Best fingerpicking lesson on the whole Internet, period. Believe me, I have seen them all, David Hamburger is a rare combination of a great player who is also great at teaching.

You are a great teacher. Been playing and teaching guitar for 15years now but never seen anyone teach with as much clarity as you. No BS as well, straight to the point.

Great lesson. This is by far the clearest explanation of the process of breaking down a piece I've seen on-line.

I can't imagine a more thorough and clearer instruction on learning to master this classic, deceptively simple, Travis-picked song. Excellent!

I've heard Tommy Emmanuel say to learn Freight Train in order to start the road to fingerstyle. Of all the tutorials on this tune David's method is by far the best. Syncopation has been the bain of my finersyle path.

What a brilliantly analytical presentation of this style! I particularly liked the reference to the inner voice of the guitar/chord.

Fantastic lesson you break it down so well.

Now I know why I found it almost impossible to change from my 60 odd years of finger picking, and if I may say so, quite good, to Travis style and also many times over that period as a kid hearing and trying to interweave Freight Train. Isn’t it just the best when someone, and in this case, not any old someone honours you with a Light Bulb Moment. Gift gratefully received David. Keb Jo. Nom de blues inspired by Keb Mo another hero.

What a great music, what a great teacher! Thank you, David.

I am revisiting this song on this episode. I "learned" it some time ago but the syncopation stuck with me better than I thought it would. I remember, being my first attempt at Travis picking, this taking many hours of one section at a time. Now I am realizing I have a lot of work left to do on this song to get the fingering cleaned up and getting control of the volume/emphasis of the each of the notes. There is getting everything memorized and then there is playing the touch David has. I love this song. :)

I agree with David Florez, one of the best fingerpicking lessons I've seen in a long time. Very clear and detailed, plus gives you something to use on other songs besides Freight Train. I'm not all that big on playing the blues, but some of the techniques here will be very useful for other genres so not limited to just blues.

By far the most systematic & best step by step method to approach this wonderful song. Thank you so much for breaking it down so easy. God Bless you more abundantly

I like your slow approach. I like your explanation of why.

Well I have been playing the 1st min over and over for an hour! Mesmerizing! ALl jokes aside I am so glad I watched this, I have relegated myself to Townes and Foley songs, this just blew the door wide open. I appreciate you taking the time and having the ability and gift to teach this.

Great lesson, David. Well broken down and clearly presented. I love this style of playing guitar. Thank you!

This is the best explanation of this I have ever come across. I try and play finger style songs and struggle to get them to sound propped. This will help a lot. Thank you.

I've been trawling though the Internet for guitar lessons for years and some are excellent and some pretty bad! But this man is the best teacher out there. superb

What a great lesson. You are a great teacher ! Greetings from South Africa 🇿🇦

excellent video sir thank you

What a great song - this is the one that got started on the Travis style. Still trying to get the feel right. If it can be done, it will happen with this kind of help.

You are a great teacher. Many thanks for sharing. I want to get these essentials down, and then join the fingerpicking course.

You're a great teacher Mr Hamburger. Have been struggling with this song but this approach makes complete sense.

Amazing sir as always, thanks from Manchester uk 😀👍❤️

That is BEAUTIFUL instruction! Absolutely top notch. Thank you.

Man this is what I need. I struggled with learning Travis, but now I can’t get out of it. Drives me crazy.

Great video David . Very constructive and easy to follow.

Great lesson. “Pattern”pickers (like myself) have difficulty overlaying melody on top of the pattern, especially if you’ve been doing this for a long time. If you find yourself in that group, this lesson may be the path out of this rut.

I took a workshop with Pete Huttlinger several years ago and his presentation of "Freight Train" was far too rushed. I really appreciate your thorough teachers style. Thank you.

Very helpful, thank you. I also want to say thanks for the good lighting and sound, both of which are very important to watch-ability.

Thank you soooo much for your very thorough, patient explanation.

You are a solid teacher man

Really, just the best. Incredible.

Thank you also! I stumbled on also as well as my playing! Going to study all your posts 👍

This is a awesome instruction on Freight train! It would be cool to have this as full blown F5 month.

I just stumbled across you David. I really enjoyed listening to what you have to say. I learned to Travis pick from my older sister. But I appreciate the way you're bending my ear and I'm going to study this. Thank you

I just keep going back to that improvisation you did the second time you played through (around :35). I want to do that!

Great job! A lot of knowledge + Patience = Extraordinary Didactics! Thank you - Brazil.

Excellent..that Martin could tell a story I think.

Awesome lesson!

Thankyou David, this makes total sense : ) your explanations are spot on

Thank you … very helpful!

great tutorial. tnx for sharing

it must be a hell of a work to get this video done! thx, i learned a lot on this!

Great lesson.

Great explanation !! Thank you

The first minute is by far one of the most surprising pieces of music to me. Everything happens within the first three frets but it sounds so complex. Oh my ...

Brilliant brilliant brilliant

One can pass a whole life studying variations on Freight Train. Truth I recently learned

Muchas gracias por el vídeo. Thank you very much!

Nice lesson

A great tutorial video.I'd be interested, as a 79 year old, competent intermediate guitarist, to learn how long you guess it would take me, say, playing an hour a day, to master this song?

Thank you David. I have been doing your finger style blues lessons on Truefire but I gave them a rest for a couple of weeks and I've been trying to learn this. It's been challenging but great. I love this arrangement of Freight Train. I noticed Elizabeth Cotton does a few bends also. Are there tabs available for this?

Hmmm..LightBulb Moment...ill have to try this...who was first??? Cotton or Travis...Cotton Style

Excellent lesson and teaching style! I struggle with right hand muting because I feel so much tension when attempting it. I'm used to a more classical right hand position and, when I try to roll or twist the hand to mute the bass, it feels so tense and stressed. Is there a lesson of yours that might help?

I can keep the thumb going and all that...I just run out of ideas after about the 10th note.

Dave, love your stuff. YOu seem to popping that rugzht hand thumb with ease. May I ask which string gauge your'e using?

Sir, I just discovered your channel! Is that a Martin "SIGMA" you're playing?

So is Travis picking essentially in 4/4 time signature? And other picking styles are used to. suit different time signatures?

Freight Train is my favorite Travis picking song of all time!...(I think it's amazing that Merle Travis only used his thumb and one finger when playing!)

Is that a Martin D-18 being played?

I was starting to think I was the only guy who used the ring finger on my picking hand.

When you play the F with your (~5:45 )thumb that sure looks like a F# - is your thumb angled backwards to sit behind the fret?

What model is your Martin?

I've been thumb picking for almost 50 years and STILL cannot get my ring finger into the mix. It's as though it's someone else's finger when I try!

Good information but too much talking. More showing and less talking please. Thank you.

Hi, with all due respect, what you're playing is not really a Travis Picking mode or modes, I was taught a Travis Picking mode about 50 years ago when I was in my 20's and there's a well-defined picking technique of not only the thumb, but the rest of the fingers as well, what I'm seeing and hearing is you're playing a Travis thumb but the rest of the fingers are improvising, nothing wrong with that, it would help if you could actually show a proper Travis pick and how you've made it your own.

You’re not even doing Travis picking so you can’t fix it

I know it's wrong, but all I can think about is stealing his guitar.

Teaching style is great but your changed version of the melody is distractring

sorry but i can't concentrate as that has to be the worst sounding dead and frett buzzy martin i have ever heard....vintage isn't always better