gibson Chet Atkins SST was a solid body acoustic-electric designed by the musician Chet Atkins. The steel-string model was introduced in 1987 and was discontinued in 2006. Chet Atkins CE was the original nylon string version of 1982 and possibly the first of its kind.

How many fingers do you use for Travis picking?

Two-finger technique Travis picking in its simplest form is a two-finger picking style where the thumb switches between two different bass notes. This is usually, but not always, the root or the 5th of the chord you are playing.

Is fingerpicking harder than strumming?

Fingerstyle is harder than strumming because you are picking individual notes and this requires greater finger dexterity. Learning to fingerpick or play fingerstyle can also open up a new world of musically creative possibilities.

Is Travis a picking country?

Rosewood, Kentucky, U.S. Tahlequah, Oklahoma, U.S. Travis picking is a syncopated style of guitar fingerpicking rooted in ragtime music in which alternating chords and bass notes are plucked by the thumb while melodies are simultaneously plucked by the index finger. …

How many fingers does Travis picking have?

Travis picking in its simplest form is a two-finger picking style where the thumb switches between two different bass notes.

What influenced Chet Atkins picking style?

Chet Atkins. Atkins’s signature picking style was inspired by Merle Travis. Other major guitar influences were Django Reinhardt, George Barnes, Les Paul, and, later, Jerry Reed. His distinctive picking style and musicianship brought him admirers inside and outside the country scene, both in the United States and abroad.

What kind of guitars did Chet Atkins make?

In addition to recording, Atkins was a design consultant for Gretsch, which manufactured a popular Chet Atkins line of electric guitars from 1955–1980.

What instruments did Gene Atkins play?

He also played the mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and ukulele. Atkins’s signature picking style was inspired by Merle Travis. Other major guitar influences were Django Reinhardt, George Barnes, Les Paul, and, later, Jerry Reed.

Where did Chet Atkins live in Georgia?

A stretch of Interstate 185 in southwest Georgia (between LaGrange and Columbus) is named “Chet Atkins Parkway”. This stretch of interstate runs through Fortson, where Atkins spent much of his childhood.