Hey Friend,
Rene from Guatemala wants some pointers on developing rhythm with the strumming hand.
So hey, why not?!
Strumming is one of those fundamental things you HAVE to get familiar with on guitar.
It serves two functions
It creates sound from the guitar - just strumming across the strings causes them to vibrate and produce sound waves.
It creates movement in a song - this is the rhythmic part of playing guitar. That movement is the energy of the music.
Strumming is a very easy thing to do - brush a pick or your fingers across the strings - and yet it can take some effort to get your hand moving in the right pattern.
But it’s also one of those things that once you get the feel down, your body takes over and you don’t have to think about it anymore.
At its very simplest, a strum pattern is nothing more than a consistent “down / up” movement of your hand across the strings. If you keep the hand moving up and down along with the tempo of the song, you have the basics covered.
Something I want to point out here is that just because strumming is “easy," that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily simple.
Watch the two guitarists in this video and then come back:
“Cherish” by The Association
You can notice each is playing very distinct strum patterns, from simple single downward strums to a consistent down / up pattern with different accents and syncopation (strumming off beat to create interesting “hiccups.”).
Now watch the strumming here:
“Crazy On You” by Heart
Crazy is right, right? That’s some incredible strumming technique from Nancy Wilson.
But the common vein rhythmically between the two songs is that you can trace each pattern back to the easy down / up pattern.
Okay, where do we start?
As I said, strumming is about creating movement in the song. That motion give the song its energy.
A fast strum is upbeat and energetic, but a slower strum (or fingerpicking) allows for more thought and reflection.
Think about a song that starts with one pattern and changes to a different one as it progresses. This rhythmic change takes the listener on a ride, usually starting off slowly, then building up excitement or tension, then maybe slowing it back down at the end.
A good example is "Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin. It starts off slowly with a plucked progression, then morphs into high-energy power strums. They cap it off by slowing the tempo at the end and letting the instrumentation fade out while Robert Plant sings the last
notes.
Clearly, “Stairway” isn’t the first song you want to try and tackle on guitar!
One of the first things you have to do is get aware of rhythm.
As you listen to a song, identify where the main beats are. Start by simply tapping your foot along with the song. Your body understands rhythm and you will naturally, instinctive know where the main beats are.
Pay attention to the drums if the song has them. Otherwise, go with the feel. Just let your body pick up the beat - it knows!
Let your foot start tapping with the song. You might even start swaying to the natural beat of the song.
Once you have that going on, start to clap with each beat.
Don’t worry, it’s almost instinctual. Almost, but not quite.
Anthropologists have traced the origins of music back to the rhythmic patterns learned in nature long before humans learned how to speak.
What makes us different from all other animals is that we learned how to “entrain” with those rhythms. What this means is we can join in and synchronize with any beat we hear.
No other animals can do this. But we’ve been doing it for THOUSANDS of years, so you got this!
Alright, enough blah, blah, blah. Let’s go...
Here’s how to start developing your strum technique:
CAVEAT: these exercises are beneficial for beginners and seasoned players alike. You’d be surprised at how many long-time players are sloppy with their rhythm and timing. These will tighten up your sound, so as my drill sergeants used to yell, “DON’T CHEAT YOUR BODY!"
Don’t pick up your guitar just yet. First, take out your metronome (you have one, right?). Set it for a slow tempo (speed), like 80 BPM (beats per minute).
If you don’t have one, go to google.com on your computer/phone and type in the search field “online metronome”. Drag the little ball between the minus and plus signs to the tempo you want. Click the Play button (blue circle with white triangle in it). You’re welcome.
As it’s clicking (or beeping), I want you to clap along with it. Clap for each beat, and pay very close attention to clapping precisely on each click.
It should be so precise that you stop hearing the click and only hear your hands clap.
That gets you moving and used to the rhythm. It also helps you develop a good sense of timing, which is how accurate you are with your rhythm technique.
Now pick up your guitar. Strum downward across the strings on each beat. You don’t have to finger a chord or note, just strum the open strings.
Down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down…
One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four...
As you strum down one time for each beat, notice that your hand has to come back up in order to do the next down strum. I mean really notice that fact.
If you’re anything like me, you never stopped to think “Hey, my hand HAS to go back up in order to strum down again.”
I know, super obvious, but you’ve done something here I want to point out:
You strummed down against the strings, but you subconsciously lifted your hand back up without touching the strings to prepare for the next down strum.
This is important, because this very fundamental action is the basis for every strum pattern you will ever play! I know it sounds way too simplified, but EVERY strum pattern is built on the same set of actions:
Down and up
Brush or lift
All you have to "get" is the consistent down / up motion to the beat. Then it just comes down to whether you choose to brush the strings, or lift your hand up so it doesn’t touch the strings.
NOW, do the above exercise again, but this time INTENTIONALLY brush the strings on the upstroke.
Down / up, down / up, down / up, down / up, down / up, down / up, down / up, down / up…
One and, two and, three and, four and, one and, two and, three and, four and…
Alright, how’d that feel?
Good? Maybe a little choppy? No worries, nothing a little practice and repetition won’t fix.
That’s the key right there - practice and repetition. You’ve got to repeat the process, and you’ve got to intentionally practice it the best you can. Each time.
Try to make it sound good and consistent so that each motion is in time with the tempo of your metronome.
Seriously, do these exercises INTENTIONALLY FOCUSED for three minutes a day each for one week and you will start building powerful neural connections and muscle memory that will serve you for the rest of your guitar playing life.
If you want to finger a chord while you practice this, feel free. Just make it an easy one so you can FOCUS on your strumming hand.
Try this and let me know what challenges you run into. Do you think a live class would help?
Just reply to this email and let me know.
Peace~
Dave
