Rasgueado is the strumming sound that everyone identifies with flamenco music. It is this sound that draws people to the art form. Rasgueados are similar to drum rolls in the sense that they accent the last beat of the strum. While many flamenco guitarists play rasgueados very differently, the only part of the rasgueado that is truly important is this final accented strum; how many attacks you use to get there is irrelevant.

We will look at different ways the rhythm guitarist can create his/her own „part“ and interpret a given harmony. This is done primarily through the use of triads and 7th chords along with double-stops (two notes at once) and single-note melodies. When you combine rhythm patterns with ideas based on any of these concepts, you can help define certain styles and grooves with your rhythm playing.

Double Stops in Thirds

First let's look at double stops: specifically thirds. (Any interval can be a double stop: thirds, sixths, and fourths are the moat common). Any combination of double stops is legitimate if it:

• Interprets the chord change (conveying the appropriate major or minor sound, etc.).
• Has a solid rhythmic foundation.
• Sounds good! (subjective, stylistic musical reasons).

Inversions

Triads are three-note chords constructed from the; first, third, and fifth notes of the major scale. A voicing is the order in which the notes are arranged upward from the bass note.

An inversion refers to which note is in the bass. However, with triads the most common inversions are achieved by simply raising the lowest note up one octave.

Here, we will look at the three-note chord shapes and their inversions on the top three strings (1, 2, 3) and the next lower set of strings (2, 3, 4).

These string sets are the most practical for playing in a band situation. Because they cut through the mix well and offer a different texture than barre chords or open position chords, they are used quite often by the professional guitarist. They also further help us connect the positions and fifth are located, and help in the connection process of chords, arpeggios, and scales.

Seventh chords consist of four notes from the major scale: root, third, fifth, and seventh (1–3–5–7). The breakdown for each chord type is:

• Major 7th: The major 7th chord consists of a major triad with an added major 7th interval. The formula is: root, major 3rd, perfect 5th, major 7th, or 1–3–5–7.

• Dominant 7th: The dominant 7th chord -consists of a major triad with an added minor 7th interval. The formula is: root, major 3rd, perfect 5th, minor 7th. or 1–3–5-b7.

• Minor 7th: The minor 7th chord consists of a minor triad with an added minor 7th interval. The formula is: root, minor 3rd, perfect 5th, minor 7th, or 1-b3–5-b7.

Lets work on the five patterns of major and minor triads. By now you maу have noticed these chords sound somewhat different even though they are the same letter name and type. This is because they are different voicings.

The voicing refers to the order of chord tones upward from the bass note.

• One voicing might be: 1,5, 1. 3, 5,1.

• Another might be; 3, 1. 5, 1,

• Another might be: 1, 3, 5,1, 3.

So the order in which the chord tones occur has some effect on the sound, but it does not change the basic sound quality. For example, all major chords will sound major, but different voicings will have a somewhat different shade of sound.

Here are some variations of the five basic chord shapes for major and minor presented in the previous article about the five patterns. The smaller shapes extracted from the larger ones are very important because they have a different density of sound and are more appropriate for some situations. Part of having a good rhythm guitar vocabulary is knowing which voicing is correct or the style and instrumentation. Be sure to compare the variations to the original. Most of the times, they are a smaller version of the original shape. Fingerings are left out so that you can focus or the octave shapes. See the root! Experiment with all possible fingerings!

The Five Patterns

The five „patterns“ on the guitar represent five areas on the fretboard that can be identified by the locations of the roots. Scales are traditionally taught in this manner, but chords are often not. However, it is very important to also view chords in this manner because It helps set up a relationship between chords and scales. Of course there is already a connection between chords and scales through the Study of harmony and theory but it is best to also see physical connection on the guitar. The easier it becomes to see the roots related to a position, the easier it is to spot a chord as well as its arpeggio and its scale, all at once, this is a method of practicing and viewing the neck that greatly improves one's ability and combines three essential elements (chord, arpeggio, scale) into one routine that can be maintained as you learn new things. It breaks down the barriers between these three elements that sometimes have a tendency to be separated. Instead, we will see them as different interpretations of the same thing.

Three ways of viewing A7

By practicing in this manner you will be able to access mare choices for chord voicings and not be limited to last one or two voicings for a common chord type the major 7th, minor 7th, dominant 7th, etc.