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[Bluegrasstjej]

I play ordinary bluegrass back-up on the mandolin, want to learn arpeggios but also other kinds of back-up to use when bluegrass chops just don't sound good (on certain songs). I wonder if there are any strumming patterns or so for guitar somewhere on the internet? I have no guitar book and this kind of back-up isn't described in usual mandolin books.

[John Flynn]

I think a great change up from chops is crosspicking. It is hard to learn at first, but it gets easier after you "get over the hump." Mickey Cochoran of Folk of the Wood has instructional material out on that. I think Jesse McReynolds has a book out also.

Also, here is a link to some basic guitar backup stuff:
http://www.ezfolk.com/guitar/Tutorials/tutorials.html

I really like the "Bass Runs" tutorial. It works well for BG and OT music and you could adapt it to mando.

Finally, I think some of the best and most varied strumming patterns ever come from ragtime music. I don't know of any instructional materials, but it is interesting to listen to ragtime strums, just to get the patterns. They are very challenging, but they make great change-ups for any kind of music.

[Bluegrasstjej]

Isn't crosspicking and arpeggios the same thing?

[John Flynn]

Well, everything in music is related and a crosspicking roll can be a type of arpeggio, but I think of the two in much different contexts. There are other kinds of arpeggios that do not involve crosspicking: You can "arpeggiate" a chord just by sounding each note distinctly, you can do a "boogie-woogie" or a bass run, etc. Crosspicking is specific to a roll technique across multiple strings. It will often technically be an arpeggio, but not always a "straight" apeggio. You can throw in lots of off-chord tones and effects in crosspicking that are technically not arpeggio tones.

[mmukav]

That's correct. An arpegio is playing the notes of a chord as single notes. They can be played ascending, descending, or mixed up. Crosspicking refers to a picking style. You can cross pick arpegios, and you can add passing tones. But it specifically refers to the picking style.

[Bluegrasstjej]

I think I understand, but I'm not sure. Would it be possible to do a recording so I can hear the difference?
Very interesting discussion, by the way. I've always wanted to learn more about crosspicking.

[John Flynn]

I am sure it is possible, but unfortunately, I am not set up to do it. There are both arpeggio tutorials and crosspicking tutorials here on the Cafe'. Those might illustrate some of the differences for you.

[August Watters]

Crosspicking and arpeggios are two very different things, although they do overlap and are easily combined.

Arpeggios occur when you play a single melodic line made up of successive notes of a chord. Say you play a G chord as an arpeggio:
- - - 3 - - - -7
- - 2 - - 5
0 - - - - 5 -
0 - - - 4 - -

Crosspicking is a rhythmic grouping of eighth notes that imitates a banjo roll, by moving the accents from their usual place:

Usual grouping of eighths with accents:
ONE and two and THREE and four and

Crosspicked group of eighths with accents:
ONE and two AND three and FOUR and

On mandolin or guitar, a crosspicked #group usually involves three adjacent strings. On mandolin, you might play:

Strings:
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 or 2 3 4 2 3 4 2 3 (backward roll)
OR
3 2 1 3 2 1 3 2 or 4 3 2 4 3 2 4 3 (forward roll)

You might apply the crosspicked patterns to a melody or arpeggio, but it's easiest to apply them to a simple chord, say a D:

Play: D chord on first three strings (2-0-0)
Apply: Any of the forward or backward rolls above (while you hold the D chord).

Now you're crosspicking a D chord! Works really well as an accompaniment texture, when you don't need the full chop.

August W

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