{"id":143831,"date":"2024-03-08T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-08T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/?p=143831"},"modified":"2024-03-08T09:05:34","modified_gmt":"2024-03-08T17:05:34","slug":"develop-rhythmic-independence-in-the-thumb-to-help-free-your-groove","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/develop-rhythmic-independence-in-the-thumb-to-help-free-your-groove\/","title":{"rendered":"Develop Rhythmic Independence in the Thumb to Help Free Your Groove"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Free Your Groove! Develop Rhythmic Independence in the Thumb to Create New Sounds | Fingerstyle\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SM6TEQ8zxs8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This fingerstyle lesson is about developing rhythmic independence for the picking-hand thumb. That process can be harder than it sounds\u2014sometimes a <em>lot<\/em> harder. But the musical rewards are immense. These techniques can add cool and interesting variations to traditional picking patterns and open the door to funky new grooves, particularly ones from Africa and the Caribbean.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Four on the Floor?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Most popular acoustic fingerpicking styles share one trait: the thumb falls squarely on beats 1 and 3. For example, consider the technique often referred to as Travis picking. I grew up believing that was the sound I heard on folk-rock songs such as Simon and Garfunkel\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3ImMmTc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cThe Boxer,\u201d<\/a> Fleetwood Mac\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3P3EsBN\">\u201cLandslide,\u201d<\/a> and Kansas\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3IpnVEJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cDust in the Wind.\u201d<\/a> (Taylor Swift\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/49Y8L5c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cBegin Again\u201d<\/a> is a more recent example.) In these songs the thumb plays a steady stream of on-the-beat notes, bouncing between a bass string and a treble string, while the picking hand\u2019s second and third fingers play off-beat rhythms that complement the steady thumb.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eventually I heard the style as actually played by its namesake, Merle Travis. He used only a thumbpick and index finger. He was ridiculously good\u2014check out videos for such songs as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=btVAuFMpNr4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cNine Pound Hammer\u201d<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ig8qrLDH-nU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cLost John\u201d<\/a> as evidence.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For playing in the alternating bass style, some players grip a flatpick and use their third and fourth fingers in lieu of the second and third. In any case, the thumb (or pick) notes still fall squarely on the beats while only the fingers syncopate. (Syncopation means an accent that falls somewhere other than on the main beats.) This approach comes from ragtime piano, where the left hand plays straight rhythms, often bouncing between octaves, while the right hand syncopates. It\u2019s a beautiful technique that can make beginning players sound advanced and advanced players sound sublime. It has inspired countless great songs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But if you consider the rhythm from a drummer\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s as if the bass drum plays steady quarter notes on every song. Wouldn\u2019t it be nice to mix things up sometimes? So let\u2019s subvert that four-square feel.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Give It a Push<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Example 1 <\/strong>shows a popular version of the alternating-bass style. The thumb bounces between the fifth and third strings, playing strictly downbeats. But what if we add a \u201cpush\u201d? (That\u2019s pop music slang for an accent placed an eighth or 16th note before the expected beat.) In <strong>Example 2<\/strong>, the pair of notes you expect to hear on beat 3 appears on the fourth 16th note of beat 2. Those pushed notes sustain across beat 3, where <em>nothing<\/em> is played. Note the change of feel!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s take it further. <strong>Example 3 <\/strong>has the same push as Ex. 2, but then the following notes are shifted forward by a 16th note. This pattern may sound awkward on its own, but <strong>Example 4 <\/strong>shows one way to use it in context. The straight Ex. 1 rhythm appears in bars 1 and 3. Bar 2 features the Ex. 2 rhythm, and bar 4 employs the slightly disorienting Ex. 3 rhythm. This works as a cool turnaround\u2014think of it as a drum fill before the simpler pattern returns on the downbeat of the repeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These examples introduce the idea of placing thumb accents in unexpected places. Now let\u2019s move on from alternating-bass picking and see how unexpected bass rhythms work in some funkier styles.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Caribbean Cool<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In old-school calypso from Trinidad and Tobago, the rhythm guitar strums a steady stream of 16th notes\u2014<em>except<\/em> on the beats. If you verbalize 16th notes as \u201c<em>one<\/em>-ee-and-uh, <em>two<\/em>-ee-and-uh,\u201d you omit the numbers but include the other three syllables. Meanwhile, traditional calypso bassists often play eighth notes on beats 2 and 4, but lay out on beats 1 and 3. <strong>Example 5 <\/strong>combines those two rhythms. Note that <em>nothing<\/em> falls directly on beat 1 or 3. It\u2019s the opposite of the traditional Travis feel!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those syncopations are even more extreme in Afro-Cuban music. In <strong>Ex. 6 <\/strong>the thumb plays <em>tumbao<\/em>, the super syncopated bass pattern that practically defines Latin music, from ancient rumba to modern salsa. As in Ex. 5, the fingers play a repeating three-note pattern, only this time on the beat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Straight Out of Lagos<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s conclude with an African example based on the Afrobeat groove devised by Nigerian bandleader Fela Kuti (<strong>Example 7<\/strong>). We\u2019re approximating this highly syncopated style via a typical Afrobeat bass line and the incessant offbeat pattern often played by claves and congas.