Peter,

Here are two interesting picking patterns that I learned from Peggy Seeger's little appendix to Folk Songs in North America.

Try that old "G" chord. Remember to alternate bass with your thumb.

T-6, I-3, (M-2, R-1) The parentheses indicate that the two strings are plucked simultaneously. So you have three quarter notes per measure.

An alternative, is the following:

T-6, I-3, (M-2, R-1), I-3, (M-2, R-1), I-3 Here you have essentially 6 eighth notes per measure with the I-3's being the off-beats for three-four time.

If I recall correctly, Peggy suggests alternating your bass, pluck three, pluck three with one of these two for yet another pattern.

Roger in Baltimore