As the saying goes, “Friends don’t let friends clap on 1 and 3…”

So, yes, today’s video is with a little tongue-in-cheek irreverence… but it’s still important (we can have some fun and still do the good work šŸ˜‰

This isn’t hard at all, in terms of what we’re playing, it’s a simple blues progression with open chords. If you are a beginner, this is super important stuff to get you going on the right foot.

If you’re not a beginner, and you can’t do this, stop the presses! This will affect every other thing you try to do (and have tried for who-knows-how-long) from here on out so fix it now, I’ll show you how (Hey, I’m a poet and didn’t know it šŸ˜‰

 


    43 replies to "No Clapping On 1 & 3!"

    • Joe Boucher

      Actually, Classical music has a similar issue. For example, a lot of Classical “dance” music is in 3/4 time, and we tend to think of ONE-two-three ONE-two-three rhythm, with a room full of overdressed people dancing to a Strauss tune.
      That’s fine for a waltz. But there’s also the sarabande, with it’s accent on beat TWO: one-TWO-three. Then there’s the mazurka, with it’s accent on THREE: one-two-THREE etc. Both sarabande and mazurka are folk-dance derived.
      Each rhythm has a very different feel, and teaching students NOT to play a mazurka like a waltz can be eye-opening, until you can get them to “think with their feet.”

    • Marty H.

      I have noticed that I am causing some discord at church by clapping on the 2 and 4. So much so that If I am the one that starts clapping on a worship song, I am usually the only one clapping, but when someone else starts clapping on 1 and 3, I notice that more folks clap along. I know that a lot of gospel songs follow the early rock and blues patterns, so it feels right to me to clap on beats 2 and 4, but I don’t like swimming up stream as it were.

    • Bob K

      Thanks Griff, appreciate the simplicity this important lesson. One challenge I can do what you did here when playing alone but if Iā€™m playing against something with horns, I tend to lose the drum beat and get out of timeā€¦just something about the horns that draws my attention.

    • Peter Hill

      That was great, very useful! Easy to understand and practical approach. Thank you

    • G

      Confusing lesson. You do play on all beats, but the emphasis is on 2 and 4, the backbeat. Resting on 1 and 3 is not practical.

    • Brian Schuch

      Thanks Griff ! I always say you must have a firm foundation to correctly acomplish anything, so that means repeating the basics until it is on auto pilot.

    • Donovan Hulbert

      You can tell because your toes are Longfellows.

    • Raymond Kopp

      thanks griff, thanks for being a friend. will work on this

    • Gary Ford

      This might be more of a drum questions, but I understand the strumming on the 2&4 count with blues and the snare drum hitting on the 2&4, but what about songs like LYNYRD SKYNYRD Simple Man… isn’t the snare hitting ONLY on beat 3?

    • tony

      well ya always say do not start on beat one . so why is it well ,what if ? guess its how the song was written .

    • LJ Sinnott

      Interesting and new. I’m wondering how it sounds in a song. When you start a song and the front man says 1, 1 ,3, 4 and every one starts on the next 1 count, are you saying rhythm guitar doesn’t? Or does he light stroke one and heavy stroke 2?

    • Chris CLEMANS

      Hi Griff , I really enjoyed this lesson totally understood it

    • Alan

      Before I started BGU I never really thought about it. I sang and played rhythm in front of a band for 6+ years and didn’t think about counting either. I must have had it naturally or something. Good lesson though Griff

    • Mick

      I get all of this and have been practicing on and off occasionally-but what about up strokes on ‘and’ or ‘uh’ ? – i.e. it sounds weird with just down strokes

    • Roy McFarlane

      Thanks for that lesson. Helpful. I was doing it wrong. Fixed now.

    • Mark Levigne

      Thanks, its the elephant in the room and needs/needed to be said. šŸ™‚

    • Kruzer

      What kind of guitar are you using

      • bogie

        The guitar you are inquiring about is a
        G&L guitars Doheny model.
        G&L’s take on a Fender Jazz Master.

    • Ken T.

      I’ve been messing (often struggling) with guitar (mostly to play blues) for several years (mostly a noodler) and have had difficulty starting riffs on the 2 rather than the one as you so often repeat. Playing along with you on this I discovered I am solidly in the 1-3 clap category. Now that you have simplified the concept, I can get my head around it and now I can start working on it. As you noted, for some (me), it is very difficult to change over but I see now why I HAVE to. Thanks.

    • Sean Drummond

      Excellent point, Griff.

      A little earlier I was listening to ā€œOh Darling!ā€ from The Beatlesā€™ Abbey Road album. The rhythm guitar on that song is doing what Griff is showing here, hitting a single chord on the 2 and 4 of a four-beat count. (Just on the verses, not the chorus where the guitar does something else). Check it out.

      https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sqogoRTxtmg

      Griff if Iā€™ve somehow completely missed the point with this reference, feel free to disappear this post. Send it to the cornfield. But I think Oh Darling on Abbey Road is just a perfect example of the point youā€™re making.

    • Graham

      Got it. Good on you Griff.

    • Greg

      Griffin from the comments this video received there is a lot of confusion on the 2 4
      You might need to cover this better! I’m not sure how you could put it any different.
      Maybe with a couple of examples if they see your hand moving they might think you are
      Hitting the strings when you’re keeping time! Good luck with this one buddy.