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ve barely lifted the lid on a deep topic. But getting these patterns under your fingers may help you rethink the thumb\u2019s role in fingerstyle grooves. Of course, there\u2019s nothing wrong with non-syncopated thumb notes! But in the future you might choose that approach because it\u2019s your best option\u2014not your only one. With luck, developing a freer, funkier thumb will add interest and variation to the picking patterns you know and unlock countless new ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"759\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AG345-WS-THUMB-INDEPENCE-EX-1-4.png?resize=759%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Disrupting Conventional Fingerpicking Patterns musical notation (page 1)\" class=\"wp-image-143835\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AG345-WS-THUMB-INDEPENCE-EX-1-4.png?resize=759%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 759w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AG345-WS-THUMB-INDEPENCE-EX-1-4.png?resize=371%2C500&amp;ssl=1 371w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AG345-WS-THUMB-INDEPENCE-EX-1-4.png?resize=768%2C1036&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AG345-WS-THUMB-INDEPENCE-EX-1-4.png?resize=222%2C300&amp;ssl=1 222w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AG345-WS-THUMB-INDEPENCE-EX-1-4.png?w=1079&amp;ssl=1 1079w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 759px) 100vw, 759px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"761\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AG345-WS-THUMB-INDEPENCE-EX-4-6.png?resize=761%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Disrupting Conventional Fingerpicking Patterns musical notation (page 2)\" class=\"wp-image-143836\" style=\"width:750px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AG345-WS-THUMB-INDEPENCE-EX-4-6.png?resize=761%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 761w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AG345-WS-THUMB-INDEPENCE-EX-4-6.png?resize=372%2C500&amp;ssl=1 372w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AG345-WS-THUMB-INDEPENCE-EX-4-6.png?resize=768%2C1033&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AG345-WS-THUMB-INDEPENCE-EX-4-6.png?resize=223%2C300&amp;ssl=1 223w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AG345-WS-THUMB-INDEPENCE-EX-4-6.png?w=1079&amp;ssl=1 1079w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 761px) 100vw, 761px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1020\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AG345-WS-THUMB-INDEPENCE-EX-6-7.png?resize=1024%2C1020&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Disrupting Conventional Fingerpicking Patterns musical notation (page 3)\" class=\"wp-image-143837\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AG345-WS-THUMB-INDEPENCE-EX-6-7.png?resize=1024%2C1020&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AG345-WS-THUMB-INDEPENCE-EX-6-7.png?resize=500%2C498&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AG345-WS-THUMB-INDEPENCE-EX-6-7.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AG345-WS-THUMB-INDEPENCE-EX-6-7.png?resize=768%2C765&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AG345-WS-THUMB-INDEPENCE-EX-6-7.png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AG345-WS-THUMB-INDEPENCE-EX-6-7.png?w=1079&amp;ssl=1 1079w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/store.acousticguitar.com\/products\/no-345-march-april-2024\" name=\"magazine\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 150px; height: 198px; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/001_345_Cover-150px.jpg?w=1290&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Acoustic Guitar magazine cover for issue 344\"><\/a>\n<p style=\"font-family: sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 15px 0px;\">This article originally appeared in the <a href=\"https:\/\/store.acousticguitar.com\/products\/no-345-march-april-2024\">March\/April 2024<\/a> issue of <em>Acoustic Guitar<\/em> magazine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Try these exercises to add cool and interesting variations to traditional picking patterns and open the door to funky new grooves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":143834,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"Try these exercises to add cool and interesting variations to traditional picking patterns, and open the door to funky new grooves.","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1654,2],"tags":[1942],"ppma_author":[1946],"class_list":["post-143831","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fingerstyle","category-lessons","tag-march-april-2024"],"blocksy_meta":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/thumb-on-guitar-strings-photo-Joey-Lusterman.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1","authors":[{"term_id":1946,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"joe-gore","display_name":"Joe Gore","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/joe-gore.png","url2x":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/joe-gore.png"},"user_url":"https:\/\/www.joegore.com\/","last_name":"","first_name":"","job_title":"","description":"Joe Gore is a former classical musician who lost his way. He\u2019s played with Tracy Chapman, Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, and many other artists, and has written and edited guitar magazines since the Pleistocene. His technique book, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3V2485F\">The Subversive Guitarist<\/a>,<\/em> was published in 2022."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143831","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=143831"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143831\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":144104,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143831\/revisions\/144104"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/143834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=143831"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=143831"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=143831"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=143831"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}