Many a talented thumb has held down the rhythm for countless rock, pop, and country songs using a technique called “alternating-bass fingerpicking.” This method—in which you use your thumb to alternate between different bass notes—works great as a rolling rhythmic foundation for songs, and it has also been used by such guitarists as Chet Atkins and Jorma Kaukonen to create upbeat solo guitar pieces. The ’60s wouldn’t have been the same without Simon and Garfunkel, and many of their tunes provide great examples of alternating-bass fingerpicking. “The Boxer,” “Homeward Bound,” and “Kathy’s Song” feature this technique. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to get the essential alternating-bass pattern under your fingers.
Combine Thumb and Fingers
Many fingerpickers start by assigning each picking-hand finger to one of the top three strings and repeating a rolling pattern while playing bass notes on the bottom three strings with the thumb, as in Example 1 . The p , m , i , and a abbreviations represent Spanish-named fingerings: pulgar (thumb), indice (index), medio (middle), and anular (ring). In Example 1, your thumb stays on the low E string, as it does on the most basic fingerpicking patterns. Alternating-bass fingerpicking puts your thumb on double duty, requiring it to alternate between strings, as in Example 2 . Spend some time with this example before moving on, and slow it down if you need to. It’s important to get the thumb comfortable with alternating strings before you add anything else. Once you have this groove under your fingers, it should thump along like a chugging train, keeping rock-steady rhythm. This rhythmic drive is part of what makes alternating-bass fingerpicking so effective for accompanying songs.
Now it’s time to add your picking fingers. Example 3 shows a common pattern, with your thumb playing every beat, and your index finger playing the third string on every offbeat. This may seem tricky at first, but it will help if you think about alternating notes between your thumb and index finger at a very slow tempo. Count “one-and two-and three-and four-and” as you play, and your index finger will be plucking notes every time you say “and.” Break out the metronome if you’re having trouble keeping a solid beat. Once you have Example 3 under your fingers, add your middle picking finger to the mix. Example 4 shows a pattern similar to example 3 that adds the middle finger on the second string.
The patterns we’ve just learned allow you to play a ton of songs, but let’s add one more wrinkle. If you use your thumb to choose from three strings instead of two, you add another range of possibilities. Example 5 shows one way to do this on an E chord by using your picking-hand thumb to alternate between the sixth and fourth strings in the first half of the measure and between the fifth and fourth strings during the second half of the measure. Notice how this changes the sound of the pattern: the previous patterns repeated themselves every two beats, whereas this modified alternating bass takes four beats. The new sequence of bass notes also adds a different color to the fingerpicking pattern by creating a sense of motion—it sounds like things are rolling forward, rather than just rocking between root notes.
Apply more fingerpicking patterns to chords and progressions in Andrew DuBrock’s complete “Alternating-Bass Fingerpicking” download available below. Includes video and a complete song in the style of Paul Simon.
This instructional guide teaches you how to get your picking-hand thumb and fingers working independently to play easy alternating-bass accompaniment patterns.
Download this Acoustic Guitar Guide including video and written instruction now!
Includes:
14 minutes of video instruction.
Practical advice on training your thumb to hold down a steady rhythm.
How to play alternating bass patterns on open-position chords.
Tab, music, and lyrics for a full song “The Troubador.”
Andrew DuBrock is a freelance writer, transcriber, and musician in Portland, Oregon.
