• Registered: 2008-09-25
  • Posts: 2

Topic: Help needed with strumming pattern and rythym

Been learning for a few months now and have learned quite a number of chords and can play a few songs that don't make my ears bleed.

I love Leonard cohen's "If It be your will" although i've listened to the song a million times and tried playing it, I can't work out whether the rythym is 3/4 or 4/4 and hence can't grasp the strumming pattern.

If anyone could help  with these I'd be a happy man

  • Registered: 2008-06-20
  • Posts: 139

Re: Help needed with strumming pattern and rythym

Hey DP,  My only advice for what it's worth is, Put the CD on close your eyes and try not to listine to the tune, try insteed to listen for the beet, and try and see if you can hear the strum of the Guitar. I think you should be able to get the timing of the song at least.
That's it for what it's worth?

Luck to all!!!

  • From: Almancil, Algarve, Portugal
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 6,204

Re: Help needed with strumming pattern and rythym

Hi DP and welcome to Chordie,

I have had a listen to this song for you and I was particularly impressed with this version of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MDlMdu2 … re=related

The song is 3/4 but if you are listening to the Leonard Cohen version I heard it had a fingerpicked guitar lead and that may just throw you for strumming to.

Roger

"Do, or do not; there is no try"

Roger Guppy's Website

  • Registered: 2008-09-07
  • Posts: 8

Re: Help needed with strumming pattern and rythym

Make it up. Thats what I do. Instead of trying to play songs exactly like the original artist, I just kind of put my own twist on it. Not so much to make it sound different, but just enough to make it my own.

  • Registered: 2008-09-25
  • Posts: 2

Re: Help needed with strumming pattern and rythym

Guys, thanks for the replies, especially Roger's which is by far the most helpful to a beginner, ie confirmation of the 3/4 beat.

In my opinion, the most difficult and frustrating part as a beginner is establising a strum pattern and the beat. I end up playing the same song many different ways and a lot of time end up giving up on a song because I don't have a definitive way to play it. Again, in my opinion, as a beginner, the greatest help you experts can give us beginners is to confirm the strum pattern (or a strum pattern) and the beat. Once I have these, I can practice a song to death knowing I'm playing it in a consistent manner. In this way, I gain confidence by learning a few songs which should help me down the line to pick up the beat in new songs and create my own strum patterns for these - at the moment I cannot do either.

Thanks again Roger.