Topic: strum patterns

Hello all,

I searched this forum for strumming patterns and alot of them had the same advice. It was to listen to and "feel" the music and try to get the pattern or just make it up.
As a beginner, which all the people looking for strum patterns were, I can tell you that is not an easy task.
First off, the original song usually doesn't sound anaything like an acoustic version you want to play.
Second, I cannot, for the life of me, hear a pattern in a song. How can you pick out a guitar strum amidst a lead and rhythm guitar, bass, and drums?
Third, we as beginners can't tell if something sounds right because we can't play well enough to say if it sounds like it should.
Lastly, we want to sound like the song sounds. It encourages us if we get it to sound good.We don't want to make stuff up. 
I have been using youtube alot. I find video lessons that show the strum patterns. They are invaluable! So far I am working on 5 songs. I can tell that I'm getting better, but have hit a wall. I want to try more songs, but not knowing the strum patterns leaves me dry.
It would be awesome if we could start a forum for posting strum patterns. We could ask and someone could post it. Good idea?????

Keep playing!!!

Keep Rockin!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: strum patterns

Zguitar,  Welcome to Chordie!

  Strum patterns are a difficult subject to broach within the limitations of language.  Which may be why it is difficult to get help with them.  The best teacher is by doing and especially if it can be visually reinforced or introduced via video.  I would be looking at anything by justinguitar on you tube, as his stuff is really good, and it is just one guy and his axe in a small studio, communicating in plain language! 

  But honestly most of us just do our thing and it happens to sound very much like we are following some recipe out of a book somewhere.  Strumming is the prime function of the rhythm guitar guy, and he is following and augmenting the percussion and bass line of the tune.  So in there with the drummer and bassist is where you are going to find the strum pattern, which is hard to hear as an individual instrument in even a fairly small ensemble.  But the beat is your guide.

  Sorry I can't give you a better answer, but after so many years  of playing it all seems to be automatic... not that it wasn't difficult at first and maybe a little awkward.  Just too easy to forget what the early years were like all the time.

The nice thing about Chordie is that we are here to help each other as we can, and I'm sure that more learned minds than mine will come through with other responses that may serve you better.  Visit often and you will find a wealth of information at your disposal that can't be replicated anywhere else on the web.  People helping people, a community with the common bond of music,
making the world a smaller and friendlier place every day.

Keep making music... it just gets better and better, and again Welcome to Chordie!

Take Care;
Doug

"what is this quintessence of dust?"  - Shakespeare

Re: strum patterns

Hey.

I can appreciate that you want to sound like the song, but by looking at the pattern, or someone showing you, your not really learning.

It might seem hard at first, but my advice is whack the song on an ipod, and put it on repeat for 20 - 30 minutes. shut your eyes and listen. It helps to tap your foot along to the rhythm, and to "fake" strum with your arm. find a motion that feels right and fits with the song. it doesn't matter if its perfect. The point is that you have worked out on your own, how to play the song. The more you do this, the better you will become.

You have to crawl before you can walk. These things take time, and they will come to you. practice practice practice!

But against all I have said, the strum pattern for Mrs. Robinson is :
You can find the chords anywhere.

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
D    D U   U D U

Good luck.

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Re: strum patterns

As a "total" novice I feel a little awkward giving advice.  I have 6 songs I'm currently learning all from different genres, they're just songs and tunes that I love to here and play.  However, even as a total novice I like to put my interpretation into them so they sound like "my songs" rather than the originals.  Yes the melody is the same but thats it!

What I have found that the better I get (and we are still taking pants) and the faster I can change chords, I find myself putting in different strumming paterns without thinking about it, I guess this is "feeling" the music?  It can be annoying as I struggle to get a C without missing a beat (forget F's and B's for now) and when adding strumming paterns I have less time to change chords but ultimately I think subconciously I'm pushing my self, which is good.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you truly listen to the tune you'll do it anyway but I have spent 36 years listening to acoustic guitar music which has definately helped me.

Hope this helps.

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

Re: strum patterns

I've tried to explain this a few times...

The way I usually try to explain this to folk is like this...

Listen to the song, and with your strumming hand hit out the rythm, along with the song, on your leg or something. Like pretend drumming, but with one hand. Once you get into the rythm your hand will be bashing out a beat on your leg and you can usually pick up from that what's an down beat (strum) and what's an upbeat (strum).

It's hard to explain without showing you, but it's the best I can do.

If you get the rythm right then it WILL sound like the song. Trust me....

Is anything really made up of zeros and ones??

Re: strum patterns

I've struggled for years with this same problem.  Mostly because I have been an on and off player over the years.  I have found that since I am practicing every day now that after a while it just seems to fall in place.  I concentrate on singing the melody as I play the chords and eventually it just happens.  I don't usually strum like the original song, but my singing puts the chord playing in the background and it sounds pretty good.  It does take practice and with plenty of that, you will notice a difference over time.

