Let’s take a look at counting quarter notes in a measure of 4/4 time.
1 2 3 4
Now, let’s do 8th notes.
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and
The numbers (1234) are the downbeats, the “and’s” are the upbeats.
As guitarist, this is a great place to play because most of the time the drums and bass are laying down the downbeat, leaving the upbeats wide open to fill.
If you are just learning about this type of rhythm, a great place to start is with Reggae as the guitars are generally always playing on the upbeat.
In this lesson, I’ll show you two very basic chord shapes and then we will use those shapes to play two different Reggae parts.
As always, the practice tracks are free and I value your feedback on these lessons.
Thank you, Joe
