fingerpicking

Fingerpicking is a guitar technique where individual strings are plucked by the thumb and fingers of the picking hand, rather than strumming all strings together or using a pick. Each finger can independently control a different string, allowing the player to create bass lines, melodies, and harmonies simultaneously. The technique is central to folk, country, classical guitar, and fingerstyle acoustic music. Travis picking, named after country guitarist Merle Travis, uses an alternating bass pattern in the thumb while the fingers pick the melody above. Classical guitarists train each finger to produce a consistent, full tone, using both nail and flesh to shape the sound.