Kansas - Dust in the Wind - Guitar Cover

About Dust in the Wind

Few fingerpicking patterns in Classic Rock are as instantly recognizable as the one that opens "Dust in the Wind." Kansas built the entire track around a continuous, rolling fingerpicking figure that alternates bass notes against a repeating treble pattern, and keeping that motion steady at 92 BPM while also fretting clean chord changes is the real challenge here. The tuning listed is Open D, so check your tuning carefully before you start, as even a slightly off string will muddy what is meant to be a very clean, transparent sound. The right hand does most of the work: maintaining an even, unhurried roll without letting your pick-hand fingers tense up is something that takes more repetition than most players expect. Isolate just two or three chord transitions and use the Practice Toolbar to loop them slowed down until the motion feels automatic. Once the right hand is on autopilot, focus on keeping chord shapes quiet and smooth, with no string buzz creeping in.

• The song's signature rolling fingerpicking pattern requires constant alternation between bass and treble strings, demanding solid right-hand independence from the start.
• At 92 BPM the tempo feels gentle, but sustaining an even fingerpicking motion through every chord change without rushing is harder than it sounds.
• Open D tuning shifts familiar chord shapes, so spend time relearning your fingering positions before trying to play through the full pattern.