Learn To Play Guitar: Alternate Bass Patterns ...

Now, let's try A Major. Take your second finger and put it on the second fret of the fourth string, third finger on the second fret of the third string and pinky on the second fret of the second string. You are going to also finger A Major with your first 3 fingers, but just for right now I am going to be using my second to my pinky.

So, hit the fifth string open, strum a chord, the A Major chord and then you are going to hit the sixth string open and then strum a chord, so on the first beat fifth string open, strum the chord on the second B. Your alternate base note is the E string, low E string, six string open and then strumming the chord again. Now, you maybe wondering how as we come up on what exactly is the alternate base note. Well, from the theory standpoint what I am using is I am using the fifth note of the chord. Each chord is made up of three notes, a root, a third and a fifth and I am going to the fifth note and sometimes I am playing that fifth note lower, a lower octave of it, and honestly, depending on your form and depending on the way you are using your chord, you could use any note in the chord as an alternate note.

So for example I can alternate between hitting the fifth string and then hitting the fourth string, or I could alternate between hitting the fifth string and hitting the third string. It definitely gives the chord progression more motion than you if you were just strumming. But, for right now for that country sound that we are going to be going for would using the fifth.

So, the interim starts with the base line pick up, starting on B2, 1, 2, 3, 4 and to an A chord. You are going to hear this type of strumming pattern that he uses throughout the song where he plays a base note on B 1 usually the root of the chord, the letter in the chords on A, and then A chord and strums the chord on B 2.


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