You can see all my video covers on [url]http://www.youtube.com/bensonp1000[/url]
I have finally found happiness in my life.  Guitars, singing, beer and camping.  And they all intertwine wonderfully.

Re: strum patterns

Zguitar,   Hi, this is my first post on this forum and I am a new guitar player as of the new year!  I would like to say that this website is very helpful with a wealth of knowledge and info!!!  You sound like you're in the same boat I am in with the strumming........I kinda feel like with strumming and patterns, some people are blessed with this and some aren't!!!  I'm one of the aren'ts,  LOL!  I think a person who is not very good at strumming can still pick this up, it's just something that we're going to have to work a little harder at to get to that next level!!  I really think the best way is to listen and feel your way through this.........I think picking up a few basic strum patterns is good, just so you know some basics and then maybe once you get your feet wet with those, just start experimenting and branch out.........I still have not branched out yet myself!  It's fun though......

Take care,  Nascarfan

Re: strum patterns

The problem you have is the same problem that even experienced players have on a lot of songs - so dont worry to much ... sometimes you got to make it up as you go along .

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

Re: strum patterns

The best advice I can give is to learn from Justin

www.justinguitar.com

He has a section on learning strum patterns that I learned from ... I was able to pick it up in one day ... extremely helpful

"Rhythm drives the Rock-n-Roll train"

Gibson Les Paul/PRS Custom/Ovation Celebrity Koa
Line6 SpiderIII 75

Re: strum patterns

Hi Zguitar,
I don't pretend to know all the struming patterns, but what I have found out is learn the tune

of the song you want to strum, and learn it well.  then play until you are getting the Chord

progression down right and smothly. then play the song many times, don;t try and conintrate

on the strum pattern, it will come in time.  Also if you end up strumming your own style that's

good, who says the strum pattern is set in stone.  I tend to play a lot of my songs and let my

right hand and arm go with the flow of the music, it works for me and it sounds like the song I

am learning, but not just repeating robot style, you can have your own style.

Luck and Health to all!!!

Re: strum patterns

Thanks for everyone's input.

I've seen Justinguitar, he is a very good teacher. Siggi Mertens is on youtube also, and he's great too.
That's what I'm looknig for. Someone that just shows me how it's done. I learn better that way. It's like riding a bike. You can't learn to steer, pedal, and balance all at once. You have to learn one at a time. That's why I would rather have someone tell me what a strum pattern is to a certain song. If I can see a video to show me how to strum a song, then I can just focus on making it sound good. Not having to deal with making up a strum pattern also.  That's how I've learned so far. Problem is, I can't find videos on the songs I want to learn.

This is a good video on Google video about strum patterns.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid … 1482366891

Keep playing!

Keep Rockin!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: strum patterns

Well Zguitar, I think you hit on the reason why it's so difficult for us to tell someone a strum pattern.  The songs people want to play have all sorts of instrumentation and often additional engineering and production work done to them.  And then someone wants to play a single acoustic guitar and either make it sound like an entire band, or they have a particular sound in their head that they want to get out but don't know how to express that to get help with a strum pattern that will make that sound. 

I encourage you to continue searching for lessons on the web, and also to keep asking for what you need to develop.  I'm just suggesting a reason why its sometimes difficult to get a straight answer to your questions.  It's not that people don't want to be helpful, that's for sure. 

Good luck and keep working on it. 

- 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

13 (edited by ApeDoctor 2009-01-16 13:54:53)

Re: strum patterns

Zurf wrote:

.  The songs people want to play have all sorts of instrumentation and often additional engineering and production work done to them.  And then someone wants to play a single acoustic guitar and either make it sound like an entire band, or they have a particular sound in their head that they want to get out but don't know how to express that to get help with a strum pattern that will make that sound. 

- Zurf

An interesting point about wanting to sound like the whole band. A great deal of performers who do "acoustic" versions of their songs, often completely change the chords, chord pattern and strumming to a degree.

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█ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █►
◥☼▲⊙▲⊙▲⊙▲⊙▲☼◤ -Mr T says: Quit yo jibba Jabba! You Ain't hurt!

Re: strum patterns

zguitar wrote:

Hello all,

I searched this forum for strumming patterns and alot of them had the same advice. It was to listen to and "feel" the music and try to get the pattern or just make it up.
As a beginner, which all the people looking for strum patterns were, I can tell you that is not an easy task.
First off, the original song usually doesn't sound anaything like an acoustic version you want to play.
Second, I cannot, for the life of me, hear a pattern in a song. How can you pick out a guitar strum amidst a lead and rhythm guitar, bass, and drums?
Third, we as beginners can't tell if something sounds right because we can't play well enough to say if it sounds like it should.
Lastly, we want to sound like the song sounds. It encourages us if we get it to sound good.We don't want to make stuff up. 
I have been using youtube alot. I find video lessons that show the strum patterns. They are invaluable! So far I am working on 5 songs. I can tell that I'm getting better, but have hit a wall. I want to try more songs, but not knowing the strum patterns leaves me dry.
It would be awesome if we could start a forum for posting strum patterns. We could ask and someone could post it. Good idea?????

