Four Basic Strumming Techniques
'Quarter Note Strum'
The most basic way to strum is by doing a Quarter Note strum or ‘Four To The Bar’ as they call it, simply means that we will be strumming the strings once on every downbeats. Let’s attempt this below:
1) Pick a chord to play (I would recommend an ‘E minor’ chord since it’s the easiest chord to play on the guitar).
2) Before we start strumming, we need to establish some sort of a pulse or beat in which to follow (I think you can remember how to do this from the previous lesson).
3) While tapping your foot and counting 1_2_3_4_1_2_3_4…etc (Remember not to tap to fast) start strumming to the beat by doing a ‘Downstroke’ (strum downwards across the strings) starting from the 6th string. Try not to strum to hard and as for the hand movement, keep it relax and use your arm as well as your wrist to do a ‘Lazy’ like hand movement when you strike the strings.
4) After the first ‘Downstroke’, bring your hand up again so that you’re ready to execute the next strum. Be careful not to make contact with the strings in the process. Don’t panic and bring your hand up to quickly, it should be at an equal speed as when you do your ‘Downstroke’.
Note: If you're having a hard time keeping a steady beat with the 'Tapping' method, I would recommend that you use a 'Metronome' (A metronome is a device that provides a steady clicking sound to establish the downbeats). So If you manage to get one, set it at around 60 to 70 BPM(beats per minute) and start playing to the clicks instead.
D = Downstroke
'Eight Note Strum'
The Eight Note Strum is performed by subdividing the beat into two equal strums, one on the down beat and one on the up beat.
A common way of strumming on the up beats is by doing an Upstroke (strumming upwards towards the ceiling).
* If you strum using your fingers than the appropriate finger to use for the upstroke is your thumb.
* When using a guitar pick, simply use the reverse side of the pick to strum upwards
D = Downstroke U = Upstroke
The audio example above is played at about the same tempo as the previous Quarter Note strum but notice that it's sounds a bit faster as a result of the &'s being played as well.
'Triplet Strum'
A basic Triplet Strum requires three strums per beat.
Think of it like this:
exa: 1-tri-plet 2-tri-plet 3-tri-plet 4-tri-plet...etc
As for the strumming technique, try playing it with the following strum motion:
D = Downstroke U = Upstroke
This can be a tricky strumming techniques and incase you're wondering where the &'s are in this example, they're still there but what you really need to concentrate on, is to execute three evenly spaced strums on each beat.
'Sixteenth Note Strum'
Now we're getting into a more advance strumming technique that requires four strums to the beat; the Sixteenth Note Strum.
New way of counting the beats
The sixteenth note strum is counted the following way:
| 1 2 3 4 | = Beat
1e&a 2e&a 3e&a 4e&a = Count
As you can see, the additional 'e' and 'a' that occur half way on the downbeats and the upbeats completes the four required count that each beat receives. In a strumming context, it would look like this:
D = Downstroke U = Upstroke
Notice that this is a much more 'busier' strumming technique that groups every beats into four equal strums.
Practice the sixteenth note strum by striking all the strings on every 1st of the four strums before striking just the treble strings on the other three strums. By doing this, you can remind yourself that you have completed four strums for each beat.
Each of these strumming techniques can be use as it is for playing songs, but often times there are 'Tailored' or even combined together to provide the appropriate accompaniment as needed by a given song. When these basic techniques are combined and arranged in a specific rhythm pattern, there are referred to as 'Strumming Pattern.
Head over to the next lesson for Strumming Patterns.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Back to Beginners Lessons
'Quarter Note Strum'
The most basic way to strum is by doing a Quarter Note strum or ‘Four To The Bar’ as they call it, simply means that we will be strumming the strings once on every downbeats. Let’s attempt this below:
1) Pick a chord to play (I would recommend an ‘E minor’ chord since it’s the easiest chord to play on the guitar).
2) Before we start strumming, we need to establish some sort of a pulse or beat in which to follow (I think you can remember how to do this from the previous lesson).
3) While tapping your foot and counting 1_2_3_4_1_2_3_4…etc (Remember not to tap to fast) start strumming to the beat by doing a ‘Downstroke’ (strum downwards across the strings) starting from the 6th string. Try not to strum to hard and as for the hand movement, keep it relax and use your arm as well as your wrist to do a ‘Lazy’ like hand movement when you strike the strings.
4) After the first ‘Downstroke’, bring your hand up again so that you’re ready to execute the next strum. Be careful not to make contact with the strings in the process. Don’t panic and bring your hand up to quickly, it should be at an equal speed as when you do your ‘Downstroke’.
Note: If you're having a hard time keeping a steady beat with the 'Tapping' method, I would recommend that you use a 'Metronome' (A metronome is a device that provides a steady clicking sound to establish the downbeats). So If you manage to get one, set it at around 60 to 70 BPM(beats per minute) and start playing to the clicks instead.
D = Downstroke
'Eight Note Strum'
The Eight Note Strum is performed by subdividing the beat into two equal strums, one on the down beat and one on the up beat.
A common way of strumming on the up beats is by doing an Upstroke (strumming upwards towards the ceiling).
* If you strum using your fingers than the appropriate finger to use for the upstroke is your thumb.
* When using a guitar pick, simply use the reverse side of the pick to strum upwards
D = Downstroke U = Upstroke
The audio example above is played at about the same tempo as the previous Quarter Note strum but notice that it's sounds a bit faster as a result of the &'s being played as well.
'Triplet Strum'
A basic Triplet Strum requires three strums per beat.
Think of it like this:
exa: 1-tri-plet 2-tri-plet 3-tri-plet 4-tri-plet...etc
As for the strumming technique, try playing it with the following strum motion:
D = Downstroke U = Upstroke
This can be a tricky strumming techniques and incase you're wondering where the &'s are in this example, they're still there but what you really need to concentrate on, is to execute three evenly spaced strums on each beat.
'Sixteenth Note Strum'
Now we're getting into a more advance strumming technique that requires four strums to the beat; the Sixteenth Note Strum.
New way of counting the beats
The sixteenth note strum is counted the following way:
| 1 2 3 4 | = Beat
1e&a 2e&a 3e&a 4e&a = Count
As you can see, the additional 'e' and 'a' that occur half way on the downbeats and the upbeats completes the four required count that each beat receives. In a strumming context, it would look like this:
D = Downstroke U = Upstroke
Notice that this is a much more 'busier' strumming technique that groups every beats into four equal strums.
Practice the sixteenth note strum by striking all the strings on every 1st of the four strums before striking just the treble strings on the other three strums. By doing this, you can remind yourself that you have completed four strums for each beat.
Each of these strumming techniques can be use as it is for playing songs, but often times there are 'Tailored' or even combined together to provide the appropriate accompaniment as needed by a given song. When these basic techniques are combined and arranged in a specific rhythm pattern, there are referred to as 'Strumming Pattern.
Head over to the next lesson for Strumming Patterns.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Back to Beginners Lessons
(Em)
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | =
D D D D
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | =
D D D D
(G)
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | =
D U D U D U D U
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | =
D U D U D U D U
(G)
| 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a | =
D U D U D U D U D U D U D U D U
| 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a | =
D U D U D U D U D U D U D U D U
(G)
| 1 2 3 4 | =
DUD DUD DUD DUD
| 1 2 3 4 | =
DUD DUD DUD DUD
