Topic: Strumming
I have posted some tips on strumming patterns
I thought I would put them together because theres still lots of requests
2 2007-10-28 12:08:38 (edited by johncross21 2008-03-29 21:26:39)
Re: Strumming
How to Strum songs
----------------------
What is strumming
----------------------
In general strumming patterns are used to sketch out a tune. Some songs are recorded with a simple strum pattern but most pop groups use a more complex rhythm - it might include a series of riffs or fragments of melody. However, that should not stop guitarists playing along to the songs using a simple strumming pattern.
Many solo guitarist rely on strumming patterns in at least part of their repetoire. For a solo guitarists a strumming pattern can provides more depth to the accompaniment than playing the lead part or melody.
Breaking a song into Bars
-------------------------------
First look carefully at the song and make sure that you can hear the whole song in your head.
You need to try to divide the song into "bars". These are the measures of time which govern the song structure. Think of them as sections of an equal length
The length of time each bar lasts will vary from song to song. A bar might last for 2 seconds for a rock song and 5 seconds for a slow ballad. Think about whether this is a ballad or a uptempo rock song.
It may help by starting to play equally spaced up and down strokes ( four downstrokes in every bar). This will help you find the appropriate tempo
Chord changes
-----------------
Next you have to try to work out the rate of chord change in the song
You might start by assuming that the chords change at the start of each bar. However there may be parts of the song where it becomes apparent that the same chord lasts for several bars. You may also find that there are parts of the song where the rate of chord changes picks up a bit. Two chords per bar is common.
For most rock songs each bar will be divided into four beats. The first beat in the bar typically has a very clear emphasis. This is called "common time" or 4/4 time.
Word on Rythm Notation
----------------------------
A word first about the notation used below
V indicates a down stroke
n indicates an upstroke
The first pattern is a common time pattern known simply as down strokes. These are four equal downstokes in each measure
1..2..3..4
V.V..V..V
The second pattern is called eights
It includes an upstroke between each downstroke
1...&..2...&...3...&...4...&...
V...n...V...n..V...n...V...n...
Re: Strumming
Blues strum patterns
------------------------
people often asking on Chordie for strumming patterns
1..&..2..&..3..&..4..&
........X.............X...
V..n..V..n..V..n..V..n
(try damping the strings on the 2 and 4 downstroke)
good for
Baby Please dont' go - Muddy Waters / Van Morrison
4 2007-10-28 12:17:30 (edited by johncross21 2008-03-29 21:12:08)
Re: Strumming
Rock Boogie/Shuffle
------------------------
Here 's another strum pattern - this time in TAB
Bb
E--------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A----8-----8---10---8---8---8---10---8-----------
E----6-----6----6---6---6---6----6----6----------
Eb
E-------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------
D----8-----8---10---8---8---8---10---8-----------
A----6-----6----6---6---6---6----6----6----------
E--------------------------------------------------------
F
E--------------------------------------------------------
B------------------------------------------------------
G---------------------------------------------------------
D---10---10----12---10----10---10----10---12--10---
A----8----8------8----8-----8-----8-----8----8----8
E-----------------------------------------------------
In ecah case the first finger should be on the lowest note and the second finger on the string above. Lift the third finger on and off the higher string to produce the distinctive shuffle sound
Try this with a a 12 bar blues pattern like this one
Bb // Bb // Bb // Bb // Eb // Eb // Bb // Bb // F // F // Bb // Bb
Eg Johnny B Goode
similar patterns on Get Back and loads of other songs
5 2007-10-28 12:21:17 (edited by johncross21 2008-03-29 21:12:38)
Re: Strumming
Punk strumming patterns
------------------------------
It has to be said that punk rock does have a reputation for sloppy technique
However to be fair whilst some punk is a little primitive there are many punk guitarists with a great deal of skills - especially in terms of rthym guitar
there is certainly an old legend that punk can all be played on three chords -the famous punk rock chords A D And E. that is a bit a myth and to play punk well you will need to be able to play maj and minor barre chords.
the basic punk strum is downstrokes
1...&....2...&...3...&...4
V...V...V...V...V...V...V
This is usually embellished
For example here is a rythym pattern using mainly downstrokes
1...&...2....&...3....&...4....&...1...&.....2.....&....3...&....4...&
8........8....8...8....8....8.............................................
8........8....8...8....8....8........10..10...10.........12..12..12....
