Chord & FretChacarera · Guitar
Chacarera rasgueo (guitar)
Sound summary
The Chacarera pattern is a chord strum for the guitar, in 6/8 straight (even subdivisions): the chord (A) swings back and forth, down and up, and the muted hits (x) give it bounce. In practice it sounds: x A↑ x A↓ A↑ —.
How to count it
In 6/8, each bar has 6 beats, counted in one strum per beat. Speak the count: 1 2 3 4 5 6. Keep the beat with your foot and follow the grid: each box is one beat.
The rhythm grid
A = chord · ↓ down-stroke · ↑ up-stroke · x = muted · — = rest
The ↓/↑ direction follows the bowed-string arcada convention (ᴨ down, V up; Ribeiro 2017). The muted and ghost strokes follow Cantalice 2022.
How to play it
Right hand
Alternate down (↓) and up (↑) on the chord (A). The down-stroke is firm; the up-stroke just grazes the thin strings — that contrast gives the bounce. On the (x), lay the hand on the strings as you strike — that muted “chka” is what lets the groove breathe. Don’t stop the arm on the rests — it keeps moving in the air, it just doesn’t touch the strings.
Left hand
Keep the chord well pressed through the whole pattern — the left hand rules pitch, the right rules the bar. Only release the shape at the end of the bar, moving the hand ahead to the next one. For the (x), loosen the fingers without lifting off the strings — they go silent but stay put, ready to ring again.
Example in Em
With an Em held, let the same chord ring under every stroke — close your eyes and follow just the right hand’s rhythm. Then change only the left-hand shape to take it into any song.
Common mistakes
- Letting the (x) ring like a note. It is percussion, not chord — if you don’t mute, the groove loses the “chka” that drives it.
- Up-strokes as hard as down-strokes. The up-stroke (↑) is lighter and catches only the treble strings — equal force thickens and drags it.
- Stopping the arm on the rests. The hand never stops — it keeps swinging in the air and only touches the strings on the next hit. That’s what holds the time.
Guided practice
- Start all down. Strum the chord down (↓) on every stroke, one direction only.
- Bring in the up-stroke. Let the arm rise (↑) lightly between hits, grazing the thin strings.
- Bring in the (x). Lay the hand on the strings on those hits so the percussive “chka” enters the groove.
- Take it up on the metronome. Start slow, keep the pattern clean, and add a few BPM at a time.
You already get the logic of the groove. Putting it in time is where it enters your fingers: hear the pattern, follow the count and practice with a metronome — slow first — until every stroke lands in its place without rushing. That’s what Chord & Fret does, with guided audio and an adjustable tempo.
Train with the metronome →Variations & related patterns
With the strum steady, take it to actual Chacarera progressions: rhythm, chord changes and voice-leading in one exercise. That’s the Progressions by Rhythm feature in Chord & Fret.
Apply to progressions →The page explains; the real practice — repeating, timing on the metronome, listening, applying to progressions and reviewing — is in Chord & Fret. Save this pattern in your study to pick it up later, play offline and watch your progress.
Open the trainer →