It’s time to put your frenado skills to the test! By now, you’ve built a solid foundation in palm mute strums (also called choques) and learned how to apply them to different rhythms. In this lesson, we’ll focus on precision — landing your frenados on the exact beats you want while keeping the rhythm steady.
🎯 What You’ll Practice
- 4×4 Measure Control – Apply frenados on specific beats in a four-count measure.
- Position Changes – Shift your frenado placement every few measures without breaking tempo.
- Consistency – Keep the muted “tack” sound crisp and even.
📝 Step-by-Step Drill
- Start with the Basic 4×4 Pattern – Down | Up | Down | Up.
- Mute on Beat 1 – Apply a descending frenado right on the first down strum.
- Mute on Beat 2 – Shift the frenado to the second up strum.
- Mute on Beat 3 – Apply a frenado on the third down strum.
- Mute on Beat 4 – End the measure with an upward frenado.
Repeat this cycle, changing the muted strum position every few measures until it feels natural.
Frenado Exercise 4×4
💡 Pro Tip
This drill will dramatically improve your control in faster rhythms like Aguinaldo and Merengue.
Keep your wrist relaxed — tension will slow you down.
Record yourself to check if you’re staying in time.
