Guitar Tricks Online Guitar Lessons

Adding The Alternating Chord

 
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In this lesson we'll take our classic Travis Picking Pattern one step further, by adding an alternating IV-chord.

So here's the pattern that we pieced together in the previous lesson.
Now all we're going to keep the first half the same, but the second time we hit the chord we'll barre across the 2nd fret of the D, G and B string with our 3rd finger.

It's already fretting the 2nd fret of the D-string, so you just sorta lay it down across the upper adjacent strings. I know it's probably awkward at first, but it's worth practicing for many reasons other than just this pattern.

Now let's practice the pattern so far, extra slowly with the metronome. Remember that the tempo I've picked may be too fast or to slow for you, so in that case you can just do the exercise on your own.

Instructor Anders Mouridsen
Tutorial:
Next Level Travis Picking
Styles:
Difficulty:
print notation download lesson open guitar tuner
Adding The Alternating Chord song notation

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Questions & Answers

1 year ago
When barring with my third finger, my second finger tends to collapse along with it. This seems to sound just fine, but I want to make sure that I am not developing a bad habit.
Mike Olekshy 1 year ago

Hello - thanks so much for your question! Yes, that's okay - this won't develop into a bad habit. If anything, once your fingers get used to this move and loosen up around it, you'll find it won't collapse at all after awhile. Hope this helps!