    • Phil Smith

      Not sure I fully understand. I agree about the clapping (usually) on 2-4, but playing, different. I looked at your Ain’t Nobody’s Business – Freddie King, and it looks like you are playing on 1-3 as well. Strumming rhythm on all 4 beats seems appropriate most times. My primary these days is bass guitar, and of course we play on the 1-3 a lot (following the bass drum). I also play drums, which uses 2-4 on the snare mostly. I’m not sure a blanket statement to only 2-4 is accurate. But LOVE your lessons, keep it up!

      • Griff

        When I’m the ONLY instrument, then yes, I’ll play on beat 1 because no one else is going to do it. But otherwise, let the drums and bass do it.

        • Rod W.

          When you play on your own, say singing to chords, would you play a chord on each beat but emphasise the second and fourth beat somehow?

          It’s great that you are getting folks to listen to and examine their playing closely so that they improve by gradually eliminating bad habits.

          • David

            I’ve got to follow up here – I am really confused!! I understand the idea of back beat and the snare drum on beats 2 and 4. I can see a rhythm player in a band setting playing only on 2 and 4.
            Where does the shuffle (swing) strum come in here?? Or the “Tore Down” rhythm. The rhythm player is playing on 1+2+3+4+. Do you emphasize the power chords on counts 2 and 4? I may be playing with another guitar – I’m playing a shuffle rhythm and the other is playing a solo – where does the 2-4 come in. Thanks

    • bogie

      Oh and thank you Griff.
      One of the biggest take aways I have learned from watching your videos.
      It is to get in the habit of starting my solos on beat 2.
      šŸ™‚

      • PAUL

        I GET WHAT YOUR TRYING TO TEACH. THEN WHO PLAYS RTHYUM GUITAR WITH A STRUM LIKE THAT. I CAN SEE PLAYING IT, WHEN YOUR COMPING THE KEY BOARD PLAYER, BUT YOU JUST CONFUSED ME. EG.. LISTEN TO SNADY COLORED CLOWN. BY ROY OBERSON. WHEN HE GOES INOT THE SONG THE GUITAR STRUMS 3 TIME AND HE HE STARTS TO SING.
        SO AFTER 50+ YEARS OF PLAYING GUITAR, THIS MAKE SENCE, BUT IS NOT THE WAY I HAVE EVER STRUMMED A SONG WHEN PLAYING. THANKS GRIFF, THE POET!! LOL!

    • David Abrams

      Good stuff Griff thats the ticket play on 2 n 4

    • bogie

      Thank you Griff for this lesson.
      It is kinda funny how bass players are told to lock in with the drums
      kick (bass ) drum on beats 1 and three… but seldom are guitarist told
      that we too need to lock in with the drums as well.. our beats are 2 and 4

      I cant tell you how much this 2 and 4 thing has save my butt playing live.
      If you ever get lost where the beat is follow the snare… it will either
      be beat 2 or 4… trust me very soon your mind will do this calculation
      automatically…

      Too sum it up.. I want to quote Duke Ellington
      “Don’t mean a thing ( if it aint got that swing)”
      that is pretty much what he meant in the song

    • mac

      thanks for all your help, you are the best

    • Reverend Bill

      “…if it’s got a back beat you can use it…”

    • Rod

      Great lesson and just what I was looking for recently when I wondered exactly what was going on when people clapped or tapped their feet. Plus I think years ago I was told it was beat one that got the emphasis and so was a bit confused.

      I cant help thinking now of John Lennonā€™s words in the song ā€Rock and Roll Musicā€. I believe he said ā€its got a back beat you cant blues itā€. That does not seem to fit the explanation if the back beat is beats 2 and 4 and they are emphasised in blues and rock? Anyone care to explain?

      • BillH

        Rod, I think you are referring to the Beatles cover of the Chuck Berry song. The actual words are “It’s got a back beat, you can’t lose it” So, Chuck agrees with Griff also. šŸ™‚

    • Stewart B

      Appreciate the information 2&4 2&4 2&4

    • Phil H

      Griff, You haven’t really explained WHY one shouldn’t strum or play on beats 1 and 3 – and you keep saying “if you do this, you have a problem” – Why?

      Surely in a 12 bar blues shuffle, you will be playing on beats 1 and 3 – as well as beats 2 and 4 – why make such a big thing saying ” you have a problem which this can fix ” – you even say – hey, playing on beats 1 and 3 – that’s not right! – huge deal – fix it now.

      • Griff

        Good point, but I’m not sure anyone REALLY knows why we do it this way. I can tell you that it works this way, but this is how the music evolved so I think it would he difficult, if not impossible, to definitively say why.

    • Hoot

      That line should be on a tee shirt!

    • Drew

      Griff, Keep beating that into us. It is so easy to play on 1/3 when we are not thinking about genre specific details.

    • Kevin O'Sullivan

      Griff
      Excellent reminder – got it nailed!

    • Jag

      Excellent lesson as always Griff; thanks!

    • BillH

      I believe one of the advantages of being relegated to the “rhythm guitar” slot was, my ear learned to hear the chords were on the 2 & 4 … and the bass was on the 1 & 3 (at least for R&R and blues). If I were to have rushed into learning to play lead, I would have missed that early ear training.
      It’s good when you remind us of the basics Griff. Thanks.

    • Rodney Burton

      That was good i was playing on 1 and 3 now I can correct that.

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