Topic: Strumming help

Hey all

I've been playing the ukulele for over a year, and I must say I have become quite decent at it.  I decided to buy a guitar and I have a question about the strumming.

On the uke, you hit all strings all the time when strumming.  But on the guitar, there are certain chords that you omit strings from.  The C chord comes to mind.

Is there a trick while strumming to note hitting the strings I'm not supposed to?  With the C, I hit the top string all the time without meaning to.

Thanks

Re: Strumming help

Buble the top string is a E string in a C major chord the notes are C E G or 135 so its ok to hit the 1st string E because its in the chord but try and avoid hitting the low E or 6th string it is not a desireable sound it can be muted with the 3rd finger by just touching it this is done (muting) with a lot of chords smile

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Re: Strumming help

Practice is the only solution.  I hate the ones where you have to mute a string between other strings to get the chord.  I suppose Russell the mutant can play those too. 

- 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

Re: Strumming help

I dont understand whats being said here about the C chord ... as  the chord as i know it is played with all the strings and none missed out ie .. 332010 or Have i got it wrong  ?...

any resemblance to my songs sounding anything like the original is highly unlikely.

Re: Strumming help

all your doing is adding the 5th of the C chord (G) as the root  332010 is G C E G C E you could also note this as C/G , you said earlier you were hitting the top string without meaning to I just pointed out that its ok to hit it because its part of the chord smile

evsynator wrote:

I dont understand whats being said here about the C chord ... as  the chord as i know it is played with all the strings and none missed out ie .. 332010 or Have i got it wrong  ?...

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Re: Strumming help

Buble wrote:

Hey all

I've been playing the ukulele for over a year, and I must say I have become quite decent at it.  I decided to buy a guitar and I have a question about the strumming.

On the uke, you hit all strings all the time when strumming.  But on the guitar, there are certain chords that you omit strings from.  The C chord comes to mind.

Is there a trick while strumming to note hitting the strings I'm not supposed to?  With the C, I hit the top string all the time without meaning to.

Thanks

In some songs the first strum emphasizes the root note (bass note) of the chord, so it will be important to learn how to catch just that particular string.  The thing that I find helpful is sort of strum that initial strum more in and out rather than up and down with regard to the face of the guitar.  Hope that makes some sense.

Re: Strumming help

Loved the description AcousticNoyz.

I hate /dislike intensely the C chord played with that bottom e, g will do, but e makes my mind froth.

Once you are happy playing and changing to the basic chords, you could start to pick out individual notes of the chord with your pick. You should at least be able to pick out the root - it will help you move your playing up the neck. It will sound like an old fashioned boom-chukka, but you can vary that till the cows come home.

"What's so funny 'bout peace, love and understandin' ."    Elvis Costello

Re: Strumming help

Thanks Alan. Funny how you learn one little thing after another and it all adds up.

Re: Strumming help

Sorry to dredge up an old thread but I have a related question and rather than post a new topic..

On the down stroke the base note should be the first string strummed and it sounds ok but on the upstroke it becomes the last note played and when I do it it sounds awful, to compensate I try to only hit the first 3 or 4 strings on the upstroke, perhaps only the 3 strings on a D?  This is the only way I can get an upstroke to sound "normal" and not deep and dead?

Epiphone EJ200  -  Epiphone SG400  -  Fender Strat Blacktop.
Blackstar HT 40 Club  -  Vox VT30 - Behringer ACX ultracoustic 1000

Re: Strumming help

Hi Crevs,

Being a player that uses a lot of upstrokes in my rhythm I just had to pick up a guitar to check out your comment. As long as the beat strokes of whatever you are playing are downwards and the upstrokes are a 'fill in' I see, well hear, no problem. Perhaps you are playing the upstroke too loud whereas the empasis should be on the beat (down) stroke.

You mentioned the D chord and I assume you mean the open D (XX0232) which is only played on 4 strings having D as the bass note therefore the upstroke is played on the same 4 strings The notes of the D chord are D, A and F# so playing the E string will give you a different chord and sound odd.

I hope that helps,

Roger

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

Re: Strumming help

Hi Buble,
Your choices with C chord are:
1. Play strings 1 thru 5 and avoid sounding the sixth string.
2. Drop your pinky in the sixth string third fret and get a G tone added underneath.
3. Let the fat edge of your finger deaden and mute the sixth string.

We pronounce it "Guf Coast".
Ya'll wanna go down to the Guf?

Re: Strumming help

I had the same problem and found option 3 to be the easiest solution. Came easily after a bit of technique adjustment and practice.

Re: Strumming help

For C, I reached over and muted the E string with my thumb for a long time.  Now I've learned to catch the A string and am trying to learn to keep my thumb where it belongs. 

For upstrokes, I frequently only play a few treble strings rather than all the strings of the chord.  It's OK to just grab two or three strings from the middle of the guitar too.  Whatever doesn't sound bad is good, unless you want bad for 'tension.'  I always call poorly formed chords 'tension.'  I pretend it makes me sound like a jazz musician to save my ego. 

- 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

Re: Strumming help

This is a perfect example of why resurrecting an old post, or hijacking a recent one is a bad idea.

Crevs resurrected Bubles thread with a related question but has recieved only one answer for his troubles. The other three later answers are directed at the original question, whereas a new new thread would have brought Crevs several replies I am sure.

I would also hazard a guess that at least one of the 3 recent respondents and others that have read this thread thought that I was going off my trolly replying about the chord of D when the original question was about the chord of C as they had not spotted Crevs query. If the did they are wrong - I went of my trolly years ago lol.

So the moral of this tale is that if you have a question start your own topic or risk being ignored.

Roger

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

Re: Strumming help

Cheers Roger wink

I think I sussed my problem and you were correct.  I don't think I've been rotating my wrist enough on the upstroke, the result being the pick was hitting the strings at almost 90 degrees resulting in a "harsh" sounding up strum!

Anyway, it's back to the drawing board for me!  I started learing online with Justin Sandicoe and after a few weeks, thinking I could play chords better than I actually could, I jumped feet first into trying to play every song I knew without knowing the basics.  Result, me learing to play guitar badley, out of time, strumming probems and more buzzing than a swarm of African bees on E!

I've now taken a few steps back, regrouped and be I'll be a little more patient in future.

Cheers

Epiphone EJ200  -  Epiphone SG400  -  Fender Strat Blacktop.
Blackstar HT 40 Club  -  Vox VT30 - Behringer ACX ultracoustic 1000

16 (edited by ApeDoctor 2009-02-12 11:34:11)

Re: Strumming help

To be honest I wouldn't worry about hitting all the strings on an up stroke. I think I normally only hit the top four (ish). In fact sometimes I find if you upstroke all the strings, the bass often sounds a bit rushed with the following down stroke if you get what I mean.

Justinguitar is a good place to start. Bear in mind though, that a guitar is a very personal instrument. Unlike the piano for example, there is never a right or a wrong way to do anything, remember to add your own individuality rather than just copying things, what feels comfortable to you is the main aim.

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