Strumming in 6/8 time

[michelew]

Hi TG-ers (which my iPad wants to correct to tigers grrrrrrrr )

I have question to add to the discussion about time signatures, specifically 6/8.

I've been playing 'Can't Help Falling in Love'. It's in 6/8. The most prominent rhythm in the recording I have comes from the piano playing arpeggios. This lends itself well to fingerpicking each of the strings in a simplified arpeggio style, one note per eighth note.

I've also been trying to strum it (on my 6-string uke) and I find myself mostly playing down strokes on the eighth notes and some down ups and missed strums of course. But, it feels too fast and too energetic and it's quite different from the feeling that you get from the arpeggio approach. So for this song I guess fingerpicking is the better approach. House of the Rising Sun is another 6/8 song that is also mostly played arpeggiated.

But my question to you is this, when strumming in 6/8, do you normally play a down stroke for each eighth note (because the beat is an eighth note)?

I hope this makes sense.

Shel

[tovo]

A downstroke on every eight note?

Sure!

And for ´Can´t help falling in love´, i did record this with Corina remember? (four-chord-songs thread?)

Nessa

[willem]

Hi Michele,I think this a good question,,when I strum for example ''the house of the rising sun'' or ''norwegian wood'' I try D-DU-D-D-D-D so th downup are 16th notes.

I guess you can do the downup on any place you want,,don't know if this answers your question,I also don't know how the tempo is from your song..

here's my strumming B)





Edit: oeps I guess the strum is not right for your song or.....? we wait for Nesh

[michelew]

nesh16041972 wrote:

And for ´Can´t help falling in love´, i did record this with Corina remember? (four-chord-songs thread?)


Nessa

Ahhh thanks Nessa. I'll check it out. I'm just being vague. Sorry.

Cool, I'm sure it will all fall into place when I watch you playing it with Corina again.

Thanks

Shel

[michelew]

nesh16041972 wrote:

And for ´Can´t help falling in love´, i did record this with Corina remember? (four-chord-songs thread?)

Nessa

What a great video, hilarious and gorgeous. And very cool. Surprise, surprise.

I'll try and emulate it.

Thanks.

Shel

[willem]

michelew wrote:

nesh16041972 wrote:

A downstroke on every eight note?

Oh absolutely not!

And for ´Can´t help falling in love´, i did record this with Corina remember? (four-chord-songs thread?) And yeah, i did strum it....but more in swing time. And sometimes, oh well....! :S

(I will need to show you I guess)

Nessa

What a great video, hilarious and gorgeous. And the swing time is very cool. Surprise, surprise.

I'll try and emulate it.

Thanks.

Shel

Hi Shel,,I can't find the vid,,,do you have the link..

[reiver]

This is a very good example Willem and you could use it for ´Can´t help falling in love´ as well (I mean, 6/8 is 6/8 right?!), it´s just that the song has a different ´feel´, so I indeed wouldn´t use it for that particular song, but I do for lots of others!

willem wrote:

Hi Michele,I think this a good question,,when I strum for example ''the house of the rising sun'' or ''norwegian wood'' I try D-DU-D-D-D-D so th downup are 16th notes.

I guess you can do the downup on any place you want,,don't know if this answers your question,I also don't know how the tempo is from your song..

here's my strumming B)





Edit: oeps I guess the strum is not right for your song or.....? we wait for Nesh

[michelew]

Willem it's here.

http://www.totallyguitars.com/forum/149 ... =120#93771

Enjoy.

Shel

[michelew]

willem wrote:

Hi Michele,I think this a good question,,when I strum for example ''the house of the rising sun'' or ''norwegian wood'' I try D-DU-D-D-D-D so th downup are 16th notes.

I guess you can do the downup on any place you want,,don't know if this answers your question,I also don't know how the tempo is from your song..

here's my strumming B)





Edit: oeps I guess the strum is not right for your song or.....? we wait for Nesh

Thanks for the example Willem. Your strumming sounded nice.

[dennisg]

The latter part of the Otis Redding song "I've been lovin' you too long" is strummed in 6/8 time.

http://www.totallyguitars.com/forum/149 ... html#95402