BS-502 • Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash

[thisisnotaname]

Here's my question:
After he plays the 6th and 5th strings, he says "then play the thinner strings" but he doesn't actually say which ones. So for E, do I hit the 6th string, and then strum the 5th through 1st, or do I skip the 5th string this time, and only play it when I hit it by itself, followed by strumming 4th through 1st? I'm wondering about this for each of the chords used. Just so this is clear, I'll make a tab and hope it comes out right.
So do I basically play:

--0-0-----0-0
--0-0-----0-0
--1-1-----1-1
--2-------2----
--2----2------
0- ---------

or

--0-0-----0-0
--0-0-----0-0
--1-1-----1-1
--2-------2----
-------2------
0- ---------

And likewise for A and B7.

I'm leaning toward thinking that he skips the 5th string when playing the 6th, but then it would no longer be an E, A, and B7, and I would think he would mention that.

Anyone know for sure? Thanks!

[stitch101]

I'm leaning toward thinking that he skips the 5th string when playing the 6th,

This gives you a more defined bass note by only playing the E then the B the next time. You can play
just the 123 strings or the 1234 strings after, which every you think sounds better.

but then it would no longer be an E, A, and B7, and I would think he would mention that.

What make the chords is three notes For E it's E G# B By alternating the bass note you are still playing
the notes E G# and B so your still playing an E Chord same with the other two chords but the B has
a 7 but I don't think your ready for a bunch of theory at this point and theory isn't my strong suit.

[TB-AV]

Anyone know for sure? Thanks!

Playing the alternating bass in folk/country is very popular if that is what you are asking. You can get by without it. Some will ask it of you. Others will demand it.

So it's low string note then strum, next lower string note, then strum.. repeat.

---0-----0------------
0-----0----------------

chords in between those notes.

[thisisnotaname]

I'm leaning toward thinking that he skips the 5th string when playing the 6th,

This gives you a more defined bass note by only playing the E then the B the next time. You can play
just the 123 strings or the 1234 strings after, which every you think sounds better.

but then it would no longer be an E, A, and B7, and I would think he would mention that.

What make the chords is three notes For E it's E G# B By alternating the bass note you are still playing
the notes E G# and B so your still playing an E Chord same with the other two chords but the B has
a 7 but I don't think your ready for a bunch of theory at this point and theory isn't my strong suit.

Thank you very much! This is exactly what I was looking for.

[Publius]

I am on the consolidation phase of the beginner's course and am working my way back through the songbook. 

I play an electric and I struggled mightily with Justin's strumming instructions.  I then switched over to Dario Cortese's lesson for electrics and things almost immediately fell into place for me.

I don't know if it's an issue of not having a softer pick or whether strumming is just fundamentally different on an acoustic as opposed to an electric.   

[Rowly]

Hello folks,
I am struggling to keep the High E (1st string) free when using my thumb to mute the Low E (6th).  It keeps getting muted by the fleshy pad on my palm at he base of my index.  I can't seem to find a finger position that avoids it.
Whilst I have fairly big hands I have shortish thumbs.
Do I just live with it?  Or am I doing something fundamentally wrong?
Rowly

[bluemusicnut]

When Justin play the A chord he mutes the e string with his left thumb.  but when he plays B7 he mutes with his middle finger.  Is there any reason not to mute the e string with the thumb for both chords?

thank you,

[stitch101]

You can mute the E string what ever way is easiest for you. If the thumb works best then use your thumb.
I very seldom mute strings when I was first learning accuracy with the picking hand was taught over muting

[leb1996]

Hey guys! I'm pretty much getting the basic alternate bass picking down. But what I'm having trouble understanding is the purpose of muting. For example, when I hit the 5th I'm muting the 6th. But I'm not hitting the 6th? I am hitting the 5th. So why would I mute a string I'm not hitting? He says it "defines the bass" which I can hear when he play, but I don't understand how if I am muting a string that is not being hit.  Thanks and sorry to post on a forum that hasn't been hit up in a while!

[stitch101]

You don't need to mute strings if you are accurate and miss the E string. I personally almost never
find the need to mute the E string. Like you I just don't hit it when it's not needed.

