The boom-chuck beat is one of the first rhythms guitarists
learn. You can play many folk and country songs in
this style. The first example below is a standard example
and begins with a bass note on the root of the C chord
(the “boom”) followed by the rest of the
chord (the “chuck”). The second bass note
is a G (the fifth of the C chord) and is again followed
by the rest of the chord. This figure is called an
alternating bass, and it tends to sound better if the
fifth is played below the root rather than above it.
However,certain chord voicings won’t allow you
to achieve this. It’s usually best to play the “booms” and
the “chucks” with downstrokes. When playing
at faster tempos, try making the “chuck” staccato,
which is a rapid, brief, clip in sound, by lifting
your fingers off the chord just after you play it.
At slower tempos, you can let it ring.
