Chopping my way through Jack-a-Roe

[glissando]

In a quest to try and improve my rhythm playing, I've been working on developing interesting/nice rhythm parts for several tunes.

One that I've decided to work on is Jack-A-Roe by the Grateful Dead(actually, it's an old traditional tune, but I like this version).

There is no mandolin on the track, which is nice, because I can just "sit in". The first strategy that came to mind for me is to try and chop through the chords on beats 2 and 4. The song is simple, and I can easily play through the chords on my guitar, but I can't really get together a decent sounding part on mandolin.

Chords are as follows and just repeat throughout the song:

Am-C-E7-E7
Am-C-F-C
Am-E7-Am-Am

I've been using these fingerings:
Am 2235
C 523x
E7 465x
F 23xx

But I just can't seem to get a good sounding part together. Any suggestions on adding a part of you were to sit in on this recording of this tune? Or any other general rhythm playing tips?

[Steve 2E]

Great tune. Maybe not always play an E7. Maybe just E like 467X. Maybe try F like 5301. Just a couple of thoughts.

[Ky Slim]

This version is in Em but should give some good ideas. Dawg plays great rhythm! He plays rhythm all over the neck

Em-G-B7-B7
Em-G-C-G
Em-B7-Em-Em

*echoing Steve's suggestion, the B7s could just be Bs sometimes. Tasters choice