Topic: Streets of london strumming pattern
Hi all,
Can anyone help me, I can manage the chords but have not yet got the right strumming pattern for Streets of London - anyone help please?
- sumelton1
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Re: Streets of london strumming pattern
i thought it was picked? it is when i play it anyways.
I am playing all the right notes - but not necessarily in the right order! [Eric Morecombe]
- vheissu
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Re: Streets of london strumming pattern
It should be picked, but when I used to strum it, I find DDUDUUD sound ok.
Ben
It's not how well you play... It's how much effort you put into the playing
- cytania
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Re: Streets of london strumming pattern
My old guitar tutors used Streets as an example of how a basic song can be embellished. There are rundown's and all sorts that can be added. It works well with a 'pinch pick' but the basic 'clawhammer' travis pick will give it to you nicely. If you can't pick already then this is the first and most important finger pattern to master.
'The sound of the city seems to disappear'
- Roger Guppy
- The Laid Back Moderator
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Re: Streets of london strumming pattern
Hi Cytania,
Perhaps you would care to explain how to do the 'clawhammer' travis pick. Youngster who do not know this method would appreciate it, it is also handy for S.O.F.'s like me who have been playing since dinosaurs ruled the Earth and know several methods of finger picking but not what they are called. To be honest I would not know a 'travis pick' from a 'Mongolial nose pick' but I dare bet that if you can hum it then I can play it 
.
Roger
"Do, or do not; there is no try"
- cytania
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Re: Streets of london strumming pattern
Hi Roger, the Travis part comes from Merle Travis who was a banjo player. You can get very dense books on banjo rolls but the clawhammer is the key one.
Bend the ring and little finger of your right hand back. Make a claw shape so your hand looks like one of those hammers with two prongs for pulling nails. Now the thumb will play a root note followed by the index picking one string of the chord, then another thumb plucked root note and then the middle finger picks a string one lower than the index. Once you get the knack your fingers rock back and forth naturally, thumb on the downbeat, fingers on the 2 & 4. More variation comes in when the thumb alternates with the string lower than the root note for an 'alternating bassline'.
The great thing is you hold the chord and do the picking. Once you know the roots it all becomes second nature. Sometimes the finger notes you pick are the thinnest strings (outside pick) and sometimes the notes are more central (inside pick). It depends on the song.
'The sound of the city seems to disappear'
- cytania
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Re: Streets of london strumming pattern
Well I've been visiting sites on clawhammer and travis picking and found the subject is huge. I also think there's a bit of a US/UK terminology grey zone.
It all goes back to banjo again. Earle Scruggs used a system where each finger picked an individual string, but then there are only 5 strings on the banjo. Merle Travis struck with the thumb then used a backhanded downstroke, the nail striking several strings. The way I was taught to pick is all finger pads, so clearly I'm at odds with what Americans know as clawhammer...
Now do I order McCarthy's book on English fingerstyle to see it this sheds some light on the subject? What I like about the way I was taught was that it transfers easily and is simple to do. Some pick patterns are bonded to a particular style or song.
'The sound of the city seems to disappear'