Looking For 3/4 Time Arpeggio Picking Patterns

jollyboy

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Hi there,

As the thread title indicates I am looking for suggestions for arpeggio picking patterns in 3/4 time.

I have one that I know already and basically use for pretty much everything waltz-y. I think of it as the 'down-and-back-up-again' pattern. It is the one being demonstrated here by Ukulele Mike. I thlnk it sounds great on things like House Of The Rising Sun and Unchained Melody, but I would really like to learn a couple of alternatives.

The few that I can find online don't seem to incorporate the 4th string, which seems less than ideal to me.

FYI: I am currently teaching myself to play America by Simon & Garfunkel and would really like to find a pattern that works well with that.

Any help greatly appreciated :) Thanks.
 
I don't really know the answer to the question, but that has never stopped me before.

Since there are only three different notes, but six if you double them all--just experiment. Use the example that you already have and just change the notes around until you get a sound that you like. They should all sound all right together.

I'm not exactly sure what the whole thing sounds like though. Are there chord changes? Does that help at all? :eek:ld:
 
Hi there,

As the thread title indicates I am looking for suggestions for arpeggio picking patterns in 3/4 time.

I have one that I know already and basically use for pretty much everything waltz-y. I think of it as the 'down-and-back-up-again' pattern. It is the one being demonstrated here by Ukulele Mike. I thlnk it sounds great on things like House Of The Rising Sun and Unchained Melody, but I would really like to learn a couple of alternatives.

The few that I can find online don't seem to incorporate the 4th string, which seems less than ideal to me.

FYI: I am currently teaching myself to play America by Simon & Garfunkel and would really like to find a pattern that works well with that.

Any help greatly appreciated :) Thanks.

I've just had a dig through my music books ... you've picked an "interesting" tune to learn!!

To my mind, when played on the guitar, the tune basically comprises a descending bass line with a two treble-string arpeggio making up the 1-2-3, the problem being the guitar has a much wider choice of bass notes than the ukulele (as if you didn't know that).

To replicate something of this nature on the ukulele I'd start with a "low-G" instrument and find a set of chord shapes that started halfway up the neck and worked down, playing something like 3-1-2 3-1-2 3-1-2 4-1-2 4-1-2 (or 4-2-3 etc)

Good luck !
 
I don't really know the answer to the question, but that has never stopped me before.

Since there are only three different notes, but six if you double them all--just experiment. Use the example that you already have and just change the notes around until you get a sound that you like. They should all sound all right together.

I appreciate the advice DUD. I would normally just keep playing around and trying to figure something out but I've hit a bit of a wall with this.

Having said that it occurred to me that what I need to do is come up with something that emulates the rhythm of the strumming pattern I've been using (D du du). I'm talking specifically about the Simon & Garfunkel song here.
 
I've just had a dig through my music books ... you've picked an "interesting" tune to learn!!

To my mind, when played on the guitar, the tune basically comprises a descending bass line with a two treble-string arpeggio making up the 1-2-3, the problem being the guitar has a much wider choice of bass notes than the ukulele (as if you didn't know that).

To replicate something of this nature on the ukulele I'd start with a "low-G" instrument and find a set of chord shapes that started halfway up the neck and worked down, playing something like 3-1-2 3-1-2 3-1-2 4-1-2 4-1-2 (or 4-2-3 etc)

Good luck !

Thanks for taking the time to go through your books kypfer - I really appreciate it :)

America is one of my all time favourite songs and definitely my favourite S & G song, even over and above Bridge Over Troubled Water (which, as everyone knows, is one of the greatest songs ever written :)).

Anyway, lots of food for thought in your post. Thanks again for your insight.
 
I don't know if this might work for you but....I use thumb on G then A string, E string, next use thumb on C then A String E string. Of course only works well if you have 2 measures of same chord. Hasn't stopped me using with only one measure though.
 
I don't know if this might work for you but....I use thumb on G then A string, E string, next use thumb on C then A String E string. Of course only works well if you have 2 measures of same chord. Hasn't stopped me using with only one measure though.

Thanks shirley - I occasionally use this pattern in 4/4 for a 'bum ditty' country feel :) I see what you're getting at - slow it down and use it across two measures. Thanks for the tip.

Anyway, I think I may be on to something :) After doodling around for a bit I came up with a pattern that has a similar rhythm to a waltz strum (D du du). It's early days but it seems to be working out okay so far. It also seems to work with Sad Songs & Waltzes (Willie Nelson) which is a song I've had sitting on the back burner for a while (neglected because I couldn't find a pattern I liked for it). So - double whammy :)

Also - apparently America is technically in 6/8 time. One day I hope to truly understand the difference between 3/4 and 6/8. I mean, I sort-of understand the theory but I don't really 'get' exactly what's going on, if you see what I mean ;)

Edit: For anyone interested the pattern is as follows: Count 1 2-and 3-and & play 4th, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 1st. (I'm currently using a wound low-G.)
 
