I have to admit Marion, that after three years of trying to explain things in understandable ways, I made a total complete and unadulterated hash of the "rolling thumb" thing. If you've managed to decipher some of it...Wonderful, but after sitting down and playing some things in that style, I realize I made it sound so complex, that even I wouldn't have been able to figure it out,...and I think I invented it! It's actually quite a simple concept, but as Peter says, devilishly hard to get smooth.

The REALLY key part is to play the three bass strings so they sound like something in between a strum and a picking pattern.

As far as using the left hand thumb on chords (F, all Ds, B7, Bb etc.) it's simply adding another tool to your arsenal. It's crucial for playing Ragtime, or any style where you want a constant bass playing under your chords and melody.

Rick