Alternating thumb finger-picking is a bit hard to describe. Easier to show.

Happy Traum has a bunch of guitar lessons out on a pack of DVDs. I sure wish I'd had something like this available when I first started out. I don't have them, but I'm thinking seriously about getting them. I can get around on a guitar pretty well, but there's always more to learn, and I'm sure I could pick up a trick or two from these DVDs.

Anyway, click HERE and scroll down to where it says "See or Hear a Sample of This Lesson," click on whichever link best suits your internet hook-up, and you'll see snippets of Happy Traum's lesson in basic alternating bass finger-picking. It only lasts about two minutes, but it'll give you an idea of what alternating bass finger-picking sounds like, and at least a brief clue as to how it works.

I can't figure out what he means when he says, "Now the thumb shouldn't move," because the whole thing depends on moving the thumb, but then I haven't seen the whole DVD. Toward the end, he plays a snippet of "Green Green Rocky Road" in this style, the after he says "Keep pickin;'" he goes out playing a nice, smooth rendition of "Hobo's Lullabye."

You may not be able to pick up much from this, but maybe enough to get started. Anyway, it illustrates the style.

As Happy Traum says, "Keep pickin.'"

Don Firth