Last Updated on May 15, 2019 by Klaus Crow

Fingerpicking style is a technique that is used in many famous and legendary songs over the years. The 16 examples in this post are a good source to learn the most common fingerpicking patterns you will ever come across. The fingerpicking patterns can be applied to almost every folk, pop, country or rock song.

Try and figure out which pattern suits your favorite song. Maybe you’ll already recognize some of these patterns from songs you heard before.

I personally think pattern #12 is a really nice one. It’s a Travis fingerpicking style arrangement named after Merle Travis. The Travis fingerpicking style is known for it’s steady bass pattern played with the thumb while the rest of the fingers fill out the rest of the pattern on the treble strings.

Right hand finger positioning

Now let’s take a look at the finger positioning assuming you are a right handed guitar player.

For my right hand position I use my thumb to pluck the low-E, A and D-string. The index finger is on the G-string, the middle finger on the B-string and the ring finger on the high E-string.

For each different chord, you play the corresponding bass note with your right hand thumb.

Whenever you play an A or Am chord with your left hand, you pluck the A-string ( A root note) with your right hand thumb.

For an E or Em chord pluck the E-string (E root note) with your right hand thumb.

D or Dm chord = D-string (D root note).

G chord = E-string (The G root note is played with your left hand on the low E-string).

C chord = A-string (The C root note is played with your left hand on the A-string) and so on.

In the video lessons above the tabs I show you what each pattern sounds like and explain the pattern slowly in close up.

Practice each and every one of them thoroughly. It’s really good for you.

Enjoy!

PATTERN #1

A E

e:-------0-------|-------0-------|-------0-------|--------0-----------|

B:-----2---2-----|-----2---2-----|-----0---0-----|-----0----0---------|

G:---2-------2---|---2-------2---|---1-------1---|---1--------1-------|

D:---------------|---------------|---------------|--------------------|

A:-0-------------|-0-------------|---------------|--------------------|

E:---------------|---------------|-0-------------|-0------------------|





PATTERN #2



A E

e:-------0---------|-------0---------|-------0---------|-------0---------|

B:-----2-----2-----|-----2-----2-----|-----0-----0-----|-----0-----0-----|

G:---2-----2-----2-|---2-----2-----2-|---1-----1-----1-|---1-----1-----1-|

D:-------------2---|-------------2---|-------------2---|-------------2---|

A:-0-----0---------|-0-----0---------|-----------------|-----------------|

E:-----------------|-----------------|-0-----0---------|-0-----0---------|



PATTERN #3



A E

e:-------0---------|-------0---------|-------0---------|--------0---------|

B:-----2---2-------|-----2---2-------|-----0---0-------|-----0----0-------|

G:---2-------2---2-|---2-------2---2-|---1-------1---1-|---1--------1---1-|

D:-------------2---|-------------2---|-------------2---|--------------2---|

A:-0---------------|-0---------------|-----------------|------------------|

E:-----------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-0----------------|



PATTERN #4



A E

e:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

B:-------2-------2-|-------2-------2-|-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|

G:---2-------2-----|---2-------2-----|---1-------1-----|---1-------1-----|

D:-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|

A:-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-----------------|-----------------|

E:-----------------|-----------------|-0--------0------|-0-------0-------|



PATTERN #5



A E

e:-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------|

B:---------2---|---------2---|---------0---|---------0----|

G:-----2-------|-----2-------|-----1-------|-----1--------|

D:---2-------2-|---2-------2-|---2-------2-|---2-------2--|

A:-0-----0-----|-0-----0-----|-------------|--------------|

E:-------------|-------------|-0------0----|-0------0-----|



PATTERN #6



A E

e:---------0-------|---------0-------|---------0-------|---------0-------|

B:-----2-----2---2-|-----2-----2---2-|-----0-----0---0-|-----0-----0---0-|

G:-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----1-------1---|-----1-------1---|

D:---2---2---------|---2---2---------|---2---2---------|---2---2---------|

A:-0---------------|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|

E:-----------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-0---------------|



