• From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Topic: IN ADDITION OF STRUMMING (JOHN CROSS)

Is it really necessary to play guitar using a particular strumming?
- When I play acoustic, I DON'T PAY ATTENTION, about strumming. This is caused because I always played "my" way, and it is since chordie that I started to think about strumming.
- My strumming pattern is at random. I play the same song often different caused by my strumming
- My strumming pattern cann be 3 strums down, or 2 down and one up, or 4 down, one up.

1) IS IT NECESSARY TO FOLLOW A STRUMMING PATTERN?

2) SHOULD I PAY MORE ATTENTION ON MY STRUMMING, because in fact, even the difference between down and up, isn't a big difference for me. I play more "free" using strumming styles (up - down) more using my "feeling".
THANKS

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • Registered: 2008-02-18
  • Posts: 2

Re: IN ADDITION OF STRUMMING (JOHN CROSS)

Just do what comes naturally.

3 Reply by johncross21 (edited by johncross21 2008-04-09 21:31:40)

  • From: Orpington London
  • Registered: 2006-10-22
  • Posts: 390

Re: IN ADDITION OF STRUMMING (JOHN CROSS)

thanks guitar doc.

yes do what you want. but varying your strumming style can add interest to a piece and make it more obvious what you are trying to play

it sounds to me that rather than strumming randomly you already have three different and distinct strumming patterns.

I am interested that all your patterns have an odd number of strokes which suggests to me some varying in tempo within the pattern.

for example the second one is very popular for 3/3 time and waltz

1...2...3
V...V...n

but waltz time isn't very common in modern music so its more likely to be played like this -

1...2...3...4

V.......V...n

similarly the last pattern has five strokes but probably isn't counted as five equally space notes - it might be counted as follows

1...&...2...&..3...&...4...&...

V........V.......V.......V...n...

think about what you're doing - there are lots of other way to play the 3 patterns you suggested

and i suggest you try some simple alternate strumming - you might try eights -its a simple pattern which fits many modern songs and is good for rockier number

1...&...2...&...3...&...4...&...

V...n...V...n...V...n...V..n..
 
keep rocking...

johncross21's Website