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Syncopated strums on tenor banjo
You can get the syncopated sound of ukulele split stroke on the tenor banjo.
Here is the tab of the frailing pattern on DGdg banjo, discussed on the Frailing page.
g------0-0-----0-0-|-
d------0-------0---|-
G--0---0-------0---|-
D----------0-------|-
| |_| | |_|
T R I T R I
count:
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
| LISTEN
|
There are many ways how to alter this basic right hand pattern T_RIT_RI.
You can add the index up-picking to all &'s:
TIRITIRI
g----0-0-0---0-0-0-|-
d------0-------0---|-
G--0---0-------0---|-
D----------0-------|-
|_|_|_| |_|_|_|
T I R I T I R I
count:
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
You can shift the brush ahead in the second half of the measure:
T_RITR_I
g------0-0---0---0-|-
d------0-----0-----|-
G--0---0-----0-----|-
D----------0-------|-
| |_| |_| _|
T R I T R I
count:
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
| LISTEN (one measure normal, one syncopated, all this twice)
|
You can shift the second thumb stroke to the following &:
T_RI_TRI
g------0-0-----0-0-|-
d------0-------0---|-
G--0---0-------0---|-
D------------0-----|-
| |_| _| |_|
T R I T R I
count:
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
| LISTEN
|
You can omit the pauses at all and play something what would remind the Scruggsy forward rolls:
TRITRITI
g----0-0---0-0---0-|-
d----0-----0-------|-
G--0-0-----0---0---|-
D--------0---------|-
|_|_|_| |_|_|_|
T R I T R I T I
count:
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
| LISTEN
|
TITRITRI
g----0---0-0---0-0-|-
d--------0-----0---|-
G--0-----0---0-0---|-
D------0-----------|-
|_|_|_| |_|_|_|
T I T R I T R I
count:
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
| LISTEN
|
TRITITRI
g----0-0---0---0-0-|-
d----0---------0---|-
G--0-0-------0-0---|-
D--------0---------|-
|_|_|_| |_|_|_|
T R I T I T R I
count:
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
| LISTEN
|
You can try two-measure continuous pattern with the second measure starting with index finger:
TRITRITR|ITRITR_I
g----0-0---0-0---0-|-0---0-0---0---0-|-
d----0-----0-----0-|-----0-----0-----|-
G--0-0-----0-----0-|---0-0-----0-----|-
D--------0-----0---|---------0-------|-
|_|_|_| |_|_|_| |_|_|_| |_| _|
T R I T R I T R I T R I T R I
count:
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
| LISTEN
|
Another two-measure continuous pattern is shown at the end of this YouTube video :
T_RITRIT|RITRITRI
g------0-0---0-0---|-0-0---0-0---0-0-|-
d------0-----0-----|-0-----0-----0---|-
G--0---0-----0-----|-0---0-0-----0---|-
D----------0-----0-|-----------0-----|-
| |_| |_|_|_| |_|_|_| |_|_|_|
T R I T R I T R I T R I T R I
count:
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
You can also add your MIDDLE FINGER to the pattern, to get quick burst of three strums. Try this example (with all your fingerpicks on place, M and I do upbrush, Ring fingernail does downbrush). The R I M strokes should be heard as quick, but separated.
-0---0-0-0---0-0|0---0-0-0---0--|
-0---0-0-0---0-0|0---0-0-0---0--|
-0---0-0-0---0-0|0---0-0-0---0--|
| |_| | |_| | |_| | |
I R I M R I M R I M R
-1---1-1-1---1-1|1---1-1-3---1--|
-1---1-1-1---1-1|1---1-1-3---1--|
-1---1-1-1---1-1|1---1-1-3---1--|
| |_| | |_| | |_| | |
I R I M R I M R I M R
There are just three strings shown, but of course you will barre all four.
The above shown pattern with eight notes before odd beat
quarter notes (RI before M) can be practiced in these steps:
1) Quarter note strum played by index fingerpick upbrush
and ring fingernail downbrush
-0---0---0---0--|
-0---0---0---0--| repeat
-0---0---0---0--|
| | | |
I R I R
2) Second quarter note (R) is replaced by two eight notes (R, I)
followed by third quarter note, which is played by middle
fingerpick upbrush instead of index finger
-0---0-0-0---0--|
-0---0-0-0---0--| repeat
-0---0-0-0---0--|
| |_| | |
I R I M R
3) Note that if the odd beat is preceded by quarter note R,
it is played by I
-0---0-0-0---0--|0---0-0-0---0--|
-0---0-0-0---0--|0---0-0-0---0--| repeat
-0---0-0-0---0--|0---0-0-0---0--|
| |_| | | | |_| | |
I R I M R I R I M R
4) However if the odd beat is preceded by two eight notes R I,
it is played by M
-0---0-0-0---0-0|0---0-0-0---0--|
-0---0-0-0---0-0|0---0-0-0---0--| repeat
-0---0-0-0---0-0|0---0-0-0---0--|
| |_| | |_| | |_| | |
I R I M R I M R I M R
5/4 RHYTHM can be strummed by several patterns, e.g.:
a) TIRIM (thumbpick down, indexpick up, ringnail down, indexpick up, middlepick up)
b) TITRI and its rotation TRITI
Especially in the latter two patterns one has to stick with 5/4 rhythm in mind and not to slip to 6/4 rhythm by playing T-ITRI or TRIT-I. Other way round - all these 5/4 patterns can work in 6/4 rhythm by adding a pause after some note (try to place the pause to different positions in the measure).
Here is rhythm excercise which keeps regular first beat with thumb and fills the (equally long) measures with different number of brushes (without pauses). Of course the measures could be chained in whatever way.
-------I-----|----R---I---|---R--I--M-|--I-R-I-M-|-
-------I-----|----R---I---|---R--I--M-|--I-R-I-M-|-
--T----------|T-----------|T----------|T---------|-
You can develop the fluency of the 5/4 TIRIM pattern also through the 4/4 TIRI pattern (thumbpick down, indexpick up, ringnail down, indexpick up), to which you add the upbrush by middle fingerpick:
-|---I--R--I-|--I-R-I-M-|-
-|---I--R--I-|--I-R-I-M-|-
-|T----------|T---------|-
Or, back to the 4/4 rhythm, you can switch between TIRI and TRIM patterns:
-|---I--R--I-|---R--I--M-|-
-|---I--R--I-|---R--I--M-|-
-|T----------|T----------|-
TRIM PATTERN can be practiced also with pauses on different places of the pattern:
-|----R-I|M-----R|I---M--|R---I-M|-
-|T---R-I|M---T-R|I---M-T|R---I-M|-
-|T---R-I|M---T-R|I---M-T|R---I-M|-
-|T------|----T--|------T|-------|-
If you master the RIM burst, you can basically add it anywhere in the simple patterns above by changing RI into RIM. Here is example of altering the basic bum ditty pattern to bum didlitty:
g------0-0-----000-|-
d------0-0-----000-|-
G--0---0-------0---|-
D----------0-------|-
| |_| | |||
T R I T RIM
count:
1 & 2 & 3 & 4a&
Note - do not practice these syncopated measures only, but also your ability to get back to the basic rhythm.