Play Scratch Rhythms on the Backbeat
A great way to add a percussive pop to your rhythm patterns is to play scratch rhythms on beats two and four of each measure, simulating the sound of a backbeat snare drum.
Andrew DuBrock
Singer-songwriter Andrew DuBrock was the music editor for Acoustic Guitar from 1999 to 2007 and wrote the popular book + video guide Acoustic Rock Basics.
A Classic Blues Rhythm Pattern
Blues and rock are two styles that are heavily intertwined, and the rhythm pattern in Example 3 instills more of a bluesy sound into your rhythm simply because it’s a common rhythm pattern in blues tunes.
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Review: Fender Passport Mini Portable Amp
With a dedicated guitar channel featuring three types of guitar modeling and four electric amp models, along with a separate vocal input, and a 1/8-inch input for CD or MP3 players, the Passport Mini offers a ton of flexibility within its diminutive 7.25-pound package
Play Leads with Major Scales
If you’ve explored my Acoustic Rock Basics lesson “Soloing with Pentatonic Scales,” you’ll notice that the major scale encompasses the major pentatonic and adds two more notes: the fourth and seventh of the key.
Add Fingerpicking Fills to Melody Lines
The goal of good fingerpicking accompaniment is to support the song you’re playing the best you can.
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Piano-Ballad Style Fingerpicking Pattern
Monotonic-bass fingerpicking, in which your thumb keeps playing the same bass note instead of alternating between two or three notes, is common in acoustic blues but works great in folk and rock, too.
Rock Fingerpicking Pattern in 6/8 Time
Example 2 shows a pattern in 6/8 time, the way many players interpret the traditional classic “House of the Rising Sun.”
DigiTech Vocalist Live3 and TC Helicon VoiceLive Touch Review
These two new auto-harmony devices not only provide more power, but are easier to use and better organized.
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Learn to Navigate the Minor-Pentatonic Scale
Five patterns can unlock the fingerboard for both the minor- and major-pentatonic scale.
Here’s How to Break Up Easy Chords to Create Rock Riffs
Many of the best licks and riffs by artists like the Beatles and Neil Young are really just made up of bits and pieces of easy chord shapes. You can use these same basic chord shapes to create cool riffs for your own songs.
Use Sus4 Chords in Your Acoustic Rock Compositions
A sus4 (or “suspended fourth”) chord substitutes the fourth note of the chord’s corresponding scale for that all-important third.
