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Lesson 1 of 4

The eighth-note chug

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Steady eighth notes on a power chord are the engine of rock rhythm guitar. This lesson is in A minor with three three-note power chords: A5 (root on the low E string, fret 5), F5 (fret 1) and G5 (fret 3).

Fingering and picking

Index on the root, ring finger and pinky on the two notes two frets up on the A and D strings. Play every eighth note as a downstroke from the wrist, with your palm lightly muting near the bridge.

It should sound like a steady train: every strum the same length, the same volume, locked to the click. Don't accent anything yet. The groove comes from consistency.

Most common mistake: rushing the chord changes. Players often cut the last strum short to get to the next chord early. Keep your hand strumming in time and let the fretting hand catch up; it will after a few loops.

Practice the single chord first until your arm can do 8 downstrokes per bar at 130 bpm for a minute without tensing. If your forearm burns, drop 10 bpm and relax your shoulder.

Exercises

Eight even downstrokes on A5

80 → 130 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    2. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    3. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    4. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    5. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    6. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    7. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    8. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

A5, F5, G5 in steady eighths

80 → 130 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    2. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    3. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    4. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    5. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    6. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    7. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    8. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
  2. Bar 2
    1. low E string, fret 1 + A string, fret 3 + D string, fret 3
    2. low E string, fret 1 + A string, fret 3 + D string, fret 3
    3. low E string, fret 1 + A string, fret 3 + D string, fret 3
    4. low E string, fret 1 + A string, fret 3 + D string, fret 3
    5. low E string, fret 1 + A string, fret 3 + D string, fret 3
    6. low E string, fret 1 + A string, fret 3 + D string, fret 3
    7. low E string, fret 1 + A string, fret 3 + D string, fret 3
    8. low E string, fret 1 + A string, fret 3 + D string, fret 3
  3. Bar 3
    1. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5
    2. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5
    3. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5
    4. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5
    5. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5
    6. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5
    7. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5
    8. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5
  4. Bar 4
    1. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    2. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    3. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    4. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    5. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5
    6. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5
    7. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5
    8. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Three-three-two accents

80 → 130 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7, accented
    2. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    3. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    4. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7, accented
    5. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    6. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
    7. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7, accented
    8. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 7
  2. Bar 2
    1. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5, accented
    2. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5
    3. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5
    4. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5, accented
    5. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5
    6. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5
    7. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5, accented
    8. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Checkpoint

Move on when you can do all of these.

  • Every downstroke the same volume, 4 loops at 130 bpm
  • Changes land without a gap or an extra strum
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