Fingerstyle

Guitar
from the
Ground Up
Volume One
taught by

Buster
B. Jones

BASIC CHORDS
Country

4
&4

&

with 6th str.

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3
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3
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STANDARD PROGRESSION
Key
A
D
G

I IV I

I IV V

A
D
G

E
A
D

A
D
G

A
D
G

D
G
C

A
D
G

D
G
C

E
A
D

PICKING PATTERNS
PATTERN #1
Echord

&

0
0
1
2

Gchord

0
0
1
2

3
0
0
0
3

3
0
0
0

Achord

Dchord

0
2
2
2

0
2
2
2
0
2

Cchord

2
3
2

2
3
2
0

0
1
0
2

0
1
0
2
3

EXERCISE in the KEY of G PATTERN #1

G

#
&

3
0
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0

#
&

3
0
0
0

#
&

3
0
0
0

#
&

2
3
2

3
0
0
0

3
0
0
0
3

3
0
0
0

3
0
0
0

3
0
0
0

3
0
0
0

2
3
2

2
3
2

3
0
0
0

3
0
0
0

3
0
0
0

2
3
2

0
1
0
2

3
3

0
1
0
2

2
3
2

2
3
2

0
1
0
2

0
1
0
2

3
0
0
0

3
0
0
0

0
1
0
2

0
1
0
2

2
3
2

2
3
2

0
1
0
2

0
1
0
2

3
0
0
0

3
0
0
0

PATTERNS ON THE E CHORD

PATTERN #2

####

&

0
0
1

PATTERN #3

0
0
1

####
&

####
&

0
0
1
2

0
0
1

2
3
2

0
0
1
2

PATTERN #5 on D CHORD

# # D
&

0
0
1
2

PATTERN #5 Syncopated

0
0
1

PATTERN #4

####

&

1
2

0
0
2

TAG in E

####

&

b
n

0
0

0
0
1
2
2
0

NINE POUND HAMMER

In the Merle Travis style, unintended notes are the order of the day. For example, the thumb often
brushes against the 3rd string while intentionally playing the 4th string on Counts 2 and 4. Also, the
first finger may strike the 2nd string while intentionally playing the first string. These modifications are
not planned; the player decides as he goes along when to let this happen. The first section of the next
tune is played straight, while the following section includes some of these extra notes (shown in
brackets) the way they are played on the video.
4

NINE POUND HAMMER

#### 4
&
4

strum

0
2
1
2

#### n
&

&

2
0

0
2

0
2

1
2

0
2

0
2

2
0

#### n
&

0
E

####

0
2

2
2

2
0

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w

0
2
0

1st MELODY PART

&

####

strum

0
2
1
2

}00 }
1

}0
2

&

####

#}

}1

}0

2
2

2
0

2
6

}22 } }1
2

}0
2

} }

0
0

0
0

}02

() } } } n}

}1

}00 }
1

}}
1

0
0

}2

}02

0
}
}1 0 }1

} #} }

} } n}

}2

()

}1

#### n
&
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} } }

1
0

}1

#} }

}1

#### n
&
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} }

0
0

}0

}2

}2

strum

0
2
1

RHYTHM PART
E

&

####

0
0
1
2

# # # #
&
#

0
0
1
2

####
&

0
0
1
2

# # # #
&
#

0
0
1
2

0
0
1
2

0
0
1
2

0
0
1
2

0
0
1
2

0
0
1
2

0
0
1
2

2
0
2
1

2
0
2
1
2

0
0
1
2

0
0
1
2

2
0
2
1

2
0
2
1
2

0
2
0
2

0
2
0
2

0
0
1
2

0
2
0
2

0
0
1
2

0
2
1

0
2
0
2

0
2
0
2

0
2
0
2

strum

0
2
0
2

0
2
0
2

0
0
1
2
0

0
2
0
2

0
2
0
2

strum

strum

0
0
1
2
2
0

0
2
1

2nd MELODY PART

E

####
}
&

}00 } }00 }
1
1
2

####
&

n}

}32

# # # #
&

0
0
1
0

}30

n}

}0

}1

}1

strum

0
2
0
2
0

0
0
1
2
2
0

strum

0
0

}2

}2
2

n
}

()

}02
2

b
n

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2 S4

2 S4

}22
1

SLIDES, HAMMERS & PULLS

SLIDE

Simplified Notation

# # # # j ..

&
.
J

&

####

j
..

.
J

HAMMER-ON

Simplified Notation

n j # .

0
2

n j # .

0
2

PULL-OFF

Simplified Notation

#### j
&
n .

1
2

j n .

1
2

NOTE: The ascending or descending order of the fret numbers indicates whether the slur represents
a hammer-on or a pull-off, so the letters H and P are not really necessary.
ALSO: A quick hammer, pull or slide is represented by a grace note in the music/tab. In standard
music notation such grace notes are written BEFORE the beat, though they are actually played ON
the beat. (See the slides at the end of NINE POUND HAMMER).

