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Chapter 5: Positioning the Right Hand for Rhythm and Lead
75
Figure 5-3:
A strumming
passage in
quarter and
eighth
notes, using
downstrokes
and
upstrokes.
E
A
E
B7
Track 6, 0:25
Mixing Single Notes and Strumming
Downstrokes and upstrokes are used for playing single notes as well as for
strumming. Combining single notes with strums is an important part of
rhythm guitar playing and gives the guitarist more options than just strumming.
For example, a piano player doesn’t plunk down all her fingers at once
every time she plays, and guitarists shouldn’t have to strike all the strings
every time they bring their picks down (or up, for that matter).
In fact, guitarists share a technique with their keyboard-pounding
counterparts — they play bass notes with the left hand and chords with the
right hand. When guitarists separate the bass notes from the chord, they
do it with just the right hand, but the principle is the same.
Separating bass and treble:
The pick-strum
Separating the bass and treble so they play independently is a great way to
provide rhythmic variety and introduce different textures into your playing.
In the pick-strum pattern, the pick refers to picking the single bass note, and
the strum refers to the upper-string chord that follows. Both the pick and the
strum are played with the pick in downstrokes.
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