Strumming Diagram
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Very Useful Strumming Patterns
Strumming Patterns are created by 'tailoring' the basic strumming techniques and even combining them to come up with a unique rhytmic pattern for accompanying a song.
Below are 6 very useful strumming patterns that can be use to play 100's if not thousands of songs.
Strumming Pattern 1:
This first strum pattern comes straight from the Eight Note strum techniques but intead of playing it with a down-up strumming motion, we will only be using downstrokes all the way through. Now, another thing that we're changing to make it sound interesting is to strum just portion of the strings on certain places/beats. In this particular pattern, we're just going to strum the Bass strings on every &'s (up beats) as well as on the down beat of beat 3.
As simple as it may seem, this pattern can be use in many popular songs and it kinda reminds me of 'The Scientist' by Coldplay..:). This is also a good one to use for playing 'Zombie' by The Cranberries.
Strumming Pattern 2:
This one combines the basic Quarter Note strum with the Eight Note strum.
It starts off with a Quarter Note strum on the 1st beat before changing to an Eight Note strum for the rest of the beats. Suitable for medium tempo songs such as 'Runaway Train' by Soul Asylum.
*Notice that the Eight Note strum are played on the treble strings with a strict down-up strumming motion.
Note: It is not necessary to strike all the strings when doing the upstroke. this is a common way to execute an upstroke where you just have to catch portions of the strings and most of the time, the treble strings as illustrated above.
Strumming Pattern 3:
Here we have the previous strum pattern 2 with a missed strum(m) on the 3rd beat. The missed strum gives us the effect of a 'Tie' or sustain on the & of the 2nd beat going to the 3rd beat. Again a very useful pattern that you can use in songs such as 'Sweet Child Of Mind' by Guns n' Roses.
Strumming pattern 4:
This is a strum pattern that are making use of all the strumming techniques discuss earlier.
It start off with a Quarter Note strum on the 1st beat before changing to an Eight Note strum for the 1st half of the 2nd beat. After that a quick down-up Sixteenth Note strum is snuck on the & of the 2nd beat. The pattern repeats for beats 3 and 4. This particular pattern is a nice one to use for playing slow tempo songs such as 'Wonderful Tonight' by Eric Clapton.
Strumming Pattern 5:
Now we are getting busier. A lot of action happening in this one and it is a very versatile strumming pattern that can fit into many slow or medium tempo songs.
It uses all the strumming techniques as with the previous pattern but this one has more groove to it.
If you haven't done so, listen to the audio example and you'll get what I mean.
Tip: Keep your hand moving in a 'Pendulum' like motion as when you were doing the sixteenth note strum. Be careful not to hit the strings where you're not suppose to. This can be a tricky method, but with practice you will eventually get it..:)
Strumming Pattern 6:
This comes straight from the 'Triplet' strumming technique. It can be use to play songs in 6/8 time such as 'House Of The Raising Sun'.
Now that you have a set of very useful strumming pattern that you can use, the next step is to develop an awareness of what strumming pattern works with what song. I have suggested a few songs as an example and now it your job to experiment them with other songs that you know.
I hope I had given you a clear example on how the basic strumming techniques can be reduce and combine to create a strumming pattern. You should try to come up with a strumming pattern of your own based on these ideas.
Also take note that varying which part of the strings (bass or treble) that you strike will add interest to the strumming pattern.
Watch strumming lesson on Video here.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Back to Beginners Lessons
____________________________________________________________________________________
Very Useful Strumming Patterns
Strumming Patterns are created by 'tailoring' the basic strumming techniques and even combining them to come up with a unique rhytmic pattern for accompanying a song.
Below are 6 very useful strumming patterns that can be use to play 100's if not thousands of songs.
Strumming Pattern 1:
This first strum pattern comes straight from the Eight Note strum techniques but intead of playing it with a down-up strumming motion, we will only be using downstrokes all the way through. Now, another thing that we're changing to make it sound interesting is to strum just portion of the strings on certain places/beats. In this particular pattern, we're just going to strum the Bass strings on every &'s (up beats) as well as on the down beat of beat 3.
As simple as it may seem, this pattern can be use in many popular songs and it kinda reminds me of 'The Scientist' by Coldplay..:). This is also a good one to use for playing 'Zombie' by The Cranberries.
Strumming Pattern 2:
This one combines the basic Quarter Note strum with the Eight Note strum.
It starts off with a Quarter Note strum on the 1st beat before changing to an Eight Note strum for the rest of the beats. Suitable for medium tempo songs such as 'Runaway Train' by Soul Asylum.
*Notice that the Eight Note strum are played on the treble strings with a strict down-up strumming motion.
Note: It is not necessary to strike all the strings when doing the upstroke. this is a common way to execute an upstroke where you just have to catch portions of the strings and most of the time, the treble strings as illustrated above.
Strumming Pattern 3:
Here we have the previous strum pattern 2 with a missed strum(m) on the 3rd beat. The missed strum gives us the effect of a 'Tie' or sustain on the & of the 2nd beat going to the 3rd beat. Again a very useful pattern that you can use in songs such as 'Sweet Child Of Mind' by Guns n' Roses.
Strumming pattern 4:
This is a strum pattern that are making use of all the strumming techniques discuss earlier.
It start off with a Quarter Note strum on the 1st beat before changing to an Eight Note strum for the 1st half of the 2nd beat. After that a quick down-up Sixteenth Note strum is snuck on the & of the 2nd beat. The pattern repeats for beats 3 and 4. This particular pattern is a nice one to use for playing slow tempo songs such as 'Wonderful Tonight' by Eric Clapton.
Strumming Pattern 5:
Now we are getting busier. A lot of action happening in this one and it is a very versatile strumming pattern that can fit into many slow or medium tempo songs.
It uses all the strumming techniques as with the previous pattern but this one has more groove to it.
If you haven't done so, listen to the audio example and you'll get what I mean.
Tip: Keep your hand moving in a 'Pendulum' like motion as when you were doing the sixteenth note strum. Be careful not to hit the strings where you're not suppose to. This can be a tricky method, but with practice you will eventually get it..:)
Strumming Pattern 6:
This comes straight from the 'Triplet' strumming technique. It can be use to play songs in 6/8 time such as 'House Of The Raising Sun'.
Now that you have a set of very useful strumming pattern that you can use, the next step is to develop an awareness of what strumming pattern works with what song. I have suggested a few songs as an example and now it your job to experiment them with other songs that you know.
I hope I had given you a clear example on how the basic strumming techniques can be reduce and combine to create a strumming pattern. You should try to come up with a strumming pattern of your own based on these ideas.
Also take note that varying which part of the strings (bass or treble) that you strike will add interest to the strumming pattern.
Watch strumming lesson on Video here.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Back to Beginners Lessons
