• Registered: 2007-01-05
  • Posts: 1

Topic: Strumming and Rythem

I'm beginning to learn to play acoustic guitar, know several chords now but when I look on this site and others for how to play songs, I don't understand the strumming and rythem you should do.  For ex., Beth by Kiss is on this site with a simple EM-AM-DM, EM-AM-DM,F-EM-AM pattern, etc.  How many times to I strum?  4? for each chord, up and down? Thanks in advance for help.

  • upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
  • Unofficial king of Scotland
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  • From: Balloch, Scotland, UK, Earth
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 3,290

Re: Strumming and Rythem

Hi,


The chords in the song layout doesnt tell you how to strum it or what strumming pattern, it only shows what chords to use for the song.


What I do is if I do not know the song of by heart is listen and listen and listen again to the song, over and over until I got the rythum of the song in my head then the strumming comes easy when you pick up the guitar and have the lyrics and chords in front.

Sometimes the chords are in the wrong place on the song, this is where the editing comes in handy in your songbook. You can put chords in the correct place, change chords and take chords out that you think you dont need.


Hope that helps


Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • From: Perth Scotland
  • Registered: 2006-12-19
  • Posts: 235

Re: Strumming and Rythem

Hi, i'm just learning too but what i do is play it through with one strum on each chord first untill i'm confident enough that i'll be able to get the chords right in time if i throw in a few extra strums, and after that you'll be able to do it any way you like.