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I sometimes use this pattern to pluck the chords of the song:

A=1
E=2
C=3
G=4
beat= | to |
measure= || to ||

|| 4-2 | 3-1 | 3-2 ||

Each beat gets two notes, one on the down beat and one upbeat, and each three-beat measure has six notes. I suppose it's a little "cookie-cutter" or "all-purpose," but it seems to work well for many 3/4 time songs. It also works for 4/4 time songs if you play the notes as triplets, with each six note cycle equaling two beats.

|| 4-2-3 | 1-3-2 | 4-2-3 | 1-3-2 ||
 
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A way of helping find patterns may be to replace the fret numbers with the actual notes...

Thanks Bill :) I won't claim to fully immediately grasp everything you've written here but I will reread it and study it. Anything which increases my 'under the hood' understanding of how everything fits together re notes and chords (and helps me to better 'map' the fretboard in my head) is always useful and welcome :)

I looked up the wikipeadia thing for "America" it has the story of the lyrics which may be useful to inform a picking pattern and arrangement, it also says that the original was played in Eb in 6/8 time. If this is true, maybe working on a 6/8 arrangement or using a 1 + 2 + 3 + timing (6 half beats vs 3 beats) will be easier to use to find the original authentic sound.

I believe that Eb was Art Garfunkel's preferred key for singing (that's the received wisdom regarding why the final studio version of Bridge Over Troubled Water was recorded in that particular key anyway). I must admit that I've transposed America to C cos, y'know, its easier to play that way :rolleyes:

As for 6/8 - that does appear to be the original time signature. My old faithful 'down and back up' pattern seems to be pretty ubiquitous in this regard. Search '6/8 ukulele picking pattern' and you won't find a whole lot else. But I just don't feel that this pattern sounds so great matched with this song. The pattern Shirley posted can be played 6/8 and sounds better. At the moment I am favouring my homebrewed waltz time pattern.
 
I sometimes use this pattern to pluck the chords of the song:

A=1
E=2
C=3
G=4
beat= | to |
measure= || to ||

|| 4-2 | 3-1 | 3-2 ||

Each beat gets two notes, one on the down beat and one upbeat, and each three-beat measure has six notes. I suppose it's a little "cookie-cutter" or "all-purpose," but it seems to work well for many 3/4 time songs.

Thanks for posting this mds735. I've noodled around a little with your pattern and I do rather like it :)

And "cookie-cutter" is good. At the moment I'm just learning to play the basic chords for America - nothing fancy. Later I can maybe try to 'jazz it up' a bit.

Ultimately I would like to get to where I can play arpeggios and drop in the odd melody note or two (inspired somewhat by Aaron Keim's style of playing - which I think I might describe as 'banjo-esque') but that's really still a long way off. I'm still little more than an 'advanced beginner' at the moment :)
 
If your looking for a picking/strumming pattern for Simon and Garfunkel's "America" check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ninu6q5jc4 ... it doesn't get much more definitive than this performance ... the two singers, Paul on acoustic guitar and a great song :)

You can see the bass progression I mentioned in my previous reply at around 2:20

As for 3/4 or 6/8 ... my 1979 copy of "Paul Simon for Recorder" has it in 3/4 time ... I'm not sure it's that important ;)
 
If your looking for a picking/strumming pattern for Simon and Garfunkel's "America" check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ninu6q5jc4 ... it doesn't get much more definitive than this performance ... the two singers, Paul on acoustic guitar and a great song :)

So I just watched this through half-a-dozen times in a row, mostly just for the sheer pleasure of listening to the performance - but I also did pay some attention to the guitar work. It's interesting to see how PS mixes up the picking and strumming. And to get an idea of all the little fills and flourishes - like that run at 2:20. That's something that will definitely require further study - guess I'll have to watch the clip a few more times :)

Thanks kypfer :)
 
Get three 4-sided dice. One side for each string. Roll for a quarter note pattern. Roll twice for an eighth note pattern. Write down the ones you like the sound of.
 
Get three 4-sided dice. One side for each string. Roll for a quarter note pattern. Roll twice for an eighth note pattern. Write down the ones you like the sound of.

Rolling 4-sided dice might well result in me having a flashback to playing Dungeons & Dragons as a kid in the late 70s :)
 
Peggy Seeger used what she called a "lullaby lick" on the five string banjo, another re-entrant tuned instrument.
_________M____M___
______I_____I_____I_
___T_______________
_________T____T____

If you don't use re-entrant you could play:
______R____R_____
______M____M____
____I____I_____I__
__T______________

Or you could try it with re-entrant
 
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I think arpeggio doesn't work as pattern picking on ukulele because we have only 4 strings and we can not choose root notes as the first note after chord change.
Just try the sheet music below by your favorite patterns.

azfns7.png


We need D tone first on the red circled D7. Some case really require root notes on the first tone after chord change like this.

I think we can play Amazing Grace on the key of C, when we start arpeggio from 4th string. Because it gives G note on G chord in red circled location.
 
Peggy Seeger used what she called a "lullaby lick" on the five string banjo, another re-entrant tuned instrument.

Thanks for the tip Jim. I've been listening to clips of her on Youtube (I hadn't really paid her much attention before). I really like her playing - good stuff :)
 
Here's Peggy Seeger's "lullaby lick" in two four or four four time:

_________M____
______I_____I__
___T__________
_________T____

or
______R____
______M____
____I____I__
__T________
 
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