In this course is a direct progression from the first part of this series. This time, the focus is on rhythms that combine sixteenth notes with eighth notes. There are three possible ways to combine these note values within a single quarter note beat, and each will be examined in turn here. It’s vital that you understand the correct application of downstrokes and upstrokes for each of these rhythms.
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This course is 1 HOUR long and contains the following videos, each of which can be selected from the video player above:
This short video is an overview of the three eighth note/sixteenth note combination rhythms that are covered in this course:
This video introduces the first combination rhythm and demonstrates the picking pattern required to play it. The rhythm is then used in some simple exercises.
This exercise is a simple rock bassline that puts the rhythm to use on every beat of the bar. As you’ll hear, this rhythm works well for rock basslines.
This exercise is in A minor and makes use of some basic arpeggio shapes. Once again, the eighth note/sixteenth note combination rhythm is used on every beat of the bar.
In this exercise the eighth note in the main rhythm is marked with a staccato dot in the notation, meaning that it should be played short.
This video covers the second rhythm that combines two sixteenth notes with a single eighth note. This rhythm is the reverse of the previous one.
This exercise implies some very simple chord movements but is an excellent demonstration of how the second rhythm can be used in a bass groove.
This exercise contains quite a few ghost notes. Remember, these are played in exactly the same way in terms of the picking technique.
This video covers the third and final combination. This is a more complex rhythm that requires more consideration to the application of downstrokes and upstrokes.
This exercise features several quarter note rests, making it a good line to start with if you’re still unsure of the new rhythm.
This rock bassline features the third rhythm used several times in a row, which can be quite awkward to play with a plectrum.
This is a complex funk bassline that features a lot of ghost notes as well as two long sequences that utilise the third rhythmic combination.