I can play just about every chord in the proverbial book, also playing in many different tunings, but have one small stumbling block, my right hand techniques, strumming especially
can anyone give some advice/tips on good strumming patterns, esp for accompanying scottish/irish music??
Patterns can be a bad idea, as the emphasis (accent) of tunes may not “conform” to the pattern being used. That’s one of the reasons why knowing the tune you’re backing is essential.
That been said, you want advice with strumming so,
reels are in 4/4 time and jigs are in 6/8
If you were to count a reel as 1+2+3+4+ a very basic
strumming pattern would be
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D U D U D U D U
And a jig as
123 456
DUD DUD
The idea then might be to then take strums out eg. In the jig rhythm
When learning the above, try to keep the 'lilt', i.e. keep the stresses where they should be (usually on '1', but better be caucious).
Learn to play tunes solo, lots of them. Will improve your both hands' technique
Practice strumming only selected strings, starting with one at a time, two, three, four and five.
Listen to the way the melody goes and try to imitate the rhythm and dynamics in strumming.
Try to combine strumming with bass/selective melody/second voice playing
Listen a lot to good guitar players and try to imitate the tricks that appeal to you, and also the flow of melody.
Play scales every day. I know this is generally wrong, old-fashioned, hatefully classical approach, but this helped me a lot and is still helping me in all aspects of playing mechanics. If you play dadgad, start with D, and then have fun going chromatically upwards (D#, E, F etc.). Pay attention to sound (i.e. if you play a scale, think of it as of a tune).
been learning the zouk aswell and feeling that is improving it - never had lessons, so jst made up the patterns to follow the tunes, experienced box player, so know most of them, find jigs hard to accompany but as they say practise practise practise :D
on the subject of imitating tricks - been trying a lot of stumming then damping, to give a very percussive rhythm, but it does take time!
Oh, yes it does! It's my fourth month of practising a certain ornament. Gets really on my nerves. sigh.
Btw. - practice the rhytms and tricks first v. slowly, then speed up gradually. If you get to a point when your strumming is uneven or unclear, or imprecise - slow down again. Da capo ad nauseam.
BegF and Janek are offering good advice. The ideal is to smoothly and quietly hit every beat--and it is an ideal that I am working toward. The natural right-hand style I first brought to this music is very American folky, hitting less of the beats, and a bit heavier on the rhythm and the backbeat. Very much of a boom-chick kind of approach. While the heavier pulse is an advantage in noisier venues, or other situations when you need to keep a group on rhythm, I am always working to improve my range of options.
One other option I would offer, where BegF suggests:
123 456
D D DUD
I would suggest:
123 456
D U DUD
In fact, a steady down on the 1 and 4 and up on the 3 and 6 in jigs gives it a very old-time piano accompaniment/slide kind of a feel. Not something I would use everywhere, but something for accompanying jigs and especially slides when they begin to move faster.
But those are only some ideas--pick some CDs that play the standards at a reasonable pace and play along, practice with a metronome, practice scales, take lessons. Hard work, especially before you pick up bad habits, will pay off in the long run.
I’ve always been of the mind that rhythm is movement and as such it needs to be felt rather than defined. Practicing patterns as a rudiment is certainly beneficial, and some great advice along this line has already been presented, but at some point you need to set your right hand free to feel the dynamics of the movement of the tune.
I subscribe to the theory that if you hear it in your head put it to the strings, or the skin if one plays the bodhrán. The best times I have playing is when the melody player(s) and I go to that same distant place whilst playing the tune. For the time span that the tune occupies we are mentally somewhere other than the physical location we are sitting. I strive to reach this point every time I play. I am not always successful but none-the-less maintain this as my goal. It is indeed brilliant when it occurs.
If your feel for the music is good then your backing will show that. If not, practicing the “patterns” won’t help your feel much.
Ed is spot on. The patterns are a means to develop "tools" that your subconcious can grab when you become "one" with the tune. If all you learn and play are patterns, you are nothing more than a metronome. It is hard to explain, but easy to hear--you need to feel and be part of the music when you play. Lack of this feeling in accompaniment can steal the lift from the music, and can cause resentment from the melody players.
Gersfanno1,
coyotebanjo is an undisputed master of this stuff. Follow the threads he has posted, buy his book/CD on accompanying Irish music, and work on the material he presents in those works--it will pay off. But also, get out there in the trenches, play along with other people, and most of all, Enjoy!!!
Right hand guitar Techniques
Right hand guitar Techniques
I am looking for some help
I can play just about every chord in the proverbial book, also playing in many different tunings, but have one small stumbling block, my right hand techniques, strumming especially
can anyone give some advice/tips on good strumming patterns, esp for accompanying scottish/irish music??
# Posted on July 13th 2005 by Gersfanno1
Re: Right hand guitar Techniques
Patterns can be a bad idea, as the emphasis (accent) of tunes may not “conform” to the pattern being used. That’s one of the reasons why knowing the tune you’re backing is essential.
That been said, you want advice with strumming so,
reels are in 4/4 time and jigs are in 6/8
If you were to count a reel as 1+2+3+4+ a very basic
strumming pattern would be
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D U D U D U D U
And a jig as
123 456
DUD DUD
The idea then might be to then take strums out eg. In the jig rhythm
123 456
D D DUD
# Posted on July 13th 2005 by BegF
Re: Right hand guitar Techniques
When learning the above, try to keep the 'lilt', i.e. keep the stresses where they should be (usually on '1', but better be caucious).
