picking pattern for 3/4 time

Hi Hopeful!
When playing the Wals (3/4 tempo) the most important thing is to accentuate the 1st of the 3 beats (BOM-bom-bom-BOM-bom-bom if you understand...). You can do this even if you strum (and don't pick) by adding extra force to every 1st beat.

When I pick walses i often use my thumb on the chords base note for beat 1, and then the rest of the fingers plucking all other strings (except base note) for beat 2 and 3. Hard to explain in words...

There is a standard notation for picking called P.I.M.A (from the latin names of the fingers) and I'll try to "draw" you a picking pattern:
P = Thumb
I = Index finger
M = 3d finger
A = 4th finger

In PIMA the horisontal scale is time just like in TABs, but instead of marking what string/fret to use you mark what string/finger to use.
Over or under (don't remember wich) you write the chord name. You dont alwas pick all tones/strings in the chord.
The notation looks like this:

       D                       A
e ---------a------a------------a-----a------
b ---------m-----m-----------m-----m------
g ----------i------i-------------i------i-------
d ----p---------------------------------------
a ------------------------p-------------------
E ---------------------------------------------

    (BOM-bom-bom-BOM-bom-bom.....)

If you know what an alternate base note for a chord is you can make it even more beautiful by alternating (with your thumb) if you play the same chord for more bars in a row.
Looks like this:

       D                       D                           D
e ---------a------a------------a-----a---------------a-----a------
b ---------m-----m-----------m-----m--------------m-----m-----
g ----------i------i-------------i------i----------------i-------i------
d ----p-----------------------------------------p-------------------
a ------------------------p------------------------------------------
E --------------------------------------------------------------------

    (BOM-bom-bom-BOM-bom-bom.....)

So the pick pattern I like to show is the one above. Single pick with thumb on base note for beat 1. Then pick e,b,g strings with the other fingers for beat 2 and 3. As a rule you pick the lowes (darkest tone) string in every chord with the thumb. Examples:
D = base note d-string
A = base note a-string
G = base note E-string

Hope this makes any sence at all :-)
Any questions, just post them, I'll answer if I can.

Good luck!

/Missen