Posted by Andrew DuBrock

Excerpted from Acoustic Rock Essentials: Ten Great Rock Strumming Patterns

This pattern lifted from bluegrass boom-chuck rhythm alternates bass notes with strums, as shown in Ex. 2a. You can mix bass notes and strum patterns in many ways. Use them in the C–C/B–Am7–D7–G7 chord progression in Ex. 2b, and you’ve got a rhythm pattern similar to the Beatles’ “Rocky Raccoon.”

Or add a few walking bass lines, like Ex. 2c, and you start to sound more like Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young on their classic “Teach Your Children.”