Learn to play tunes solo, lots of them. Will improve your both hands' technique
Practice strumming only selected strings, starting with one at a time, two, three, four and five.
Listen to the way the melody goes and try to imitate the rhythm and dynamics in strumming.
Try to combine strumming with bass/selective melody/second voice playing
Listen a lot to good guitar players and try to imitate the tricks that appeal to you, and also the flow of melody.
Play scales every day. I know this is generally wrong, old-fashioned, hatefully classical approach, but this helped me a lot and is still helping me in all aspects of playing mechanics. If you play dadgad, start with D, and then have fun going chromatically upwards (D#, E, F etc.). Pay attention to sound (i.e. if you play a scale, think of it as of a tune).
Best of luck in your struggle.
Janek
# Posted on July 13th 2005 by Janek
Re: Right hand guitar Techniques
cheers guys - good advice
been learning the zouk aswell and feeling that is improving it - never had lessons, so jst made up the patterns to follow the tunes, experienced box player, so know most of them, find jigs hard to accompany but as they say practise practise practise :D
on the subject of imitating tricks - been trying a lot of stumming then damping, to give a very percussive rhythm, but it does take time!
# Posted on July 13th 2005 by Gersfanno1
Re: Right hand guitar Techniques
Oh, yes it does! It's my fourth month of practising a certain ornament. Gets really on my nerves. sigh.
Btw. - practice the rhytms and tricks first v. slowly, then speed up gradually. If you get to a point when your strumming is uneven or unclear, or imprecise - slow down again. Da capo ad nauseam.
# Posted on July 13th 2005 by Janek
Re: Right hand guitar Techniques
Gersfanno1,
BegF and Janek are offering good advice. The ideal is to smoothly and quietly hit every beat--and it is an ideal that I am working toward. The natural right-hand style I first brought to this music is very American folky, hitting less of the beats, and a bit heavier on the rhythm and the backbeat. Very much of a boom-chick kind of approach. While the heavier pulse is an advantage in noisier venues, or other situations when you need to keep a group on rhythm, I am always working to improve my range of options.
One other option I would offer, where BegF suggests:
123 456
D D DUD
I would suggest:
123 456
D U DUD
In fact, a steady down on the 1 and 4 and up on the 3 and 6 in jigs gives it a very old-time piano accompaniment/slide kind of a feel. Not something I would use everywhere, but something for accompanying jigs and especially slides when they begin to move faster.
But those are only some ideas--pick some CDs that play the standards at a reasonable pace and play along, practice with a metronome, practice scales, take lessons. Hard work, especially before you pick up bad habits, will pay off in the long run.
# Posted on July 13th 2005 by AlBrown
Re: Right hand guitar Techniques
Practice playing the melody to The Irish Washerwoman at full speed.
# Posted on July 13th 2005 by JPcares
Re: Right hand guitar Techniques
I’ve always been of the mind that rhythm is movement and as such it needs to be felt rather than defined. Practicing patterns as a rudiment is certainly beneficial, and some great advice along this line has already been presented, but at some point you need to set your right hand free to feel the dynamics of the movement of the tune.
I subscribe to the theory that if you hear it in your head put it to the strings, or the skin if one plays the bodhrán. The best times I have playing is when the melody player(s) and I go to that same distant place whilst playing the tune. For the time span that the tune occupies we are mentally somewhere other than the physical location we are sitting. I strive to reach this point every time I play. I am not always successful but none-the-less maintain this as my goal. It is indeed brilliant when it occurs.
If your feel for the music is good then your backing will show that. If not, practicing the “patterns” won’t help your feel much.
Peace,
Ed
# Posted on July 13th 2005 by ejsant
Re: Right hand guitar Techniques
Ed is spot on. The patterns are a means to develop "tools" that your subconcious can grab when you become "one" with the tune. If all you learn and play are patterns, you are nothing more than a metronome. It is hard to explain, but easy to hear--you need to feel and be part of the music when you play. Lack of this feeling in accompaniment can steal the lift from the music, and can cause resentment from the melody players.
# Posted on July 13th 2005 by AlBrown
Re: Right hand guitar Techniques
Some resources at:
http://geocities.com/coyotebanjo/instruction/irishrhy.txt
http://geocities.com/coyotebanjo/instruction/sixeight.txt
http://geocities.com/coyotebanjo/instruction/timetech.txt
# Posted on July 13th 2005 by coyotebanjo
Re: Right hand guitar Techniques
Gersfanno1,
coyotebanjo is an undisputed master of this stuff. Follow the threads he has posted, buy his book/CD on accompanying Irish music, and work on the material he presents in those works--it will pay off. But also, get out there in the trenches, play along with other people, and most of all, Enjoy!!!
# Posted on July 14th 2005 by AlBrown
Re: Right hand guitar Techniques
never mind all that, feel the force . . .
# Posted on August 20th 2005 by lisaniska
Re: Right hand guitar Techniques
. . . may it be with you
# Posted on August 30th 2005 by lisaniska