How to play in 3/4 time
From “Ashokan Farewell” to “Edelweiss” to “Sweet Baby James,” some of the loveliest melodies glide along in 3/4, or waltz time.
Waltz time seems to bring out the sentimental side of songwriters—as Richard Thompson puts it, “Waltzing’s for dreamers and losers in love.”
Listen to a sampling of some favorite waltzes in this playlist.
Songs in 3/4 can sound sweet on acoustic guitar, especially when you go beyond a basic one-two-three waltz rhythm and take a more nuanced approach to picking patterns, chord voicings, and bass lines.
That’s the goal of this lesson on accompanying songs in waltz time. Watch the videos here (the examples are split into three videos, from top to bottom). Find the complete text and notation on the Acoustic Guitar website.
Learn more about playing better accompaniment in the multimedia guide Beyond Strumming.