Hello. How're you doing? Justin here.
In this video today we're going to be checking out a really, really cool,
slightly more advanced rhythm guitar pattern.
And in this pattern we're gonna be separating out the bass note and the actual strum.
So, a really, really cool sounding technique
and it can really make your rhythm playing sound a lot more interesting.
Let me just play a little bit of it before we go to a close-up
so you can hear what I mean and it's this kind of.
. . .
It's that kinda sound when we've got this little bass pick up - strum - bass, strum strum -
bass, strum strum - bass, strum strum - bass
It's a really cool little technique. So let's go to a little bit of a close-up now,
let's check out the technique and then I'll explain to you about
making sure that you pick the right bass note.
OK, what I'm doing here is I'm holding down a open G chord
and I want you to check out the way the picking is going here.
So, what we're doing on beat 1:
[plays] we're picking just that thick string. It's just that note and that's the note G from our G chord.
So we're going '1, 2 and' which is strums.
Now, you know, I'm mainly focusing down on the thinnest strings so:
1, 2 and, 3, 4 and
and when you smooth it up a bit:
1, 2 and, 3, 4 and,
..1, 2 and, 3, 4 and,
...1, 2 and, 3, 4 and,
. . .
You can see, with the bass hit, I'm kinda moving my hand.
It's not like ...2 and, 3, 4 and.
I'm trying to let it hit and then just let my hand move because it keeps the feeling of the strum
. . .
Takes a little bit of practice but that's what you're going for.
Now, what's really important is that you realise that every chord has a different bass note
and what you're really aiming for is the bass note of each chord.
So, we already did a little bit of work understanding what the notes are in our open position.
So if we're looking at, let's say A minor chord, you should be able to know
that the bass note for the A minor chord is going to be the open 5th string.
. . .
So that's the one we should be playing.
If we went to a C chord, an open C chord, then you should know that the C,
the lowest C note that we're playing, is that note at the 3rd fret of the 5th string.
. . .
So that would mean the bass note is at the 5th string. That is the one that we wanna be plucking.
If we went to a D chord you should know again
that the lowest D note is right up there on the open 4th string.
. . .
and to C maybe,
Amin ...and to
G,
Emin,
G,
C,
D.
You can really experiment a lot with this pattern. It's a really, really nice one
and it's kind of a good kind of halfway pattern because your having to focus on individual notes
so you're really concentrating the way you're playing.
It teaches you good pick control because you don't wanna be sitting there
just randomly thrashing away at the guitar all the time. This teaches you to be quite accurate,
even within a strum because strumming is generally kinda loose, you know,
and when you start doing these individual picks you have to be both loose and accurate at the same time
'cause strumming is about being relaxed. So it's really working that
. . .
still relaxed but you have to be pretty accurate.
Later on you can start mucking around with it, you know
. . .
and you will do all sorts of funny, tricksty stuff
as you get better at it and more accurate with your picking hand.
So, that's kinda where it's going to but this one pattern you can stick it
on loads and loads of different songs, any songs that you like, that you've learned so far.
Have a go at sticking this bass note in, making sure you know what the bass note is
for every chord that you're playing and then just experiment 'cause this one's pretty good fun.
Take care, have a good one, see you soon. Bye-bye.