• Registered: 2007-04-03
  • Posts: 8

Topic: help for beginner please

I have been playing my new guitar for about 2 months now. I am just going through all the easy songs to enhance my chord knowledge and change speed. When I see songs in tab, because I cant read music, if I know the song is their any tips for how to work out the strum pattern. This is my biggest frustration. An example is can anyone tell me the strum pattern for " have you ever seen the rain" by CCR.


Please help. <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_biggrin.gif" border=0 alt="Very Happy">  <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_biggrin.gif" border=0 alt="Very Happy">  <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_biggrin.gif" border=0 alt="Very Happy">

  • Registered: 2006-08-29
  • Posts: 48

Re: help for beginner please

unfortunatley as a beginner its kind of hard to explain yet very easy when you can have a visual.its all based around time signature  and being familar with the song itself.however if you try to play along with the cd,record,radio,et.. and your guitar is not in tune with it. it will never sound acurate.so to get a visual/virtual lesson i would reccomend checking out.

      www.justinguitar.com   

i bet you find this helpful.

  • Registered: 2007-04-03
  • Posts: 8

Re: help for beginner please

Thank You satman...any advice is good advie at this stage in my playing...will have a look at the web site you recommended.


thanks  <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_biggrin.gif" border=0 alt="Very Happy">  <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_biggrin.gif" border=0 alt="Very Happy">  <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_biggrin.gif" border=0 alt="Very Happy">

  • Kahuna
  • Kahuna
  • Senior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2006-07-12
  • Posts: 290

Re: help for beginner please

Steve,


Fortunately, the strum pattern for your CCR song is pretty consistent throughout the song.  The strum pattern and timing would be the normal (while in chord) down/up, down/up, down/up, down up.  This makes one measure.  Try to strum down on each drum beat.  Let me know if this helps you.




<table border="0" align="center" width="90%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td class="SmallText"><b>stevemc62 wrote on Wed, 04 April 2007 11&#58;43</b></td></tr><tr><td class="quote">
I have been playing my new guitar for about 2 months now. I am just going through all the easy songs to enhance my chord knowledge and change speed. When I see songs in tab, because I cant read music, if I know the song is their any tips for how to work out the strum pattern. This is my biggest frustration. An example is can anyone tell me the strum pattern for " have you ever seen the rain" by CCR.


Please help. <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_biggrin.gif" border=0 alt="Very Happy">  <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_biggrin.gif" border=0 alt="Very Happy">  <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_biggrin.gif" border=0 alt="Very Happy">
</td></tr></table>

  • From: Sweden
  • Registered: 2007-01-09
  • Posts: 85

Re: help for beginner please

Hi Steve!

I've been playing for 5 month. A friend showed me a simple strum pattern when I had just bought my guitar. I sat practising the pattern on just any chord until it stuck. Now I always fall back to that pattern if I don't know the right strum, and most songs sound good with it.


The pattern is: down, down, up, up, down, up

You can vary strum speed, muting, tempo etc etc to fit almost any song. Don't get stuck on having to pin point the right strum pattern.


Another tip: If I have the song I want to learn on disc, mp3 etc I start it up on my stereo, mute all the strings with my left hand (just put your palm on them to silence them) and strum along with the song. After a while my right hand/brain finds the pattern. When I've worked through the song a couple of times and feel the strum rhythm, I stop the music, take my TAB/Chords and use the pattern I just learned (to see if it sounds good). By muting when training to the music it doesn't matter if your TAB/Chords are in the right key.


Some songs are harder because the artist vary tempo/strum in different parts of the same song.


Try it, hope it helps.

/Missen

If you love what you do, there's no need to be good at it...
  • From: Montreal
  • Registered: 2007-03-16
  • Posts: 312

Re: help for beginner please

Use your ears!. Listen to the song. Ask people you know and can sit and play with.

Try changing the way (style)the song is played. It fun to play say a heavy metal song with a country style.  <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_surprised.gif" border=0 alt="Surprised">

I may be goin' to hell in a bucket babe
  • Registered: 2006-08-15
  • Posts: 80

Re: help for beginner please

<table border="0" align="center" width="90%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td class="SmallText"><b>mhebert wrote on Fri, 13 April 2007 15&#58;00</b></td></tr><tr><td class="quote">
Use your ears!. Listen to the song. Ask people you know and can sit and play with.

Try changing the way (style)the song is played. It fun to play say a heavy metal song with a country style.  <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_surprised.gif" border=0 alt="Surprised">
</td></tr></table>


It's also fun to listen to John Wheeler doing that for you ;o)

  • From: Montreal
  • Registered: 2007-03-16
  • Posts: 312

Re: help for beginner please

<table border="0" align="center" width="90%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td class="SmallText"><b>dwvallance wrote on Fri, 13 April 2007 16&#58;40</b></td></tr><tr><td class="quote">
<table border="0" align="center" width="90%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td class="SmallText"><b>mhebert wrote on Fri, 13 April 2007 15&#58;00</b></td></tr><tr><td class="quote">
Use your ears!. Listen to the song. Ask people you know and can sit and play with.

Try changing the way (style)the song is played. It fun to play say a heavy metal song with a country style.  <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_surprised.gif" border=0 alt="Surprised">
</td></tr></table>


It's also fun to listen to John Wheeler doing that for you ;o)

</td></tr></table>



Hayseed Dixie fan?

I may be goin' to hell in a bucket babe
  • Registered: 2007-04-03
  • Posts: 8

Re: help for beginner please

Thanx to all who answered my plea for help.


Kahuna,,, the tip worked a treat. I have also started to listen more intently to songs and try and figure them out.


Thanxs to everyone for their advice.


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