2. Tablas Múltiples 33
2.7. Comparación de los métodos expuestos
2.7.6. Calidad de la representación
&
B
# 44 œ
3
œ œ œ
p
3 0
3 0
G
Ex. 1
3
œ
2œ œ œ
3 2 3 2
C
œ œ
2œ œ
0 2 0 2
D
œ œ œ œ
3 0
3 0
G
œ œ œ œ
3 2 3 2
C
œ œ œ œ
3 0
3 0
G
œ œ œ œ
0 2 0 2
D
œ Œ Ó
3
G
Now that the thumb is getting used to moving from string to string, let’s integrate the notes played with the fingers into the pattern. In Example 2, use the fingers i, m, and a for strings 3, 2, and 1, respectively; use p for strings 6, 5, and 4 and for the third string on the D chords. Note that the bass notes have down stems and the rest are up stems.
That helps separate the two parts visually, and often, as in this case, determines which notes are played with the thumb and which are played with the fingers.
The fretting hand is playing a chord progression that changes on the downbeat of every measure. As with arpeggios, the notes of an alternating-bass pattern are generally allowed to ring beyond their written value for the duration of the chord being played. As we shall soon see, this is not always the case with the bass notes. But for the moment, try to hold the fretting-hand fingers in position for the entire duration of the measure before changing chords, and reset the picking-hand fingers on the strings at the beginning of each new chord. Some changes make that difficult. Note that in measures 3 and 7, there is a rest on the beat four-and, allowing the third finger to release the note D and make the chord change from D to G easier. This is not unusual, and it doesn’t impact the rhythm significantly. In fact, it sometimes puts a desirable “breath” in the music—espe-cially in this part of the chord progression where the turnaround V chord (D) resolves to the tonic (G).
Note that a D7 chord at the beginning of measure 7 changes to a normal D chord in the second half of the measure, making for a more final-sounding resolution to the last chord, G. To do this, you need to use the fretting-hand fingering given.
&
B
# 44 ‰ œ jœ jœ œ jœ
œ
3œ œ œ
0 0
0 0
p i m i m
3 0
3 0
p p
Ex. 2
G
‰ œ
1jœ jœ œ jœ œ
3œ
2œ œ
0 1
0 1
3 2
3 2
simile
C ‰ œ œ œ
3 1 2jœ œ œ jœ œ ‰
3 2
3
0 2
0 2
D ‰ œ
4jœ jœ œ jœ
œ œ œ œ
0
3 0
0 3
0 3
0
G
& #
5
‰ œ jœ jœ œ jœ
œ œ œ œ
C
‰ œ jœ jœ œ jœ
œ œ œ œ
G
‰ œ
1 3jœ jœ œ
4‰
œ œ
2œ œ
2
D D
7œœœ œ Œ Ó
3
G
In Example 3 the alternating-bass pattern in Example 2 has been elaborated by alternating the pitches on beats one and three without changing the pitches played on beats two and four (resulting in an a–b–c–b type pattern). Note that sometimes the pitch on the third beat is between that of beats one and two (as in measures 1, 4, 5, and 6). At other times the pitch of beat three is below beats two and four (as in measures 2, 3, and 7). These variations in pitch function like slash chords (see “Chord Voicings”) and give greater contour to the bass line.
Accents
Placing an accent on a downbeat, backbeat, or upbeat can completely change the inten-tion of the same sequence of notes. It’s important to train the fingers to deliver accents when and where they are called for in the music, rather than letting habit dictate their placement.
In Example 3, an accent mark, graphically represented by the symbol >, has been placed below the bass notes on beats one and three of each measure. Those are the strong beats of the alternating-bass pattern—the ones a bass player might play. Try tap-ping your foot on beats one and three as you play the pattern, and you will begin to hear a new bass line emerging that might look like Example 4. Play this example using rest strokes, holding the note for its full half-note value and taking care to release any fretted notes as you play the note that follows.
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In Example 5, the offbeat notes played by the fingers have been added to the alternating-bass line of Example 3. As you practice Example 5, accent the bass notes on beats two and four of each measure, holding those notes for two beats as if they were half notes. Notice how the accents add clarity and definition to the bass line. The notes on beats two and four, the so-called backbeats, now take a secondary position in the rhythm, blending in more with the offbeat notes played by the fingers.
Play Example 5 again, accenting beats one and three but releasing them with the fretting-hand finger after their written quarter-note durations (the open string bass notes on beats one and three are difficult to stop, so let them ring—they’re all part of the chord). Beats one and three are still dominant, but the feel changes a bit by allowing backbeats two and four and the offbeat notes to “speak” through the pattern more read-ily. Many transcriptions do not make a distinction on the note durations of the bass notes played—they are usually left to the discretion of the player. Imagine a band where the bass player is playing half notes on beats one and three, and a mandolin player is playing chords on the backbeats two and four, and you can begin to hear (if the tempo is fast enough) the boom-chick/boom-chick rhythm of a bluegrass or country band.