strumming tips please

Try these sites for some tips on strumming

http://guitar.about.com/library/weekly/aa072600e.htm
http://www.activeguitar.com/lessons/guitar/19-1.asp

for example i want to play the song you're beautiful by james blunt, i know the chords of the song and the intro part but how do i strumm it?

the specific strumm please so i could try it. thanks

One thing you might try. I suggest this to people who ask me to teach them guitar. With your left hand or the hand you use to form your chords, place them gentlly over the strings as to deaden them. (so they don't vibrate) Strum lightly with of course the stuming hand and hum the tune you want to play. Focus on the purcsion sound of the strum. Almost like a purcusionist or drummer if you will. This will help you get the feel of the beat. Hope that was helpful

Hi nzelectric,

I have just noticed another thread where you are concerned about strumming patterns and I believe you are relatively new to the guitar, so my advice to you is not to get too bogged down trying to copy someone else's version of the song.

I have been playing for a great number of years and I never use the identical strumming patern each time I play a song and that included the ones I have written too. I play what I feel.

Even if you are a real beginner and have to look and place each finger sepeately for each chord, you can still play a song. You sing it and just give one strum for each chord change. Singing it (however good or bad will help get the timing right) and as you get better you can put in two strums and evenually be able to play with both up and down strums. I suppose that is a long winded way of saying practice, practice, practice.

You mentioned James Blunt's "You're Beautiful", if you can sing the song identical to him then I suppose there is an argument that you need to play it identical to him. If you can't sing it identical there is no need to play identical.

There have been several threads concerning strumming patterns and it is my opinion that there is no set pattern to any song as it is strummed as it is felt, to me the only thing that is constant is the number of beats in a bar and the speed you wish to play the song.

The most important thing is to enjoy yourself playing and who knows, your version of a song may be better than the original.

Roger

Hi nz,

Unfortunately I have just moved and my recording gear is not set up yet or I could show you better than a written explanation. I will do this when I can for you.

In the meantime here is a thought for you.

I would like to bet that there have been many times you have been listening to some music and you have beaten a rhythm on your lap or a table top with your hands. That is all that strumming is, not some fixed mathematical formula, but something that you feel. So instead of beating your right hand on a table top you are rubbing it down and up across your guitar strings in time to the music. As I said earlier start with just a steady rhythm before putting in up strokes and double time downs.

If you know three strumming pattern that is three more than me. I will not be restricted by trying to play in a fixed manner, I will do it my way as the mood suits.

Don't think about it - feel it.

Roger

Does anyone know the strum for 'Tears and Rain' by James Blunt.

I'm really new and i don't know these things. Im good at chords and tabs just  strumming.

Please help.
Thanks

i like alternative and rock songs. i kinda like eagles too, i like their album "hell freezes over". any song will do as long as i can use for practising. i think slow song is better, since i am still a begginner. do you know any easy strumming songs? and how to strumm them?
just to give me an idea.

Hi guys,

I'm a newbie like Nzlectric, and I have the same need: How do I strum to different songs?

Thanks Roger Guppy for your inspiration. I hope to be there one day, when you just "Don't think about it - feel it."

But for now, that's impossible. It hasn't come to me yet. And I don't care. I just want to play the songs "the standard way". And get the feel for my guitar.

Having worked my way through the strumming examples on http://www.grouptherapy.guernsey.net/strumming.html  I feel there is hope! My guitar never sounded so good. Want more!

I'd like some help finding more examples of strumming patterns for well known songs. Nothing fancy, just something like: " 'Jolene' goes DDUUD". Are there sites like that? Or do you have 10 songs laying around with patters you could copy into this thread? I'm sure it would make many newbeginners happy.

Thanks in advance
Robert

My girlfriend always ribs me because I play the same strumming pattern. Not necessarily the whole strum the same, but maybe a downstroke followed immediately by a quick upstroke, usually before or just after I change a chord. It has annoyed me before, or maybe I was just getting annoyed at her for pointing it out.

Then maybe, I'm unconsciously doing as Roger Guppy has said and being myself, playing the song my way. Lately I've played a lot of Patience (GnR), Every Rose (Poison) and Wonderwall (Oasis) as practice, and every song (when I play it) contains that extra little upstroke.

Just play the song and have fun with it.

Dylan.