9........9....9...9....9....9........10..10...10.........12..12..12....
10......10..10..10..10..10.......10..10...10..... ...12..12..12...
10......10..10..10..10..10..8....8...8.....8....0....10..10..10...0
8........8....8...8....8....8....8...8....8....8.....0....10..10..10...0
Another defining feature of punk is mixing open and damped chords.
you damp the sound of the barre chords by releasing the pressure on the fret after playing
a common sequence is
A G
1...&...2...&...3...&...4.. &
V....... X...X.. V...... X...X
this is often used to add interest to a progression using downstrokes
6 2007-10-28 12:22:36 (edited by johncross21 2008-03-29 21:17:51)
Re: Strumming
Fingerpicking
---------------
Fingerpicking patterns make excellent accompaniments
They are used in countless songs and are common in rock 'n roll, folk
and country.
The basic idea is very simple, make an open chord shape with your left hand and then pluck the strings in turn. The trick is that the right hand plays a constantly repeating pattern throughout the song
The simplest pattern for Rock is this
D
----------------2------------------2------
-----------3----------3---------3--------3---
-----2--------------------2--------------
------------------------------------------------
--------- --------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
In the next example, the arpeggio starts on the root note of the chord
so for example the pattern for A start on the A note on the 5th string
Am
----------------------------0----------------------------
----------------------1-----------1----------------------
----------------2------------------------2---------------
---------2----------------------------------------------
---0---------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------
E
-------------------------0-------------------------------
--------------------------------0----------------------
------------------1------------------2---------------------
------------ 2--------------------------------
------- 2----------------------------------------
----0-------------------------------------------------
D
--------------------2---2----------------------
-------------3-----------------3------------------
--------2---------------------------2--------------
---0--------------------------------------------
-------- --------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
C
----------------------------0----------------------------
----------------------1-----------1----------------------
----------------0-----------------------0---------------
---------2----------------------------------------------
---3---------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------
F
------------------------1---1----------------------------
-----------------1---------------1----------------------
----------2----------------------------2---------------
-----3----------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------
These arpeggios are used to play "House of the Rising Sun" by The Animals
7 2007-10-28 12:25:19 (edited by johncross21 2008-03-29 21:13:11)
Re: Strumming
Sixteenths and Funk
-----------------------
Many songs use 16th note strumming patterns
These pattern were originally popularised by Jimmy Nolen who played guitar for James Brown. Unlike eight note strums which are counted 1&2&3&4. A 16th note pattern is counted 1a&a2a&a3a&a4a&a. For example
1...a...&...a...2...a...&...a...3...a....&...a...4...a...&...a...
V...n...V...n...V...n...V...n...V...n...V...n...V...n...V...n..
X...X.. X..X...X..X...X...X...X...X...X...X...X...X..X...X..
Funk music tend to uses barre chords and lots of left hand damping. This is often achieved
by releasing the pressure on the frets of the guitar slightly to produce a slightly muted sound. Chords which are damped are indicated with a X
for really good examples of this style look out for Shaft By Issac Hayes or "jive talking" by the Bee Gees
Generally guitarist playing 16th patterns will skip some of the strokes.
This example is the rhythm pattern for "Good times" By Chic
Em
1...a...&...a...2...a...&...a...3...a....&...a...4...a...&...a...
V.......V....n...V...... V...n...V........V...n...V. .....V...n..
........ X....X............X..X..............X...X..X........X...X
Bm7
1...a...&...a...2...a...&...a...3...a....&...a...4...a...&...a...
V........V.......V.......V..... .. V........V........V.......V. .n....
....................................................................X...X..
The guitarist and songwriter in Chic was Nile Rodgers and there is a rather good video of him playing this on You Tube.
Re: Strumming
Ska
----
Ska is a great groove because it is very distinctive
It is usually played with barre chords so that the chords can be damped with the left hand to produce a staccato sound (after you have played the chord release the pressure on the left hand slightly to stop the chord ringing)
Another characteristic of ska is that it uses mainly upstrokes and play only the top four strings when doing so . That gives the rhythm its distinctive treble sound
Here's the basic rhythm
1... &... 2... &... 3... &... 4... &...
