Feb 6: Contemporary Travis Picking Fundamentals with Mark Hanson

Saturday, February 6, 2027

2pm – 4pm

Dusty Strings 3406 Fremont Ave N

Maximum Enrollment: 16

Registration & Refund Deadline: Wednesday, February 3, 2027

In this workshop Mark Hanson, Grammy winner and author of the longtime best-selling book Art of Contemporary Travis Picking, lays the foundation of successful alternating-bass fingerpicking known as Travis Picking. Whether you aspire simply to accompany songs (your own or others’) or to master Leo Kottke tunes, Mark explains the necessities. Hand position, relaxation, good tone, steady rhythm and necessary patterns are highlighted here. Handouts, and discounts to Mark’s books for sale to attendees.

Skills Needed: Your basic chord changing is under control. We’ll use end-of-the-neck basic chords, concentrating on the picking hand! 

What to Bring: Guitar in standard tuning at A-440. Recording device— for your personal use only — no social media postings!

Teacher: Longtime Dusty Strings workshop presenter, Mark Hanson, is a Grammy winning fingerstyle guitarist, author, and educator who has authored over two dozen guitar instruction manuals. Mark has shared the stage with many of the greats in the guitar world (John Renbourn, Jerry Garcia, Laurence Juber, Tommy Emmanuel, and more) and played for President Obama in San Francisco in 2009. He won a Grammy in 2005 for his contributions to the Henry Mancini-Pink Guitar album. He was a columnist at Frets magazine in the '80s.

*Most classes and workshops are geared towards late-teens and adults. Younger learners will benefit most starting with private lessons.

If you have any questions about group classes, or the school in general, don’t hesitate to contact us at (206) 634-1662 or music@dustystrings.com.