Bass Note Strumming/Bass Runs/Walk Ups/Walk Downs

[OliveCorduroy]

Hello,

So with chord changes down with decent competency, I have decided to continue by focusing my efforts on technique…I want to embellish the chord changes with some different techniques that I think would enhance my playing and I see bass note strumming, bass runs, walk ups, and walk downs as a way to do this…this seems like a logical step…not only do those kinds of things sound really interesting to me, it is something that has always seemed fun to be able to do…is this a good approach?

With that said, how do I get there?

Thanks,
George

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by OliveCorduroy

Hello,

So with chord changes down with decent competency, I have decided to continue by focusing my efforts on technique…I want to embellish the chord changes with some different techniques that I think would enhance my playing and I see bass note strumming, bass runs, walk ups, and walk downs as a way to do this…this seems like a logical step…not only do those kinds of things sound really interesting to me, it is something that has always seemed fun to be able to do…is this a good approach?

With that said, how do I get there?

Thanks,
George

Basically you need to learn to be precise with your picking - to be able to hit the bass string you want instead of strumming the chord. I.e., a downstroke which only hits one string instead of multiple strings. You can do this by resting your wrist on the guitar, but then that can restrict the movement you need for strumming between the bass notes.

Any lesson you can find on flatpicking - especially in bluegrass style - ought to cover the basics.

Here's one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW7iwpLO_xg - watch how he uses his right hand, the difference between playing the bass notes and strumming the chord. You might need to slow down the fast show-off passage at 0:32 but you'll see how little he actually moves his hand - he is not swinging the forearm as you might do in normal strumming. Sometimes (when he needs to be sure about picking a single string) he is resting his pinky on the scratchplate. There are slower simpler demos later on (from around 3:00).

[Robin, Wales]

I would take it back even further and sing and play some classic bluegrass songs (such as Will the Circle or Highway of Sorrow) in the fundamental Boom Chuck with no additional strums. As demonstrated in the video above.

You will need to develop excellent timing to do this - so use a metronome. This fundamental rhythm is actually a lot harder to do well than filling the void with strums, because the silence has to be in perfect time too. And you must be relaxed about leaving space in your playing while singing over the top. If you can get this right it sounds absolutely classic - much better in my opinion than "over-strumming", which is a trap so many new guitarists fall into.

So get that boom/chuck absolutely solid to a point where you can sing phrases over the top of it without missing a beat.

Be warned - it is a lot harder to do than it looks! So expect to struggle a bit.

Once you get this basic boom chuck rhythm down it is going to give you all the space in the world to work in those walk-ups and walk-downs on the chord changes, alt bass notes, and hammer-ons to alt bass. So get this wired and it will open doors.

[rick-slo]

Are you playing with a flatpick or fingers?

In anycase IMO best is to listen more carefully to the examples you mentioned hearing and copy exactly (note for note) those runs, walkups etc. until you can play them well.
Training your ears and fingers on specific examples bleeds into what you can do and create on your own.

[OliveCorduroy]

Okay…these comments are great…I’ve always had an affinity for bluegrass so this all seems fitting…from what I’ve seen, a lot of it is in the Key of G, that being chords G, C, and D…should I practice all of this in the Key of G?…or should I try to do it in A, C, D, and E with the chords in those keys as well?…I’d like to keep my skills up with those keys, but at the same time, I kind of feel that maybe I should just keep it simple

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by OliveCorduroy

Okay…these comments are great…I’ve always had an affinity for bluegrass so this all seems fitting…from what I’ve seen, a lot of it is in the Key of G, that being chords G, C, and D…should I practice all of this in the Key of G?…or should I try to do it in A, C, D, and E with the chords in those keys as well?…I’d like to keep my skills up with those keys, but at the same time, I kind of feel that maybe I should just keep it simple

Find songs or tunes you like that use some of this stuff. Practice what is done in those (simpler ones at first naturally). Does not much matter what key - skills translate.

[Andyrondack]

Originally Posted by OliveCorduroy

Hello,

So with chord changes down with decent competency, I have decided to continue by focusing my efforts on technique…I want to embellish the chord changes with some different techniques that I think would enhance my playing and I see bass note strumming, bass runs, walk ups, and walk downs as a way to do this…this seems like a logical step…not only do those kinds of things sound really interesting to me, it is something that has always seemed fun to be able to do…is this a good approach?

With that said, how do I get there?

Thanks,
George

You need to be aware which is the first beat of a bar. With your bass runs you should be targeting a chord tone to arrive on the first beat.

I am a beginner and in about the same place. I want some cool tricks to use between simple chord changes, too. I have been watching video tutorials on how to get the notes you need from the scales that the chords come from. There are different patterns you can use, the easiest is to walk up or down the two or three notes before or after the chord. Like if you're changing from D--> G, you can walk "up" D, E, F then hit the G chord. It takes a little fiddling around to make it work with the beat and the lyrics. I'm sure I'm not explaining this well, but the main idea is the notes you need will be in the scale from which the chord originates.

FWIW.

[reeve21]

https://www.jeffreypepperrodgers.com/beyond-strumming/

[SCVJ]

Ideally, you want to learn how to do what you describe in all the common keys.

But, in bluegrass even the best players typically use a capo to change keys since the iconic runs and licks work so well using the standard open chord shapes for the key of G. This isn't done as much in other genres, however, so you eventually have to learn it for the other keys.


John Prine said something like "Thank God someone invented the capo, otherwise all these songs would be in G"

[mawmow]

I was there some fifteen years ago and…
was caught by the fingerstyle !
Play your guitar, man !

[Riverwolf]

When in your shoes I chose Carter style lessons.
Not really my fave style of music but it really helped.
Some of those songs I still play today.

https://musicwithryan.com/

[OliveCorduroy]

Originally Posted by mawmow

I was there some fifteen years ago and…
was caught by the fingerstyle !
Play your guitar, man !

Originally Posted by Riverwolf

When in your shoes I chose Carter style lessons.
Not really my fave style of music but it really helped.
Some of those songs I still play today.

https://musicwithryan.com/

Fingerstyle or Carter-style?…both seem like great places to go at this juncture…I’m going to guess that there aren’t many words of wisdom to help me figure this one out now…it’s up to me at this point

[srick]

George - One of the best instructional series on the subject is the 'Flatpicking Essentials' books by Dan Miller. They are full of graded instructions on exactly this: bass runs, chord changes and fill licks. I return to the books several times a year to work on my technique.

Rick

[tbirdman]

My instructor from the local community college as taught me walkups and walk downs. I have found a few of them on the internet them for songs like I Walk The Line and Sitting on the Dock of the Bay.

This fall semester she will be teaching a flat picking class for bluegrass and country which includes walk ups and walk downs.

I love the addition of walk ups/downs to a lot of songs.