Ok, in this step we’re going to make things a little harder. Instead of resting in between the notes, we’re going to give the strings a gentle slap on the 2nd and 4th beats.
To break this down for you, play the A string on beat one, slap the strings on beat two, play the low E string on beat three, slap the strings on beat 4, and repeat over and over.
It doesn’t have to be a slap of the strings, you could simply pluck the open strings with a heavy mute. Whatever you want to do. The goal is to provide percussive element without having to worry about what notes to fret.
See the little “x” on the B, G, and D strings. This is signifying the percussive strum that I’m talking about. We don’t want any notes to sound out during this part. We want more of a drum-like sound.
Keeping Time…
Keep tapping your foot while you’re playing the exercise. You can also count along- especially at first. Try the exercise at different speeds. What’s important is that once you pick a tempo that you stick to that tempo. Try not to rush or drag. That tapping foot should help keep you in line:
Try This…
Don’t get stuck just doing it one way. Try it on the D and A strings, too:
