The fingerpicking patterns every guitarist should know are the P-I-M-A arpeggio, the P-I-M-I pattern, the Travis picking pattern with alternating bass, and the P-A-M-I pattern, which is the classical arpeggio. Each pattern has a different feel, and together they cover most fingerpicking songs.
What fingerpicking patterns should every guitarist know?
The fingerpicking patterns every guitarist should know are the P-I-M-A arpeggio, the P-I-M-I pattern, the Travis picking pattern with alternating bass, and the P-A-M-I pattern, which is the classical arpeggio. Each pattern has a different feel, and together they cover most fingerpicking songs, because the patterns are the building blocks, and the songs are made from them. The P-I-M-A pattern is the arpeggio, played in order, from the bass to the treble, and it is the most common pattern, because it is simple and flowing. The patterns are named by the fingers, P for thumb, I for index, M for middle, and A for ring, and the pattern is the order the fingers play, so P-I-M-A means thumb, index, middle, ring, in order, and P-I-M-I means thumb, index, middle, index, in order, with the index returning to the 3rd string. The patterns work on any chord, because the fingers play the strings, and the strings are the notes of the chord, and the pattern is the rhythm, and the chord is the harmony, and the two are independent. The C major guitar chord and the G major guitar chord are the chords most players first learn the patterns on, and the metronome keeps the beat steady.
How fingerpicking patterns work
A fingerpicking pattern works by assigning each finger to a string, and playing the fingers in a fixed order, so the pattern repeats, and the arpeggio flows. The P-I-M-A pattern plays the thumb on the bass string, the index on the 3rd string, the middle on the 2nd string, and the ring on the 1st string, in order, from the bass to the treble, and the pattern repeats, giving the arpeggio its flow. The P-I-M-I pattern plays the thumb on the bass, the index on the 3rd, the middle on the 2nd, and the index on the 3rd again, and the pattern repeats, giving the arpeggio a different feel, because the index returns to the 3rd string. The Travis picking pattern is different, because the thumb plays an alternating bass, root and 5th, on the beats, while the fingers play the melody on the offbeats, and the pattern is T, I, T, M, with the thumb on the beat and the fingers on the offbeats. The P-A-M-I pattern is the classical arpeggio, played in reverse, from the treble to the bass, with the ring finger first, then the middle, then the index, then the thumb, and the pattern is used in classical guitar, where the arpeggio flows from the top down. The D major guitar chord and the A major guitar chord are the chords the patterns are built on.
Worked example — four patterns on C major. Hold a C major chord, and play the P-I-M-A pattern, thumb on the 5th string, index on the 3rd, middle on the 2nd, ring on the 1st, and the notes are C, G, B, E, which are the root, the 5th, the major 7th, and the major 3rd. Now play the P-I-M-I pattern, thumb on the 5th, index on the 3rd, middle on the 2nd, index on the 3rd, and the notes are C, G, B, G, which are the root, the 5th, the major 7th, and the 5th. Now play the Travis pattern, thumb on the 5th, index on the 3rd, thumb on the 4th, middle on the 2nd, and the notes are C, G, G, B, with the thumb alternating between C and G. Now play the P-A-M-I pattern, ring on the 1st, middle on the 2nd, index on the 3rd, thumb on the 5th, and the notes are E, B, G, C, from the treble to the bass. The I–V–vi–IV progression in C major is a good progression to practise the patterns with.
How to practise fingerpicking patterns
Practise fingerpicking patterns one at a time, slowly, with a metronome, until each pattern flows, and then learn the next, so the patterns build on each other.
- Practise the P-I-M-A pattern on a C major chord, thumb, index, middle, ring, in order, and play each note cleanly, one at a time.
- Practise the P-I-M-I pattern on a G major chord, thumb, index, middle, index, in order, and listen for the pattern to flow differently from P-I-M-A.
- Practise the Travis pattern on a C major chord, thumb, index, thumb, middle, with the thumb alternating between the root and the 5th.
- Play the I–V–vi–IV progression in C major with the P-I-M-A pattern, changing chords on beat one of each bar.
- Practise with the metronome at 60 beats per minute, and increase the tempo by 5 beats per minute when the pattern is steady at the current tempo.
Common mistakes
- Learning all the patterns at once — A beginner who learns four patterns at once will learn none of them well, because the fingers need time to learn each pattern. Learn one pattern until it flows, and then learn the next, and the patterns will build on each other.
- Using the wrong finger on a string — Each finger has its own string, and using the wrong finger will make the pattern uneven, because the fingers will cross and tangle. Assign the thumb to the bass, the index to the 3rd, the middle to the 2nd, and the ring to the 1st, and keep the assignment.
- Playing the pattern too fast — A pattern played too fast will be uneven and sloppy, because the fingers cannot keep up, and the notes will blur together. Practise slowly, with a metronome, until the pattern is smooth, and then increase the speed, one step at a time.
Quick reference
This table lists the four fingerpicking patterns every guitarist should know, with the fingers for each one and the feel it gives, so you can see the patterns side by side and choose the one that fits the song. The P-I-M-A pattern is flowing, the P-I-M-I pattern is lilting, the Travis pattern is driving, and the P-A-M-I pattern is classical.
| Pattern | Fingers | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| P-I-M-A | Thumb, index, middle, ring | Flowing arpeggio |
| P-I-M-I | Thumb, index, middle, index | Lilting, with the index returning |
| Travis | Thumb, index, thumb, middle | Driving, with alternating bass |
| P-A-M-I | Ring, middle, index, thumb | Classical, from treble to bass |
Use the table to practise the four patterns, one at a time, until each one flows, and then play a song with each pattern, noticing how the feel changes. When you can play all four patterns cleanly, you can fingerpick most songs, and the patterns will be yours.
Frequently asked questions
What fingerpicking patterns should every guitarist know?
The P-I-M-A arpeggio, the P-I-M-I pattern, the Travis picking pattern with alternating bass, and the P-A-M-I pattern, which is the classical arpeggio. Each pattern has a different feel, and together they cover most fingerpicking songs.
What does P-I-M-A mean?
P is the thumb, from the Spanish pulgar, I is the index finger, from indice, M is the middle finger, from medio, and A is the ring finger, from anular, so P-I-M-A means thumb, index, middle, ring, in order, from the bass to the treble.
Which pattern should I learn first?
The P-I-M-A arpeggio, because it is the simplest, with each finger playing its own string in order, from the bass to the treble, and it is the pattern most fingerpicking songs are built on.
Can I use the same pattern for every song?
You can, but the song will sound better with a pattern that fits its rhythm and its feel. A slow song needs a slow pattern, and a fast song needs a fast pattern, and the pattern should match the song, not the other way round.
How do I know which pattern to use?
Listen to the song, and feel the rhythm, and choose the pattern that fits: a flowing arpeggio needs P-I-M-A, a driving bass needs Travis picking, and a classical piece needs P-A-M-I, and the pattern should match the feel of the song.