Jig Picking Triplets in 4/4

Jig Picking for Triplets – Two Exercises …is also available in the form of a PDF download. Get it here PDF

Picking Patterns in General

When it comes to flatpicking on mandolin or guitar, I prefer alternate picking in general, and I firmly believe that music in 4/4 and 2/4 time are best played using alternate picking, to get the right GROOVE into the picking hand. But, whenever I’m playing jigs in 6/8 time, or slow ballads in 12/8, or blues and swing triplets in 4/4 (especially where the triplets are a-plenty), using the common DUDDUD type of pattern is best for my playing. At this stage in my own musical journey, alternate patterns (DUDUDUDU) and jig patterns (DUDDUD) are firmly ingrained in my playing, and I fall into whichever is needed pretty much on autopilot.

Alternate Picking

I would describe “alternate picking” by way of example: In standard, 4/4 time, I alternate downstrokes and upstrokes as follows: Downstrokes occur on the beats, while upstrokes occur between the beats. Since 4/4 time indicates four beats to the measure, there are generally four downstrokes to a measure. Where eighth notes occur between beats, they are played with upstrokes.

If D = downstroke, and U = upstroke, a measure of 4/4 with eight eighth notes would be picked DUDUDUDU … each D occurring on the beat, and each U occurring between the beats.

Again, this is merely a short, quick, general description of alternate picking given by example as looking at a piece of music in 4/4 time. To best understand the alternate picking concept though, the picker should feel the rhythm of the music and get the alternate picking groove into his or her picking hand. But since this lesson is aimed at picking triplets, and jig picking, enough said about alternate picking for now.

Jig Picking

Jig picking, as I understand and teach it, has two strong beats … each followed by two weaker beats … in each measure. Again, this is a grand generalization, but must be understood when playing either jigs, or swing triplets!

Most jigs are written in 6/8 time, which means that there are six beats to each measure, and the eighth note gets one beat. I play jigs using the following picking pattern for each measure: DUDDUD

While this is not the only method of playing jigs, it is the best way in my opinion. There are plenty of opposing opinions. Some people play jigs with alternate picking, so that a measure would be played DUDUDU.

A simple internet search for the terms “jig picking” brings up a good number of lesson videos by Baron Collins-Hill (mandolessons), David Benedict, Tony O’Rourke, as well as a number of popular threads from the Mandolin Café. I’ll share some of those at the end of this lesson.

Picking Swing Triplets and 12/8 Ballads

I often encounter a lot of swing triplets in my blues playing. Sometimes, in lessons I record and post video commentary on, I have great difficulty speaking about my pick direction unless I spend time beforehand analyzing it thoroughly. This is because I automatically fall into an alternate picking groove when I’m playing, and when runs of triplets are encountered, I automatically segue into jig picking. I glide effortlessly between the two styles without thinking about it.

My picking technique and right-hand groove didn’t just come without some work and practice, and didn’t just happen overnight, either. It required some time and attention over the years. But it also isn’t all that difficult for most musicians after a little attention and study and a few years of experience.

Here, in general, are the pick patterns I use:

4/4 with all eighth notes, one measure:

D U D U D U D U

4/4 with all triplets, one measure:

D U D D U D D U D D U D

6/8 with all eighth notes, one measure:

D U D D U D

12/8 with all eighth notes, one measure:

D U D D U D D U D D U D

A good example of 6/8 jig would be Irish Washerwoman. A good example of 12/8 ballad would be Bob Dylan’s Just Like A Woman.

Next, our exercises for this lesson are excerpts from Bo Carter’s Ways Like A Crawfish and Charlie McCoy’s Gypsy Woman Blues.

Exercises: 4/4 with Swing Triplets

Ways Like A Crawfish – Intro

Blues by Bo Carter

The following piece is the intro for Bo Carter’s Ways Like A Crawfish in four measures, plus a pickup measure. It combines alternate picking with Jig picking. Arrows indicate pick direction. Gray arrows indicate jig picking (DUDDUD) while black arrows indicate alternate picking.

Gypsy Woman Blues – Intro

Blues by Charlie McCoy

Now, we’ll look at Charlie McCoy’s intro for Gypsy Woman Blues. Again, Jig picking pick direction is indicated by gray arrows, while alternate picking is indicated by black arrows.

NOTES:

1. Both exercise pieces are in the key of C, and both use the same first four notes – chromatic runs – but the groove is a bit different. The first exercise’s chromatic run starts on the beat, whereas, in the second exercise, the run starts on an eighth note between beats! The first exercise begins with a downstroke; the second begins with an upstroke.

2. Bo Carter uses no less than eight triplets in his intro, while Charlie McCoy only uses three triplets in his.

3. I often use various embellishments while playing triplets, including slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs … in lieu of picking every note. Even so, I generally keep the same picking pattern of DUDDUD whether or not I skip some “pickings” by hammering-on, etc. The missing pick strokes are simply ghosted. They exist, and are accounted for, only in my mind, or my feeling of them.

Video Lesson

Conclusion

There are several styles when it comes to flatpicking. The best I can do educationally is to show how I do what I do, present some ideas for studying and practicing that way, and acknowledge that there are other ways.

I hope this little lesson with its two blues exercises is helpful for other amateurs. As David Benedict says, I agree, for me personally, I can hear the difference between DUDDUD and the alternatives others choose for jig picking. DUDDUD sounds better to me, and I do not regret having taken the time to incorporate it into my picking style.