The Power of the Downstroke

[fungalattack]

Ok so I would like to discuss how powerful the downstroke is. The sound of fast down stroking makes me want to explode with one million simultaneous orgasms. Punk bands do it, metal bands do it, some jazz gurtar players do it and it rulez. The TOANZ. I have been paying much attention to my stroking patterns (LAWLZ, get your mind out of the gutter) because i believe it is just as important as the drum beat in determining the rhythm and feel of a song. Downstrokes

[yallerhon]

We could make this like a picking technique rivalry thread.. like.. Gangs of New York or Anchorman (?) We need some ska players to represent the upstroke.. Some bearded folk players to front with their fingerpicking. Even some bassists to be all "slapping is where it's at, son".

Imagine the sexual innuendo.

[fungalattack]

Ha. Well, for a moment, I was all like "all downstrokes fuck everything else", but I soon realized every song is a different living, breathing entity and should be treated as such. It would be silly to close your mind to one sole technique, but I did certainly piss my drummer off when I played all upstrokes in a sludge song for the LAWLZ.

[MSUsousaphone]

I'll front the Galloping Steve Harrises.

[fungalattack]

Iron Maiden is what opened up the doors of metal to me and got me to play bass in the first place. Up the irons

[dubkitty]

representing the Townshends. think of a Who song: *BOOM* downstroke. he made them into ballet, acrobatics, archetypes, drums.

and then there's Bob Mould. and Pete Buck. and Stephen Stills...his thumb-and-forefinger-together lead picking style is almost all downstrokes.

[Moustache_Bash]

YOUR AVATAR.

I can't remember the name of the movie, what is it and where can I watch it?

[Gearmond]

POLYRHYTHMIC AFRICAN ALTERNATE PICKING MOFUKKAZ

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrKlusjm83I[/youtube]

whole continent full of brilliant unsung guitar mastaz

[snipelfritz]

Downstroke ain't nuthin' without the upstroke.

I enjoy a good downstroke, but it isn't anything without it's polar opposite.

[DarkAxel]

I stopped with heavy downstrokes because i'm tired of breaking strings all the time, i'Ve got a heavy hand

also i can't help myselfs sometimes - my hand just funks shit up sometimes without any intention... so no, not for me, really... not that extensively, gotta have variations

[dubkitty]

i had to learn self control and switch to lighter picks...i used to break the low strings, the D in particular, all the time.

[DarkAxel]

But... no power = wimpy sound

of course there has to be moderation... it's kinda hard with downstrokes though, innit? they're primitive and vicious

[dubkitty]

yeah, especially since i started out on acoustic for years before i ever owned a electric guitar. thus i tended to beat the living shit out of the guitar...my old acoustic i played from the 70s to the early 00s, which i still have, was in danger of developing Willie Nelson-style holes between the rings on the soundhole rosette and below the pickguard.

[fungalattack]

YOUR AVATAR.

I can't remember the name of the movie, what is it and where can I watch it?

The movie is Begotten and it is on youtube.


Downstrokes certainly are primitive and vicious! I used to break one million and three strings but my picks aren't too heavy and Im more conscious of not beating my guitar to death. I don't necessarily think that you need the upstroke to make the downstroke shine, but I do understand that argument. There is some raw, aggressive, beauty in ALL downstrokes. No variation in the tone, just a driving rhythm with no letting up.

[CBA]

This is a weird thread.

To me the downstroke = "playing guitar".

Doesn't everyone downstroke? Maybe I just don't know shit and just play. For TBT I'm all downstrokes, but I thought that was just "playing guitar".


C