Change and chop

The Monroe Brothers

No sooner had I begun to get my head around the alternating bass and strum style, when the penny dropped and I realised that what I should really be attempting for use in sessions and group situations were classic Bluegrass chop chords! And so I found myself relearning everything once again.

Now, at my time in life, I may not develop the agility to play full-on four-finger chops, but three-finger chops, avoiding the open string, should be doable. Fingering apart, making the percussive chop on the offbeat seems relatively straightforward.

Coincidentally I was privileged to chat to an experienced player about styles to use when playing solo, and he suggested playing a bass note on the first beat of the bar and then brushing the rest. This is good news as it essentially combines the two approaches I've already covered. Although it will be the fourth style I've attempted, it should allow me to recover my modest repertoire with a minimal amount of time and effort.