8th Note Picking & Strumming
Alternate picking and strumming is a method of playing where the pick goes down on the strong beats and up on the weak beats. In eighth note subdivision, the strong beat is the number and the weak beat is the and. Using alternate picking while playing rhythms is a great way to stay in time and keep the subdivision even.
Terms
Syncopation: A rhythm with an attack on a weak beat without an attack on the strong beat before it.
Play through the examples on the practice pages by strumming a chord or playing a single note using alternate picking/strumming.
1 | The Check Pattern
Practice alternate picking and strumming, both in the air and on the strings to prepare yourself to perform rhythms with muscle memory.
Mute the strings with your fretting hand during rests and play in the air during ties.
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3 | Unsyncopated Notation
Determine how many actions each rhythmic symbol contains and apply them to the strumming/picking pattern.
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4 | Syncopated Subdivisions
Make sure the up action has the same, if not more, playing pressure than down actions for syncopated rhythms.
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5 | Syncopated Notation
Because dotted eighth values involve three movements, the following attack will be in the opposite direction.
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2 | Unsyncopated Subdivisions