Looking for samples of dry rhythm with an upstroke

Bones

My default setting has always been no upstroke unless it just happens now and then 'organically' if that's a way to describe it. More of a feel, fill thing than a prominent feature. That's because I could never reliably get the upstroke to be subtle enough for my liking to be able to use it all the time. If it is too loud or not super close to the 1 and 3 I never liked that sound. When it sounds good to me is when it is so subtle you almost can't tell if it is there or not but if the feel is there now and then I think the listeners ear almost fills it in between the times that you put it in. To me it's better to not have it if it isn't done 'right' (if there is such a thing) otherwise it sounds too much like one is doing the 'shuffle' rhythm all the time which is too overbearing to me. But that's just me, everyone has their own style/preference.

bohemewarbler

I totally agree with Bones here. Getting the rhythm upstroke to sound great is monumentally difficult for some of us, and it can get messy if not done just right. I personally don't think there's anything wrong with using all downstrokes in GJ rhythm, but even getting that to sound great is a surprisingly difficult task.

One of my favorite CDs is Adrein Moignard and Gonzalo Bergara's Classico. It's just the two of them (and double bass) accompanying each other. Gonzalo's rhythm is downstroke throughout, while Adrien varies it up a little bit.

It's easy to tell who's playing rhythm or soloing because Adrien is panned one side and Gonzalo the other throughout. On their manic version of Django's Tiger, you can hear Adrien using the upstroke mostly in his rhythm playing. Yet, on most of the other tunes, Adrien uses all downstrokes (for the most part). On Coquette, another manic tune, Adrien stays mostly in the downstroke pocket along with Gonzalo.

If Adrien was accompanying another musician in another situation, he could just as well kept within an upstroke mode of rhythm. While Gonzalo is known for his preference for downstrokes in rhythm playing.

Still, on this collaboration, their rhythm styles are different from each other, even when both are doing an all downstroke rhythm pattern.

It's a good study.

Jazzaferri

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