There are times that you may need to mute the E string so it is a good thing to learn.
But I think accuracy is a more important skill and you seem to have mastered that.

[SiegeFrog]

But what I'm having trouble understanding is the purpose of muting. For example, when I hit the 5th I'm muting the 6th. But I'm not hitting the 6th? I am hitting the 5th. So why would I mute a string I'm not hitting? He says it "defines the bass" which I can hear when he play, but I don't understand how if I am muting a string that is not being hit.

I think what he's going for is really necessary for open strings.  Think of it this way, you play the E chord with the bass note on the open E string, then you play the bass note on the A string 2nd fret. The problem is that the open E string is still ringing which muddies up the sound of the new bass note on the A string. However, if you mute the E string when you alternate the bass note to the A string you solve the problem. Similarly, for the other chords. With some of them though, what you get is more separation in pitch between the bass note and the treble strings (i.e. the boom is separate from the chick-a).

[leb1996]

Thank you both so much! That was super informative and helpful. Both of your answers made a lot of sense. I just wanted to understand it before I was just mindlessly learning something. Thanks a ton!

[randomlock]

Hello . For Boom chika strumming , when up strumming do i just hit the thinnest string ( high E) or just like i normally do up strumming hitting 3-4 string  ?

[stitch101]

You can do either or both which ever sounds better to you.

[Badger_5]

Hi all. Sorry if this is already covered in the thread, but I've read through and I'm still not certain. Just to clarify when it comes to the bass note and strum:

• With the E-chord I hit the 6th string and then strum the lighter strings; and
• With the A-chord and B7 I hit the 5th string and then strum the lighter strings?

[JetCityCobra]

Hi all. Sorry if this is already covered in the thread, but I've read through and I'm still not certain. Just to clarify when it comes to the bass note and strum:

• With the E-chord I hit the 6th string and then strum the lighter strings; and
• With the A-chord and B7 I hit the 5th string and then strum the lighter strings?

That's right!  With the E chord, the Root of the chord is the E string, so hitting that by itself anchors the down, up.  On the B7 chord since you're muting the E string, the Root of B7 is B; which is the 2nd fret of the 5th string. (If you use a capo, nothing changes in the way you play it)

Hope that clears things up for you!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Badger_5]

That's right!  With the E chord, the Root of the chord is the E string, so hitting that by itself anchors the down, up.  On the B7 chord since you're muting the E string, the Root of B7 is B; which is the 2nd fret of the 5th string. (If you use a capo, nothing changes in the way you play it)

Hope that clears things up for you!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, thank you! 

As an aside - I've grown accustomed to playing the A-chord with the three finger semi-barre, as I find it hard to play with the three finger configuration that's first taught on the beginners course. However, this doesn't work so well when muting the E-string at the same time.

Has anyone else had the same problem?

[Timc]

Hello, not sure if thread resurrection or new topic is the preferred approach, so please forgive the bump.

Having been trying to get this strumming pattern right for ages (a couple of weeks, feels like years) and so I decided to leave it and instead have a go at the Dario Cortese electric part Justin mentions. Weirdly something just really clicked despite my initially thinking "oh no, this is even worse".

I think it's the combination of the 3 string muted riff with pick-down-up-up-down pattern at one point in the solo; just working on that, perhaps focused on fewer strings, and the clouds suddenly parted.

If anyone else is stuck, give it a go!

[rotograv]

Hi – 3 quick questions about this song.

• I am practicing very slowly with a metronome, but want to make sure I have the correct time signature. I am using 4 beats per bar, (60BPM at the moment). Currently doing all down strums, with alternating bass. Is this a 4/4 song? Or am i supposed to be doing triplets like other blues?

•Would anyone recommend planting pinky on guitar face for more accuracy in hitting bass notes? Or will that be impossible when more speed is added? I'm having trouble seeing how someone could pick out the bass notes that fast, while not looking, and the guitar moving (when performing for instance).

•When alternating the bass notes in the A. I understand middle finger muting the 5th string, but do you also use thumb to mute 6th string?

Thank you!