Miscellaneous Gems

Intro to Strumming

Having difficulty learning how to strum?

Here are a couple of thoughts for the beginning guitar player.

Probably the majority of songs we play are in 4/4 timing. This means the song’s timing is a series of 4 beats sections, or “4 quarter beats per measure”. Every count of 4 is a measure, and is simply counted like this 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-etc. The space of time between each number is the same.

Technique

Strumming 1/4 Beats

Every time we count a quarter beat, we strum “down”. I recommend counting out loud while strumming down once per quarter beat.

Listen to this strumming pattern with the G and Cadd9 chords:

Strumming 1/8 Beats

We can double time this by inserting a beat halfway between each quarter beat. Then all the beats become eighth beats. We count it like this 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &, etc. To strum this, we would strum down when we say a number, and we would strum up when we say “&”. Make sure the spacing between each strum stays the same and consistent.

Listen to this eighth beat strumming pattern with the G and Cadd9 chords:

Accenting the First Beat in a Measure

Neither of the above strumming patterns sounds that great. However, by accenting the first beat of a measure, we can improve the sound of the pattern. We can accent the first beat by changing it to a quarter beat and count like this 1 2 & 3 & 4 & … Strum down on the numbers and up on the “&s” — also make sure the first beat is the same duration as “2 &” or “3 &” or “4 &”.

Listen to the G and Cadd9 chords played with an accented first beat:

Three Beats per Measure

Another popular pattern is 3/4 timing (three quarter beats per measure). We can take the above pattern and drop the 4th quarter beat, or the last two eight beats and count like this: 1 2 & 3 & … Again, strum down on a number, and up when you say “&”. Also, make sure the first beat has the same duration as the “2 &” and “3 &”.

Listen to the G and Cadd9 chords in 3/4 time with an accented first beat:

I Can't Strum Fast Enough!

If you are struggling with strumming along with your favorite artist, here are a few suggestions:

1. Strum more softly

This really works!

2. Make Shorter Strums

Obviously if your hand isn’t traveling as far up and down, you will be able to move more quickly.

3. Practice slowly, then build speed

If the first two tips aren’t helping much, you may need to be patient with yourself and build muscle memory in slower motion, then gradually increase speed.

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