Eighth-Note Pulse

Lesson

Two notes per click

Eighth-note pulse — playing on the click and halfway between clicks — is the most common bass rhythm in rock and pop. It drives the song forward without getting busy.

Setup

• Metronome at 80 BPM.
• Play the open A on every "1, &, 2, &, 3, &, 4, &" — eight notes per bar.
• Use index-middle alternation in the plucking hand. Don't double up on either finger.

Watch your dynamics

The "and" notes — the off-beats — should be the same volume as the down-beat notes. Most beginners hit the down-beats hard and let the off-beats fade. Even those out and you'll sound twice as professional.

Build endurance

This pattern at 90 BPM for three minutes is roughly the workload of one rock song. If your forearm fatigues, you're either gripping too tight or your plucking-hand motion is too big. Pull the pluck closer to the string. Let it swing.