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Guitar chord forum - chordie → Chordie's Chat Corner → Strumming
I've been playing a lot of chords music lately and its brought me to the topic of strumming because sometimes i find it hard to come up with a pattern that fits the song. I find it most hard to come up with a strumming pattern for a slower song where there's lesson strums per chords. I was wondering if anyone could help me or suggest me a video to watch that will help me come up with a strum pattern for ever song I play.
David Taub at nextlevelguitar has some good strumming lessons on YouTube. Try some of these out and let us know what you think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovl6IV8Y … re=channel
Dave and the "GOOD PEOPLE" at Next Level have alot of good lessons. Check em' out.
I just follow the rythm of every song. Example have you ever found yourself playing imaginary drums when a song you like comes on the radio. I apply the same principal to the guitar, I just bang out the rythm in an up or down stroke. Oh and the most important thing, just keep practicing!!!! And don't cheat on your chords!!!! HAVE FUN!!!!
what is your level of ability?
if it is not very high, give it time-- you will start to learn to feel stuff out
when i was learning i always felt like i was playing the same strum pattern
but then everything evolved and now i just start playing and it all comes together
tons of stuff on you tube
Get a metronome or use one if you have it. Try to approximate the speed of the song. Then once you understand how the steady tempo of the song works in a simple click, click, click, click, then you can begin to get what's happening with the rhythm. With each click there's a strumittystrum, so them you know that the pattern is strumittystrum. Then the hard part is figuring out down strums from up strums. And that's pretty easy because down strums are usually very full sounding and upstrums are usually softer and higher pitched because many folks only use the treble strings on up strums. My advice is probably only good for folk and country music, so I recommend that you play folk and country music so that my advice makes sense. 
Right on Zurf,
Some metronomes have a tap tempo and instead of tapping your foot you can tap your finger on the tap button as you are listening to the song and it will tell you the tempo in BPM beats per minute and then set your metronome to the BPM and you have a good start.
Strumittystrum. I like it. A new word for our music dictionary.
If you are fairly adept at the instrument, when approaching a "slower" song, try just tapping and plucking around the strings while your other hand is forming the chords. It's pretty hard to hit a "clam," as the notes that form the chord will be pretty much all that is available to you. This, for me, is what makes playing a ballad much more interesting than just strumming all six (in MY case, FOUR) strings at the same time.
For more creative strumming patterns for faster songs, I'd get yourself a book of basic drum rudiments and try applying some of these to your guitar.
The other nice thing about a metronome is that once you get the pattern, you can slow down the tempo and practice the pattern slowly, increasing speed over time as you gain accuracy. With rhythm, accuracy is more important than speed. Speed will come, but accuracy must be practiced intentionally.
PapaTom - Good suggestion on drum instruction. I started out with trumpet, but broke one of my front teeth. For the period until I could get my tooth repaired, I took drum lessons. That month or two (I don't remember how long it was) of drumming instruction has been extremely useful to me throughout my musical life. I had forgotten all about that until reading your suggestion.
- Zurf
>>>PapaTom - Good suggestion on drum instruction.<<<<
Thanks. Every once in a while, I manage to contribute something worth a read 
Guitar chord forum - chordie → Chordie's Chat Corner → Strumming
