Results 1 to 5 of 5

Thread: Counting

  1. #1

    Default Counting

    I am a real newbie to Mandolin . Please can someone explain how to Count when doing bass , down strum and up strum ie if something is in 4/4 time I know it is four crochets but is that 1 bass , 1 down strum and one up strum because that is only 3 beats in a measure . Very confused

  2. #2
    Registered User Tom Wright's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Rockville, MD
    Posts
    1,919
    Blog Entries
    7

    Default Re: Counting

    I will guess you want to do 1 2 (rest) 4. You will be strumming on 2 and 4 as off-beats, and the bass note on the downbeat, beat 1.

    I would not use an upstroke, but use all downstrokes for this pattern. Down/up picking is for faster patterns, those in-between notes.

    You pattern will therefore be D,D, [skip] D.

    As a simple rule, down strokes for the crochets (quarter notes here) or whatever the larger beats are called, and down-up for the melodies or busy strum patterns. For very fast syncopations (offbeats at quaver or semiquaver, 1/8 or 1/16 notes) we do use upstrokes, but not for the larger beats.
    Bandcamp -- https://tomwright1.bandcamp.com/
    Videos--YouTube
    Sound Clips--SoundCloud
    The viola is proof that man is not rational

  3. #3

    Default Re: Counting

    Thank you Tom

  4. #4
    Registered User John Kelly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Ardnadam, Argyll, Scotland
    Posts
    2,281

    Default Re: Counting

    Are you talking about rhythm playing here, Melanie, rather than picking out the melody? If so, in 4/4 time I regularly use a strum pattern of single bass note for beats 1 and 3, and chord for 2 and 4. If playing a D major chord (fingered 2 0 0 2) I'd pick the open D, strum the four strings, pick the A on the G string then strum the whole chord again, an alternating bass pattern. I should say that I play mainly Scottish music, but this will work for other genres too. For 3/4 time I'd pick the single bass note then strum the chord on beats 2 and 3.

    Hope this is of use to you!
    I'm playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order. - Eric Morecambe

    http://www.youtube.com/user/TheOldBores

  5. #5

    Default Re: Counting

    Thank you John

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •