strumming pattern nightmare!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Buy a metronome and practice drills with it.

ok lets start at the beginning try this simple strum pattern count 1 2 3 4 and  down strum on each count do this till you dont have to count anymore keep it slow and even to start and gradually speed up then try this stum pattern 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and substitute down up for 1 and 2 so its down up down up down up down up keep the meter or time even as before start slow and graduall speed up, the key is to keep the time even after a while when you feel comfortable move on to other strum patterns when your ready.

Downstrokes only, upstrokes only, alternating downstrokes and upstrokes in quarter notes, eighths and 16th to start.

Then try some drills where the metronome doesnt tick on the quarter note - it ticks on the half note, the whole note, or every other whole note. This will help you internalize tempo.

All good advice, just wanted to welcome  you aboard if I haven't already!  So... WELCOME to Chordie and the forums!

I think it took me a good six months before I was capable of doing a couple different strum patterns.  Even now I have to practice a bit before I can get a new one down decent enough not to lose myself while singing.  Practice might not always make perfect, but it will make things better! 

LOL!

If I can add my .02 cents here... (and I know that 'cents' would be more correctly used in a discussion on tuning... not strumming)...

Simply think of a quarter note as each time your hand passes down across the strings (count 1, 2, 3, 4).

Once you have that and can get a good sound, add the eighth note -  this would be when the hand is coming back up across the strings (1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and etc).

Standard TAB notation for this would be:
\/ /\   \/ /\   \/ /\     \/ /\
(1  &   2  &   3  &    4  &)   

and this is really just a diagram of what the strumming hand is doing (\/ = down and /\ = Up).

Now to get different strumming patterns just leave out a strum while maintaining this up-down motion.

\/ ~    \/ ~    \/ /\    \/ ~   (repeat)
1  &    2  &    3  &    4  &   
================
\/ ~    \/ ~    \/ /\     ~ /\   (repeat)
1  &    2  &    3  &    4  &
================
\/ ~   \/ ~     ~ /\     \/ /\   (repeat)
1  &   2  &     3  &     4  &

~ = move across the strings but do not strum them.

More complex strum patterns can be created by leaving other strums out - even combining two or more patterns across several measures of music.

Good luck!

John 3:16 NIV ASB KJV - doesn't matter  - Truth is truth in any translation! 

mcclatch, you've gotten some good information from the above posts and this is not something that will be difficult to learn if you spend the time. You just need to take your time and learn to feel the music and the rythem. A real simple pattern to learn would be a 12 bar blues pattern with a 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 1 (repeat) strum. I dont know what chords you have learned but a simple 1 - 4 - 5 (57) progression is all you need.  I'm going to use a "G" progression as these are easy chords and the strum pattern would be; (any chord progression would work, though)

G Chord (4 bars)
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

C Chord (2 bars)
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

G Chord (2 bars)
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

D Chord (D7 chord) (1 bar)
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

C Chord
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & (1 bar)

G Chord
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & (2 Bars)

All numbers are downstrums and all &'s are upstrums. Each 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & equals 1 bar and this sequence is a total of 12 bars and then it repeats itself throught the song. Very simple and can be played fast or slow. Just walk into any Honky Tonk with a band and holler 12 bar blues in "E" and everyone will know it.

Ane welcome to Chordie.

Nela

Most inexperienced guitarists need work on strumming rhythm.
I learned by playing along with a video or record or a song I wanted to learn. Once you have the chord changes down, strum along with the band over and over enough times until you fall into the rhythm of what they are doing.
When it comes to finger picking, you need either a clear video of both the guitarist's hands or a video tutorial to learn.