The alternating bass has an entirely different feel and stylistic bent compared with the constant bass in the last lesson, yet they are totally related to each other, and can even be interchangeable.
This relationship between the two styles will be shown and demonstrated in this lesson. The alternating bass lick also evokes a style of picking called “Travis” picking, which was originally created by the great Merle Travis and carried on by legendary Gibson artist Chet Atkins.
In this style, I’ll show you how to “heel-damp” the bass notes so as to create an ever broader separation between the bass and lead notes. All of these ideas will use the thumb and three-finger approach.—Arlen Roth
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