Keep playing!!!

Having the song implanted in your head is a good thing, i am still fairly new to it and i find the lessons on you tube can be really helpful, just type the song name and lesson, sometimes you have to search a bit but they are all there. Or find a video of someone just playing it, it is easier to learn if the only instrument you can hear is the guitar. It will all fall into place eventually.

Vintage 12 string, Brunswick Acoustic, (Gordon Giltrap owned) Art and Lutherie, Lag J100,Vintage SG, Paul McCartney bass copy.

Re: strum patterns

Oddly once you start getting the timing down on songs, you come up with your own strum patterns ... usually I'll start trying some sort of pattern that seems completely off-tempo and after a few minutes, I'll have my own pattern down pat and it sounds rather well

Just remember, you don't always have to go by a songs original strum pattern, sometimes you can come up with a better version on your own

"Rhythm drives the Rock-n-Roll train"

Gibson Les Paul/PRS Custom/Ovation Celebrity Koa
Line6 SpiderIII 75

Re: strum patterns

Hi,
my first post here... what a fanastic site! I am 60 yrs old and picked my first guitar up at 16! Been round the guitar block several times and had a ball!

Strumming? Just keep doing it as other people say but one tip is... to familiarise yourself with a piece first DITCH YOUR IPOD! You said you had difficult picking the rythms out. PLay them on a CD player not an IPOD.... fiddle around with the left and right balance and you will be able to bring the rythm guitar out of the background and you'll be able to focus on it. And when the sound is in the room and not right in your ears over an earpiece you should be able to find it. Good luck.

Ian

17 (edited by zguitar 2009-01-27 00:53:28)

Re: strum patterns

Hi all,

Thanks for all your input and encouragement.
Here's an example of what I'm looking at. John Fogerty Deja Vu. It's an awesome song, came out a couple years ago. Anyway, I have listened to it about 40 times and I can't figure out the solo part. I'm watching the youtube video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkazf7znllQ It's acoustic, solo, and not that fast. If I can't get this little easy part, then how am I supposed to figure out a whole song?
Oh, and I don't have an IPOD.

Another thing, in the "absolute beginner" books on Chordie, there are a lot of songs with B and F chords. I don't know about anyone else, but if this is absolute beginner, then I might just give up. I know everone learns differently, but come on. After 6-9 months I can just now play Stand by Me & Mad World. Now I'm working on Last Kiss, Brown Eyed Girl, & Have You Ever Seen the Rain. The F is gonna take some time I think.

Thanks gang.

Keep Playing!!

Keep Rockin!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: strum patterns

Z - Cool song.  I think you're talking about the bridge and the first version here on Chordie looks like it.  Capo needs to be on 2nd fret I think.  C G D C G Em C G Em G....

http://www.chordie.com/chord.pere/www.u … ;id=138918

Most absolute beginners don't know how to play B or F.  Those bar chords come later.  If you try putting your fret hand with your index finger fully deep on the fret you may find strength comes along.  A lot of people (me too) initially use more of the tip of the index finger because it feels stronger.  Just play it rough for a month and you'll find it's easier.

19 (edited by Guitarpix 2009-01-27 13:20:14)

Re: strum patterns

Hey, Try this site out http://www.grouptherapy.guernsey.net/strumming.html If you'll scroll down towards the bottom of the page you'll find a list of songs with the strumming patterns and links to audio samples carrying you through the patterns. Very helpfull for beginners!!
Also youtube can help! Search for chords and strums to the song you're trying to learn and you may be surprised at what pops up. -Pix

[b][color=#FF0000]If your brain is part of the process, you're missing it. You should play like a drowning man, struggling to reach shore. If you can trap that feeling, then you have something.
[/color][/b]         [b]Peace of mind. That's my piece of mind...[/b]

Re: strum patterns

Hey z,

Maybe this site will help you to figure out how to develop rhythm patterns while playing. I've used it in the past and it's very helpful:

http://spytunes.co.uk/

Enjoy,

J

Re: strum patterns

Thanks for the info guys. Grouptherapy is an awesome website. If I could afford it I would totally do it. That's exactly what I'm looking for.
I've spent hours and hours on youtube. I can't find much that I'm looking for. Sometimes I can put together the info from 2 or 3 different videos.
If everyone would put the strum pattern on the chord sheets I wouldn't have this problem.

For Deja Vu, I'm looking for how to strum the bridge part.

Thanks again!!!

Keep Playing!!!!!!!!!

Keep Rockin!!!!!!!!!!!