Just going through my practice schedule and going to change things up a little more here.
I am going to add in a number of songs that specifically adhere to techniques I am trying to learn, i’ll do a quick like 3-5 min on pure technique and then dive into songs to help make it happen.
I was going back through the course, but I must have missed where I was looking or found this originally, and wanted some input on a half a dozen or so songs that fit into the title above,
Stuff that is with the accents on the 2 and the 4, accentuating the back beat.
You probably want specific suggestions. To narrow down the scope, I looked at Justin’s song page and selected only Grade 2 songs. Starting from the top of the list, these songs seem to fit the bill (just considering the songs I can hear in my mind):
I Want to Hold Your Hand
Dock of the Bay
Before You Accuse Me
That’ll Be the Day
Smokestack Lightning
If it Makes You Happy
It’s So Easy
Mustang Sally
All I Wanna Do
All Your Love
Have a look at these lessons from Justin, they may be what you are looking for (there may be some that I’m not remembering correctly). Also, there are many songs on that list (mostly 21st century) that I’m not familiar with.
There are a million others, of course. Almost any blues that is in 4:4 time. Put on just about any classic rock album (stick with blues-based and forgo the prog rock) and you will likely hear several songs with accented back beats.
I"ll try perplexity, I use Chatgpt also but didn’t really think about using it for that, and to be honest, thought it would be better to interract with the community dedicated to this stuff than an ai…
update not much luck with the ai to be honest, i’ll stick to live people on this one.
Songs in 4/4 time that feature a backbeat rhythm typically emphasize the second and fourth beats of each measure, often with snare drum hits or claps, creating a driving and energetic groove. This backbeat pattern is foundational in many popular music styles such as rock, R&B, blues, and funk567.
Characteristics of Backbeat in 4/4:
The measure is divided into four beats: 1, 2, 3, and 4.
The bass drum usually hits on beats 1 and 3.
The snare drum or hand claps accent beats 2 and 4, which are the backbeats.
This creates a “strong-weak-strong-weak” feel with the emphasis on the “weak” beats 2 and 4, giving the rhythm its distinctive pulse57.
Examples of Songs with Backbeat in 4/4:
Classic rock and roll songs like Chuck Berry’s “Rock 'n Roll Music” famously use the backbeat, with the snare drum accenting beats 2 and 4 to propel the music forward6.
Many funk, blues, and R&B tracks use this pattern as the rhythmic foundation.
The backbeat is so common that it is sometimes called the “money beat” due to its widespread use and effectiveness in creating groove4.
Summary:
If you are looking for songs in 4/4 time with a backbeat rhythm (accents on beats 2 and 4), you can explore genres like rock, blues, funk, and R&B. The backbeat is typically played on the snare drum, creating a rhythm that feels both stable and driving. This pattern is a core element of much of 20th-century Western popular music4567.
Hey Brett good to see you. Percussive back beat is a great technique for our dynamics. It gives great depth to strumming and really can change up the song when it comes to basic chorded songs. I even try to use them when working up to more complicated strumming patterns. Here are some songs you can work that really well with off the top of my head.
Yellow by Cold play
Bad Fish Sublime
Sum 41 Pieces
Goo Goo Dolls Iris
Romones I want you around
There are tons, any thing 4/4 with basic stums and chords you can dial this in with. Even ones with more complicated struming you can just do the simplified practice patterns in 1/4 notes like justin often shows working up to a more complicated type.