......n...........n.........n...........n
remember the upstrokes (n) should be stacatto
a variation
1... &... 2... &... 3... &... 4... &
......n..........n...........n....V....n
and another
1... &... 2... &... 3... &... 4... &
......n....V....n..........n....V....n
famous songs include
shanty town - desmond dekker
maytalls - monkey man
specials - rudi, a message to you
check out the specials
9 2007-10-28 12:29:22 (edited by johncross21 2008-03-29 21:13:58)
Re: Strumming
Bass strum
------------
Sometime ago I noticed that there were regular requests for strum patterns on this forum
Here is a "bass" strum pattern. It is often used in country music but can be applied to ballads in any style.
Try it with this chord progression, A D E
.......1.... 2....3....1...2...3....1...2...3.......
E............0.....0........2...2.........0...0.......
B............2.....2........3...3.........0...0.....
G............2.....2........2...2.........1...1....
D.....0..................................................
A.........................0..............................
E.......................................0................
The key to this pattern is to play the "root" note of the chord followed by the top three notes of the chord. The chords in these examples are all open chords
In the example, above, the pattern is in waltz time which means that there are 3 beats in every bar. This is quite common with bass strum. Think of Amazing Grace or Tennessee Waltz
To get the hang of those root notes try this chord progression E C G. You will notice that the root note of the C chord is on the 3rd fret. That should be easy to do if you are holding the open C chord
.1.... 2....3....4...1...2...3....4...1...2...3...4...
------0----0---0------0---0---0------3---3---3
------0----0---0------1---1---1------0---0---0
------1----1---1------0---0---0------0---0---0
----------------------------------------------------
------ -------------3------------------------------
-0---------------------------------3----------------
Its also common to vary the bass notes which are played with each chord. Try playing the root note and the next time play the 5th string
This is a two bar progression of E and D
.1.... &....2....&....3...&...4...&...1....&...2...&...3...&...4...&...
-----------2----2-----------2---2----------0---0----------0---0
-----------3----3-----------3---3----------0---0----------0---0
-----------2----2-----------2---2----------1---1----------1---1
-0------------------------------------------------------------------
-------- ------------0--------------------------------0----------------
-------------------------------------0-----------------------------------
Popular songs which use bass strum patterns include
"Me and Booby Mcgee". Janis Joplin or Kris Kristopherson did this
"I walk the line" - John Cash at San Quentin
10 2007-10-28 12:31:06 (edited by johncross21 2008-03-29 21:17:02)
Re: Strumming
Reggae
---------
The key features of playing reggae are playing on the backbeat and staccato strumming
Playing on the backbeat means that you play the chord on the second beat of the bar and the fourth beat rather than the first and third beats as in Rock.
and in some reggae songs the kick and snare drums are played on the third beat of the bar (this is called a one drop groove). it also produces a slightly laid back feel.
You will see in the example below that the guitar is played on the 2nd and 4th beat
Staccato strums is where you use barre chords and lots of left hand damping. Chords which are damped are indicated with a @. This effect is achieved by releasing the pressure on the frets of the guitar with the left hand (so you mute the chord immediately after playing it)
Heres an example of a pattern
1..&..2..&..3..&...4...&
...........@..........@...
........V..n...........V......
Check out Junior Murvin and his band playing police and thieves
Another example
1..&..2..&..3..&...4...&
...........@..............@...
........V..n...........V..n.....
make sure you watch Bob Marley and Peter Tosh in action with a great groove and video - playing stir it up
You will notice that theres a lot of damping (that chicka chicka sound). It gives a very percussive sound
When I play reggae I can't resist adding a bit of extra percussion. Once every bar I slap the strings with the right hand instead of strumming the chord.
Re: Strumming
thanks 
- Zurf
- Blunt but well meaning moderator
- Offline
Re: Strumming
Very useful thread.
For a Country strum I use a bass note, down, down, up, skip, up, up, down pattern. For everything. I'm not real creative.
- Zurf
Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude
Re: Strumming
oh, thats a good idea Zurf:D
Re: Strumming
Very helpful. Thank you for submitting this .
Re: Strumming
Thank You John Cross21, Very helpful.
...Badeye.
one caper after another
Re: Strumming
How do I strum a song shown on Chordie - still seems to be a Frequently Asked Question
The most popular tip is start with a simple alternating Rhythm
Mixing downstrokes and upstrokes
D U D U D U D U
Re: Strumming
Ummm..I'm really new to the guitar and to me this is like mumbo jumbo! I still don't know when to use what strumming pattern so i tend to play along to the song and just genrally feel it. Thankyou for the guide.
Music is a Meaningful Magic......x