Search options

Do nylon-string guitars need a pick? Does Willie Nelson use a pick with his nylon string guitar? Anyone know?

I too can play much better with my thumb alone, so I imagine it's the same for most everybody. But using the pick is getting a little easier each time it seems.

Although sometimes it feels like I'm regressing some nights when I practice, when compared to the night before, when using the pick.

But then the next day after that, I seem to be able to use the pick just a little better...two steps forward, one step back kind of thing.

good luck

Check out this guy's website. I was given this link in another thread. This guy I think can help you with your strum, just by listening to him strum, and he has some videos, too, along with audio files. It's free.

but I think you can also send him songs you want to learn, and he'll send you back a video showing you each step of the strum/song, etc. He does this free, too, but people who pay take precedence if you want him to send you back songs you submit to him.

http://www.grouptherapy.guernsey.net/strumming.html

thanks guitarpix, great video explaining the tab structure.

I have another question for the experts or others here.

I've learned a few different strums, and can do them ok. The problem I have is when to change chords?

Do you wait for a natural break in the strum to change, or does the song itself dictate when to change chords?

For instance, I have this strum down pretty well:

Down Skip Down Up Down Up

I think that's one of the basic strums or rhythms. Do I change chords always after an upstroke, or can chords be changed anywhere in the strum? If the latter, doesn't it throw the strum out of whack?

Also, when playing a song, does one keep strumming the same rhythm throughout the whole song? Like in the strum above - Down Skip Down Up Down Up - when playing a song on the guitar, do we just repeat this same strum through the song? (if it's the correct strum for that song).

Do songs have specific strum patterns that everybody knows and uses? Or is everybody unique in the way they strum?

I'm finding it hard to find a strum that fits throughout a whole song. I'm working on 'Wonderful Tonight' by Clapton, and I can strum the chorus ok, but the rest seems very difficult for me to find a strum that works.

The strum I use in the chorus just doesn't work for the rest, which is why I'm asking about how unique strums are in relation to the songs.

Do you guys just stop strumming completely in parts of the song, then resume, or do you always keep strumming throughout the whole song without ever pausing?

Also, I need a strap for my guitar, but it only has a place to hook it on the back end. Where does the front part of the strap connect?

Do I have to have someone put on another knob to hook it on in front?

sorry for rambling, thanks everybody

ps. I'm paraplegic, so I can't tap my foot. Do you think it'll be hard to play the guitar well if I'm paralyzed from the chest down? I can't tap my foot, etc, and am starting to wonder if being paraplegic will prevent me from progressing with guitar playing.

"I'm also new to playing, and one of the songs that I picked up really fast was Free Fallin' by Tom Petty.  It sounds cool on an acoustic and has an easy pattern to learn."

I agree with Tyler31 on this song. I'm new to guitar, but I found Free Fallin here at chordie. I know the chords, and it's in A/D/E, and it's real simple. I was able to pick it up pretty easily, and it's the only song that I can play the strum for at this time.

Could anybody give me the strum (rhythm) for 'City of New Orleans' in the Down/Up/Skip format that Kosan is using in post #10 for Father and Son?

I'm new to the guitar. I've taught myself most of the most common chords and can change chords pretty well, but I'm having trouble with the rhythm.

If anyone could help me with the strum to this song, or any other song that I know so I can at least play the correct rhythm for one song, I'd appreciate it. If I can strum one song correctly, it might help me identify the rhythms for  other songs.

thanks