FREIGHT TRAIN
1st MELODY PART

4
& 4

3
G

&

0
0
C

&

1
0

1
0

0
3

Am

2
0

2
3

0
2

2
2

3
0

3
0

2
3

2
3

0
0

1
0

&

1
2

10

2
3

RHYTHM PART
C

&

&

0
1
0
2

&

0
0
1
0

&

0
1
0
2

1
0
0
0

0
1
0
2

1
0
0
0

0
1
0
2

0
0
1
0

0
0
1
0
0

0
1
0
2

1
0
0
0

0
1
0
2

3
0
0
0

1
0
0
0

1
0
0
0

Am

0
0
1
0

1
0
0
0

11

0
1
0
2

0
1
2
2

0
1
2
2

0
1
0
2

0
1
0
2

1
0
0
0

0
1
0
2

3
0
0
0

0
1
0
2

1
0
0
0

0
1
0
2

0
1
2
2

0
1
2
2

2nd MELODY PART

C

&

3
3

&

0
2

3
2

3
0

1
0

3
2

2
0

&

3
2

2
3

1
0

0
2

2
2

0
3

0
3

}01
2

0
3

.
}

0
0

}31
2

1
3

2
3

strum

3
0

0
2

0
3

0
2

}0

3
0

12

1
3

2
3

#}

}0

.
}

1
0

1
0

0
3

Am

& .

0
0

1
2

1
0
2
3
3

CAMPTOWN RACES
1st MELODY PART Key of G
G

#4
& 4

&

0
3

(ww)

0
2

13

2
0

2
0

0
2

0
3

0
3

0
0

0
2

}33

2
0

&

&

0
3

0
2

2
0

0
3

RHYTHM PART KEY of G

G

#
&

3
3
0
0

#
&

3
3
0
0

#
&

3
3
0
0

#
&

3
3
0
0

3
3
0
0

3
3
0
0

3
3
0
0

3
3
0
0

3
3
0
0

3
3
0
0

3
3
0
0

3
3
0
0

3
3
0
0

3
3
0
0

3
3
0
0

3
3
0
0

14

2
3
2

2
3
2

2
3
2

0
1
0
2

2
3
2

2
3
2
0

3
3
0
0

2
3
2

3
3
0
0

2
3
2

3
3
0
0

0
1
0
2

2
3
2
0

3
3
0
0

3
3
0
0

3
3
0
0

2nd MELODY PART Key of G

G

#
&
}

3
0
0

&

#
&

2
0

0
0

2
0

2
0

3
0

0
2

3
0

0
3

0
3

0
0

15

2
0

0
3

0
0

w
# www
w
w

strum

0
0

&

0
0
1
0
2
0

(Modulating
to Key of A)

###

1st MELODY PART Key of A

A

###
&

&

###

0
2

###
&

###
&

2
0

2
0

2
2

0
2

2
2

}22

2
2

2
0

2
0

(ww)

}02
0

2
0

16

0
2

}2

2
0

2
0

RHYTHM PART KEY of A

A

###
&

###
&

###
&

###
&

0
2
2
2

0
2
2
2
0

0
2
2
2

0
2
2
2

0
2
2
2

0
2
2
2

0
2
2
2

0
2
2
2

0
2
2
2

0
2
2
2

0
0
1
2

0
2
2
2

0
2
2
2

0
2
2
2
0

0
0
1
2

0
2
2
2

0
2
2
2

0
2
2
2
0

17

0
0
1
2

0
0
1
2

0
0
1
2

2
3
2

0
0
1
2
0

2
3
2

0
0
1
2

0
2
2
2

0
0
1
2

0
2
2
2

0
2
2
2

0
2
2
2

0
2
2
2

0
2
2
2

2nd MELODY PART Key of A

A

###
&

&

###

2
0

0
2

} }

} }2
2

2
0

}02

(ww)

strum

0
2

2
2

0
2

}52

w
( w)

###
&

###
&

}
2

0
1

18

2
2

0
2

2
0

5
2
2
2
0

THE WEEPING WILLOW TREE

1st MELODY PART
D

## 4 .
& 4

##

3
0

## .
&
2
0

&

##

2
0

2
0

3
0

2
0

0
0

2
0

0
2

2
0

0
2

3
2

&

2
2

19

2
0

2
0

RHYTHM PART
D

##
&

#
& #

##
&

#
& #

2
3
2

2
3
2

2
3
2

2
3
2

2
3
2

2
3
2

2
3
2

2
3
2
0

2
3
2

2
3
2

2
3
2

2
3
2
0

2
3
2

2
3
2

0
2
2

20

2
3
2

3
3
0
0

3
3
0
0

3
3
0
0

0
2
2
2

3
3
0
0

0
2
2
2

2
3
2
0

0
2
2
2

3
3
0
0

0
2
2
2

3
3
0
0

3
3
0
0

0
2
2
0

2
3
2

3
3
0
0

2
3
2

2nd MELODY PART

D

## .
&

2
0

&

##

3
0

## .
&

#
& #

2
2

0
0

2
0

2
0

3
2

2
2

21

3
0

strum

3
3

3
0

3
2

2
0

0
2
2
2

ww
ww

strum

0 2

3
2
0

HAMMER-ON AND PULL-OFF EXERCISE

# # j .

&

2
2

3
2

22

0
2