Travis Picked Lessons

Here’s a list of all the Travis Picked Lessons that we have available.
These guitar lessons are all the lessons on Jerry’s Guitar Bar that feature Travis Picking as either the exclusive or the predominant playing style. I use the term Travis Picking here to mean the fingerpicking style in which the thumb plays a rhythmically regular bass part while the fingers play an independent part at the same time.
Click on the title of the song to see its details.
You’ll receive at least two videos per song, one lesson and one performance-standard play-through. You’ll also receive the chords/lyrics and guitar tabs as PDF files.
The videos are mp4 format and should play on PC’s, Macs and most mobile devices.
They will download as Zip files.
If you want to download to an iPad or iPhone, please read here.
Steve Kohler says
Hi Jerry
I have used your lesson on Carolina in My Mind, but I have heard a version by (I think) Jessie and the Gents in which the accompaniment is largely finger-picked and sounds really nice. I was wondering whether you would consider transcribing another version of the song and replacing any strumming with finger picking so that it was a completely finger-picked accompaniment? Keep up the good work…I love your work!
Jerry says
Hi Steve
I teach those JT songs the way he plays them and he sometimes incorporates the little finger strums into his accompaniments.
With so many songs not yet done at all, I don’t see myself revisiting that one in the near future, but I’ll add that version to the to-do list and hopefully at some point I can get to it.
All the best
Jerry
Brian Lloyd says
Hi Jerry, any chance that you could give a tutorial on Jesse Winchester? especially-Sham a Ling Dong. Many Thanks
dan says
Please jerry if you could do elliot smith – angeles, i see there isnt any from him and id say its his most famous and most technical song. i know the list is long but there arent any lessons on him on here at the mo!
dan
Jerry says
It’s already on the to-do list Dan
Jasper says
With all respect, what makes “all the best” by Prine intermediate. I do agree it sounds easy but singing and playing is not easy at all. Why, besides me not being a great guitar player, is that? Why intermediate Jerry?
Jerry says
The line between intermediate and easy isn’t a precise one. At this time I tended to call anything Travis Picked intermediate because some people find Travis Picking tricky. Now I’d probably say intermediate leaning to easy.
Jasper says
I must agree, very tricky. First the thumb needs to separate from the hand. Then the beat just simply cant stop throughout the entire song and then…to confuse yourself even more…the singing.
It is like learning how to ride a bike all over again. Perhaps the worst of it all is that it looks so easy, almost kindergarten level. Nothing else is less true. Another 10.000 hours and I will master it and will make it look easy too. Thanks for your great videos Jerry. By far the best on the web.