Adding Bass Notes + Runs To Your Songs - Lesson 9
Bass notes are the doorway into intermediate strumming. When you started out you were generally too busy learning new chords and songs to care much about your strumming hand. This can lead to “washboard strumming” which means you play every strum at the same volume and this can make your strumming sound bland and tiring to the ears.
Bass note playing is the beginning of a more nuanced and varied style of strumming. I believe this technique and playing with dynamics (differing volume levels) is so important that the last lesson in this course focuses on the loud and quiet parts within a songs performance.
Refining your strumming hand is essential as you move into becoming an intermediate player.
Using your thumb to pick out bass notes is a little easier in the beginning. This is because you can feel the string under your fingers. However, it would be great if you can use a pick and your thumb depending on the mood of the song. Please try both methods.
Pay attention to the strumming in this little song. Play the bass note and then aim to pick only the bottom 4 strings on your upstrum. Enjoy!
Bass Note Songs – Please choose One!
Needle And The Damage Done – Neil Young
Mr Bojangles – The Nitty Gritty Band
Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
Catch The Wind – Donovan (I don’t have a lesson for this but get the TAB here)
Course Progress Bar