These two videos show how I use my strumming hand to dampen the strings. This is one of the most important features of my style; this technique adds greatly to the rhythmic patterns that I use.




This is one of my favourite rhythmic patterns in 4/4 (reel) time. The accented beats are 1, the + of 2 and beat 4. Notice the effect of the dampening technique.
 

Here is a pattern that accents all the +'s. The strong beats in 4/4 time are the 1 and 3 but occasionally players will accent beats 2 and 4 in a "Boom-chick" style. Accenting the +'s is taking the rhythmic possibilities one stage further.
 

Here is a simple reel rhythm. It is important to notice the effect of the balance between the quarter and eighth notes. The amount of eighth notes should be a conscious choice; try building up the amount of eighth notes from this pattern to notice the effect. I am accenting the + of 4 to give the pattern an extra impetus.
 

Here is a basic jig pattern. Beat 2 is omitted in each bar. This means that I play Down-Rest-Down, Down-Up-Down.
 

Here is an example of how the dampening technique can be employed in 6/8 (jig) time.
 

A slip jig is in 9/8 time. I use a down/up/down, down/up/down, down/up/down strumming action. You tap your foot three times per bar on beats 1, 4 and 7 and I do a double down each time: even if you don't normally do the double down (i.e. in 6/8 play down/up/down, up/down/up) you would still need to play a double down at the end of each bar because of the nine beats per bar.

 


Here I am accenting beat 3 in 6/8 time

 


Here I have moved the accent to beat 6

 


Here beat 2 is accented; this is a much less common option.

 


Here is an equally uncommon pattern that emphasizes beat 5. This pattern might be used to create rhythmic tension at the end of a part, which is then resolved by a straight pattern at the start of the next part.

 

Try mixing these by accenting beats 3 and 6 in a pattern and by accenting beats 2 and 5 in a pattern. The first works well in "swingy" tunes. The second is a good method of creating rhythmic tension.


We have already seen how to dampen with the strumming hand. Here you can see that the chord hand is also dampening to add to the rhythmic effect.




There are three techniques used in this video clip. Both hands are dampening and I am sliding from the first to the second chord.