April 2, 2010
Learn How to Drive a Bluegrass Beat
In a bluegrass jam, a solid boom-chuck rhythm guitar is the motor that powers the banjo’s rolls and provides a strong, grooving foundation for the legato licks of the dobro and fiddle. To really get that bluegrass drive, let’s skip the fancy licks and runs for now. The key to a great boom-chuck is much more subtle; it’s about where in the beat you play and how you accent the beats to push the music forward. It’s not hard, but it might turn your concept of rhythm upside down—in a really great way.
We usually think of a beat as some fixed point, but even the click of a metronome has a beginning, middle, and end. So that means that you can play slightly ahead of the beat (the beginning), squarely on the beat (the middle), or behind the beat (the end). Try playing Example 1 along with your metronome and listen to your bass notes. Does the sound of the note coincide with the beginning of the click? Does it sound squarely in the middle? Does it ride along the tail end?
To really get the bluegrass drive, you need to hit the bass and strum so they sound slightly ahead of the beat. Start your metronome and play Example 1 again, and try to play your boom and chuck at the very beginning of the click. At first, it’ll feel like running on tiptoe. You’re still aiming for an even rhythm, but it will feel like you’re playing faster. That’s the drive. As long as you keep your rhythm steady (so that you’re playing on the same part of the beat every time), you’re in good shape.
By Nicole Solis
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For the rest of this lesson on driving a bluegrass beat and other flatpicking tips, check out Acoustic Guitar Flatpicking Basics. Explore the essential sounds of bluegrass and country guitar as played by Maybelle Carter and Jimmie Rodgers, and carried on by contemporary masters like Tony Rice, Norman Blake, and Bryan Sutton. In ten lessons, you will learn the basics of rhythm, from the classic boom-chuck to bass runs and embellishments, as well as how to flatpick melodies and solos. Order it now.
Regular price: $19.95, 64 pp., 9" x 12", HL00696389
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