Dust In The Wind (Travis Picking)

[jsgksu]

Ok, so Im trying to get into fingerpicking, learning songs like Needle and the Damage Done, Ohio, Grace Is Gone, and now Im trying to learn Dust in the Wind. It says it uses Travis style picking, Ive heard other people on these boards talk about it but dont know what it is. If its just the way the song is played then I think I might know but anyways, can anyone give me a link to a good tab of this song and explain to me a little more about Travis Picking. I think I have a good tab of the song and I might understand Travis picking but some info from someone who actually can play this song and knows about this picking technique would be helpful. Thanks.

[QuattroDore]

from what I know, travis picking is just a technique whereby there is persistent bass notes played by your thumb, and the rest of the melody is played by your index, middle, and ring fingers. Its kind of a rolling type of motion with your lower three fingers while keeping your thumb near the bass strings.

Dust in the wind would be a good example, and fun to play.

[bugman96]

from what I know, travis picking is just a technique whereby there is persistent bass notes played by your thumb, and the rest of the melody is played by your index, middle, and ring fingers.

To my knowledge that's PIMA (classical) fingerstyle.

Travis style is when you pick with a repeated sort of pattern like this

Code: Select all

------------------
----x-------------
----------x-------
-------x----------
-x----------------
------------------

or variations of that, like plucking the B and A strings at the same time and then playing the D and G strings individually. It's very easy to here in Dust in the Wind and MANY Simon and Garfunkel Songs

Edit: Simon and Garfunkel's The Boxer, Kathy's Song, and Scarborough Fare contain the basic framework of Travis style; Usually just the thumb and index finger will suffice for Travis style but using the middle and ring can be helpful and efficient.
Also, Quattro, I looked into it more and you are right about keeping the steady bass note. http://www.guitarland.com/Travis.html

[jsgksu]

from what I know, travis picking is just a technique whereby there is persistent bass notes played by your thumb, and the rest of the melody is played by your index, middle, and ring fingers.

To my knowledge that's PIMA (classical) fingerstyle.

Travis style is when you pick with a repeated sort of pattern like this

Code: Select all

------------------
----x-------------
----------x-------
-------x----------
-x----------------
------------------

or variations of that, like plucking the B and A strings at the same time and then playing the D and G strings individually. It's very easy to here in Dust in the Wind and MANY Simon and Garfunkel Songs

That sounds about right, thats pretty much exactly the way that song is played so that would make sense. What Simon and Garfunkel songs are played like that? I like some of their songs and would learn a few if they helped with my fingerpicking kick. Can anyone give me a few S&G songs to learn, and possibly a link for tabs for them or a link for a good Dust in the Wind tab? Thanks.

[bugman96]

Check out the edit in my first post for which S&G songs (as well as a link to a better explanation of Travis style).

Here's a link to what I think has the best S&G tabs on the net http://freespace.virgin.net/r.kent/tab.html

[Easy E]

Im not too good at this tab stuff so bear with me:

Code: Select all

|---------------|
|-1--------1----
|------0--------0
|----2--------2--
|-3------3------
|---------------
  T  T I T R T I
  R 

T - Thumb
I - Index
R - Ring

hit me up on AIM so i can really explain it to you, im all over that song like R. Kelly on a middle schooler

[jsgksu]

Im not too good at this tab stuff so bear with me:

Code: Select all

|---------------|
|-1--------1----
|------0--------0
|----2--------2--
|-3------3------
|---------------
  T  T I T R T I
  R 

T - Thumb
I - Index
R - Ring

hit me up on AIM so i can really explain it to you, im all over that song like R. Kelly on a middle schooler

First off, that last part was really funny, anyways, I can actually play this song fairly well now, Ive been messin with it all day and got it down pretty good. I found this tab: http://mxtabs.net/tab_versions.php?path ... Wind,37298 Its kinda confusing the way they have it posted but its perfect as far as I can tell. Thanks for the help, but I think I got it now.

[heathcliff]

Im not too good at this tab stuff so bear with me:

Code: Select all

|---------------|
|-1--------1----
|------0--------0
|----2--------2--
|-3------3------
|---------------
  T  T I T R T I
  R 

This is good, there is a one beat pause after the first 1:3.

Landslide and Wasted on the Way are good Travis songs.
T - Thumb
I - Index
R - Ring

hit me up on AIM so i can really explain it to you, im all over that song like R. Kelly on a middle schooler