Johnny Cash. Folsom Prison Blues. Introduction
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Learning to strum is one of the first hurdles beginners will need to overcome. It can prove to be a frustration of many a guitarist , so it is always beneficial to keep such lessons interesting by learning patterns to specific songs. This particular strumming pattern is relatively easy to play, employs a couple of interesting techniques and, most of all is lively and fun!
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Folsom Prison Blues is an archetypal Johnny Cash rhythm and is there to hear on many of his classic recordings. It is a simple down, down up pattern played at a relatively high tempo, although not all the strings are always played and, to emphasise the rhythm, you can employ a softening technique with your left hand so the notes do not sound. This creates a percussive-type sound which gives the pattern a level of distinctiveness. Not playing all the notes of a chord is a common technique employed by rhythm guitarists and it is worth trying this out for other patterns. Want to see more? Have a look at the video.
The Chords
Chord diagrams are taken from the Guitar Toolkit App. Click on one of the images for more details of this App.