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Africa and the Indian Ocean

Highlife on guitar: chords and rhythm.

Highlife from Ghana and Nigeria grew out of palm-wine guitar, played with the thumb and fingers. Over simple major chords, G, C, G, D, the thumb alternates the bass while the fingers weave a melody on the high strings.

I – IV – I – VLevel · Intermediate

The progression

Pick a key: the charts change right below. "Listen" plays the progression with its rhythm; a click on a chord plays it alone, the arrow opens its page.

Key

In G major · 112 BPM
  • G
    G major213
  • C
    C major×321
  • D
    D major××132

The rhythm

One bar of the strumming hand, beat by beat. While it plays, the stroke being played lights up.

1
·
2
·
3
·
4
·
  • the bass, with the thumb
  • the high strings
  • the high strings, cut short
  • the alternating bass

From the same world

Afrobeat's interlocking guitars, the arpeggios of the Congo, desert blues, Algerian raï and the séga of the islands.