Fingerpicking Mandolin Paret Vc Chapter 1
Choral Study 1 with Fingerpicking Pattern 1

by Mickey Cochran

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This chordal study follows the same progression as "Ragtime Truckin'" (an original fingerpicking mandolin piece found in our advanced melodies section). Learn this progresssion well, and you may find it much easier to learn "Ragtime Truckin'"...

This progression dates back to the early ragtime blues guitarists such as Rev. Gary Davis and Blind Willie McTell. In fact, this influence has already carried forward through artists such as Stefan Grossman and Jorma Kaukonen. Jorma's "Keep on Truckin' Mama" hit of the '70s had this very same progression...and, even Arlo Guthrie put a variation of this progression out with "Alice's Restaurant".

Notes: Be sure to first learn the progression itself with a flatpick...so that you're completely comfortable with the changes. And, since you've already memorized our 4 Fingerpicking Patterns in previous lessons, you should be well prepared to tackle this study.

Notice the picking pattern below is written out for 3-finger picking...the thumb drops down to play the D string. Now, if you're a 4-finger picker, you would change this pattern around to include the following: Thumb only plays the G string, the index finger would then follow up by playing the D string while the middle and ring fingers would then play the A and E strings.

Picking Hand: T = Thumb • I = Index Finger • M = Middle Finger

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