Looking for a book on...

[Oliver]

Hello!

I'm going to improve in fingerpicking, especially in combination with using the pick (AFAIK called chicken picking or Travis picking).

My level: I'm a total beginner in this, I also have little experience in pure finger picking; no experience in combining chords+bass notes or even melody. But this is what I'm going to learn.
I can easily play simple arpeggios (as House Of The Rising Sun, for example), I have also learned some pieces of music using fingerpicking that are a little bit more complicated (such as Nothin Else Matters).
I can read music; theory also isn't a problem.
I have a lot more experience in playing using the pick (alternate, sweep, string skipping).

Can anyone suggest a good book to me?

Thank You, Oli

[gtrdave]

Ya know, I've looked for a similar book for quite some time.

Travis picking is still my major weakness and I need to practice it much more often.
I do have a video called "Fingerstyle Basics" and it features a guy named Mark Hansen. It's great for beginners of fingerstyle and progresses to an intermediate level.
At that point it takes self-determination and experimentation to go beyond into Chet Atkins territory; a la alternate tunings and such.

Maybe check on Amazon.com for instructional books on Travis/fingerstyle picking.

[Cat]

I also recommend the Mark Hanson books. There are a couple. "The art of solo fingerpicking" and "The art of contemporary travis picking". They are for beginners, easy songs.

They will give you a foundation. I learned a lot of material from Stefan Grossman's Workshop catalog of books and recordings. Also there is a magazine called "Fingerstyle". Hanson also has a great Leo Kottke book with a tape, walks you right through playing the songs.

When I started, I learned classical pieces and still learn them. They take you out of the realm of "patterns" and you can learn a lot about composition. I found ragtime a lot of fun, it's sycopated, and if you are working on holding a pick and fingerpicking at the same time, these songs often have a alternating bass line which lends itself well to that..think Steve Howe!