Strumming tips

Teferi

I've just recently picked up the guitar. I'm getting lessons at the moment because I want to get the basics down properly but in my own time I go searching for easy enough songs that I want to play. I have no problem understanding the tabs and chords and whatever else have you but I do have trouble picking up the strumming of a song.

Anybody have any tips for picking that up?

NoQuarter

just experience i reckon!

i dont know of any hints or tips i could tell you that would improve that, its just something that comes to ya i think!

Banjo

Get a metronome. Play through whatever chord sequences you like in 4/4 time at a reasonably sedate bpm, hitting solid Down-down-down-down or up-up-up-up strokes - get your wrist and arm used to the movement, keep it in time with the rhythm. Then switch to down-up-down-up-down-up-down-up. Once you can do that, start dropping out some of the down or up strokes but keep your movement steady (so you're doing the same down-up motion every time but not always hitting the strings) and before you know it, you're strumming like clarence carter strokes.

Malice

Teferi wrote: »

I do have trouble picking up the strumming of a song.

Anybody have any tips for picking that up?

I'm not sure what you mean exactly. Do you mean you have trouble picking up the rhythm of a song or do you find it hard to keep time with the song or something else entirely?

As Banjo says, start slowly with whatever song you're trying to learn. Once you can get all the chord changes done in time without messing up, increase the speed of your play a bit. Keep repeating this until you're playing as fast as the original song.

To keep track of the number of repetitions of a riff I have to play I find it helpful to count it to myself each time I play it so that I know exactly when to change. Of course if you lose your count you'll be in trouble .

windsurfer99ie

I too have difficulty in finding a simple strumming pattern by listening to a song.I choose beginner lessons where the teacher suggests a strumming pattern.The "song and tab" section of www.justinguitar.com is simply brilliant (I have no connection with this website other than I, like thousands of others, use it regularly). In general you can do a search on youtube to help you e.g.
"viva la vida strumming pattern"

will often yield something useful

studiorat

It's just one of those things that comes with practice. One thing though, it should be a wrist movement rather than from the elbow. Try a few different plectrum thicknesses, you might find a softer one easier at the start.