Weekly Workout: Three-Against-Four Rhythms

From ragtime piano to bluegrass banjo to the Bo Diddley beat, three-against-four rhythms can be heard throughout American music. Emphasizing groups of three notes while playing in the 4/4 time signature (which is so prevalent in Western music that it is often referred to as “common time”), the three-against-four rhythm is so ubiquitous it can scarcely even be called syncopation anymore. In this lesson, explore the fingerboard with some exercises that emphasize three-note and three-beat patterns while playing in 4/4.