This pattern is from Jerry Silverman's Learning the Folk Guitar part two (he calls it, as I remember, a Travis pattern). Anyway, it's a pretty useful, fairly easy syncopated pattern (I've used it on autoharp as well as guitar) The numbers indicate the downbeats in 4/4 time, and the "and" is, of course, an up beat:

1--Thumb(bass string) and ring finger (1st string) pinch

2--Index and middle finger pick 2nd and 3rd strings.

3--Thumb picks bass string
and--ring finger picks 1st string
4--index and middle fingers pick 2nd and 3rd strings.

Repeat. Of course, for melody's sake, the ring finger can move down to the 2nd string and the index and middle to the 3rd and 4th strings, or variations.


Another pattern I find useful for ballads is T-I-M-I-R-M-I-M- which I often alternate with T-I-MR-I-T-I-MR-I- (both eight-to-the-bar, of course)


And finally, I also use three finger banjo rolls on guitar, such as: T-I-M-T-I-M-T-I- and T-M-T-I-M-T-I-M- and even I-h-I-h-M-T-I-M- (h of course means hammer). --seed