PATTERN #7



A E D A

e:---0-----0-----|---0-----0-----|---2-----2-----|---0------0---------|

B:---2-----2-----|---0-----0-----|---3-----3-----|---2------2---------|

G:---2-----2-----|---1-----1-----|---2-----2-----|---2------2---------|

D:---------------|---------------|-0-----0-------|--------------------|

A:-0-----0-------|---------------|---------------|-0------0-----------|

E:---------------|-0-----0-------|---------------|--------------------|



PATTERN #8



A E

e:----------0-----|----------0-----|----------0-----|----------0-----|

B:-------2----2---|-------2----2---|-------0----0---|-------0----0---|

G:-----2--------2-|-----2--------2-|-----1--------1-|-----1--------1-|

D:---2------------|---2------------|---2------------|---2------------|

A:-0--------------|-0--------------|----------------|----------------|

E:----------------|----------------|-0--------------|-0--------------|



PATTERN #9



A E

e:---0-------------|---0-------------|---0-------------|---0-------------|

B:-----2---2-------|-----2---2-------|-----0---0-------|-----0---0-------|

G:-------2---2---2-|-------2---2---2-|-------1---1---1-|-------1---1---1-|

D:-------------2---|-------------2---|-------------2---|-------------2---|

A:-0---------------|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|

E:-----------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-0---------------|



PATTERN #10



A E A

e:----------0---------|----------0----------|----------0----------|

B:-------2----2-------|-------0----0--------|-------2----2--------|

G:-----2--------2---2-|-----1--------1---1--|-----2--------2---2--|

D:---2------------2---|---2------------2----|---2------------2----|

A:-0------------------|---------------------|-0-------------------|

E:--------------------|-0-------------------|---------------------|



PATTERN #11



A E

e:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

B:---------2-------|---------2-------|---------0-------|---------0-------|

G:-----2-----2---2-|-----2-----2---2-|-----1-----1---1-|-----1-----1---1-|

D:---2---2-----2---|---2---2-----2---|---2---2-----2---|---2---2-----2---|

A:-0---------------|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|

E:-----------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-0---------------|



PATTERN #12



A E

e:-------------0-----------|-------------0------------|

B:-2-------2-----------2---|-0-------0-----------0----|

G:-----2-----------2-------|-----1-----------1--------|

D:---2-------2---2-------2-|---2-------2---2-------2--|

A:-0-----0-----0-----0-----|--------------------------|

E:-------------------------|-0------0----0------0-----|



PATTERN #13



A E

e:-------------0-----------|-------------0------------|

B:-----2-----2-----2-----2-|-----0-----0-----0-----0--|

G:---2-----2-----2-----2---|---1-----1-----1-----1----|

D:-------2-----------2-----|-------2-----------2------|

A:-0-----------0-----------|--------------------------|

E:-------------------------|-0-----------0------------|



PATTERN #14



A E

e:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

B:---2-------2-----|---2-------2-----|--0-------0------|---0-------0-----|

G:-------2-------2-|-------2-------2-|-------1-------1-|-------1-------1-|

D:-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|

A:-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-----------------|-----------------|

E:-----------------|-----------------|-0--------0------|-0-------0-------|



PATTERN #15



A E

e:-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|

B:---2-------2-----|---2-------2-----|---0-------0-----|---0-------0-----|

G:-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----1-------1---|-----1-------1---|

D:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

A:-0-------0-------|-0------0--------|-----------------|-----------------|

E:-----------------|-----------------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|



PATTERN #16



A E

e:-------------|-------------|---------------|----------------|

B:-----------2-|-----------2-|-------------0-|--------------0-|

G:-------2-----|-------2-----|--------1------|--------1-------|

D:---2-----2---|---2-----2---|---2-------2---|---2-------2----|

A:-0-----------|-0-----------|-----2---------|-----2----------|

E:-----0-------|-----0-------|-0-------------|-0--------------|

