In this lesson, I’m going to show you a super relaxing fingerpicking pattern that sounds beautiful and is perfect for beginners. It’s based on Travis picking, but I’ve stripped it down to the absolute basics so that anyone can play along—even on day one!

We’ll start with just one chord that uses a single finger, and build it step-by-step into a full fingerpicking pattern. If you’ve never fingerpicked before, this is the perfect place to begin.

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🎯 What You’ll Learn

• A bonus idea for creating your own beautiful chord progressions using this picking style
• A soothing fingerpicking pattern using just your thumb at first
• The easiest 1-finger chord shape to get started
• How to gradually add your index and middle fingers to complete the Travis picking sound
• A simple trick to apply this to other chords, like C major

💡 Quick Lesson Outline

1. Start With the Thumb
   We begin with just the thumb, keeping a steady, calming rhythm. This helps you build a solid base for the pattern.
2. Simple 1-Finger Chord Shape
   I’m using a chord that you can play on day one—super easy, but it still sounds great.
3. Add the Index Finger
   Once you’re comfortable with the thumb, we’ll add a light pluck with the index finger.
4. Add the Middle Finger
   This fills out the pattern, giving it that familiar Travis-picking texture.
5. Try It on C Major
   Once you’ve got it down, we’ll try the same picking style with a C chord.
6. Bonus: Create Your Own Progressions
   You’ll learn how to track your finger up and down the strings using the C shape to create your own calming fingerpicking progressions. I’ll also demo a few cool combos like D – C – D – C and G – Eb – D – C for inspiration.

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If you’re ready to go deeper into fingerstyle and truly build your skills, check out:

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Have a fun time practicing and I’ll see you soon!
-James