Straight chord strumming is good, but adding a bass note before each chord makes your playing sound like two instruments at once. This technique is used in folk, country, and pop guitar worldwide.
Straight chord backings — playing the chord on every beat — are fine for many tunes, but they can become a little boring if used for every song. You can make your own music more varied and interesting by becoming your own bass player. Instead of playing all strings on every beat, you first pluck a single bass string, then strum the rest of the chord.
The most important bass note for a chord is the note which has the same name as the chord — the root note. For example: the C chord uses C as its bass note (string 5), the F chord uses F (string 4), and the G7 chord uses G (string 6).
Put your fingers in place for a C chord.
The number tells you which string is to be plucked for the bass note. The downward arrow means the thumb or plectrum strokes the rest of the strings in a downward direction. Always finger the chord BEFORE you play the bass note.
In 3/4 time, the pattern is: Bass Note — Chord — Chord. Count 1 (bass), 2 (chord), 3 (chord). Try this with C, F, and G7 chords in sequence. The bass note falls on beat 1, and the chord strokes fall on beats 2 and 3.
In 4/4 time, the pattern is: Bass Note — Chord — Bass Note — Chord. Count 1 (bass), 2 (chord), 3 (bass), 4 (chord). The bass note on beat 3 can be a different string within the chord rather than always the root. This alternate bass technique is the signature sound of folk guitar accompaniment.
If another bass note is needed before changing to the next chord, a different note can be chosen from within the chord. For C chord, alternate between string 5 (C) and string 4 (E). For G7, alternate between string 6 (G) and string 5 (D). This creates a walking bass line that sounds professional and musical.
Everything guitarists ask about this topic
A bass-strum pattern alternates between plucking a single low bass string and strumming the higher strings of a chord. It creates a fuller sound — the bass note anchors the rhythm while the chord strum adds harmony. This technique is fundamental to folk, country, and acoustic pop guitar playing.
The bass note for the C chord is played on string 5 (the A string). This string, when the C chord is fretted, sounds the note C — the root note of the chord. Always finger the full chord shape before plucking the bass string.
The bass-strum technique immediately makes solo guitar playing sound fuller. Instead of strumming all strings on every beat, alternate between plucking one bass string and strumming the treble strings. Adding alternate bass notes (switching between two different bass strings) makes the accompaniment sound even more professional and musical.
Alternate bass means switching between two different bass strings within the same chord on alternating beats. For the C chord, alternate between string 5 (C, beat 1) and string 4 (E, beat 3). This creates a walking bass effect that makes solo guitar accompaniment sound like there is a separate bass player. It is central to Travis picking and country guitar styles.
Start with the C chord and practice the two-beat pattern: pluck string 5, then brush strings 4 to 1. Count 1 (bass) 2 (chord) slowly. Once that is smooth, move to the four-beat pattern with two bass notes. Then try changing from C to G7 and back using the same pattern throughout the change.