# Travis picking

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A guitar fingerpicking technique in which the thumb plays an alternating bassline while a syncopated melody line is played with the index and/or middle finger.

## Etymology
Named after US bluegrass and country musician Merle Travis who popularised the technique.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/travis-picking