Strum Patterns

[herons]

I am just learning the guitar and i am having problems with strum patterns. I find a lot of songs that i wish to learn to play but i can not get the correct strum pattern. At the moment i am trying let her cry by Hootie and the Blowfish can you help me with the strum pattern. Sorry if that is a silly quetion but i am loving the thought of playing but fustrated that i can not work out the strum pattern..

[phantom]

Unfortunately i can't help you with that Blowfish song (cause i don't know it ), but here is what basically helps with strumming:

Get a metronome (if you don't already have one) and set it on a tempo like 120 bpm.
Now with count 1,2,3,4 with the clicks.
On 1 you strum down, on 2 up, on three down, on 4 up again.
Take care to have a steady and relaxed up and down motion with your right hand/arm.
Now set the metronome to half speed (60 bpm) but keep your strumming speed the same.
Count 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and.
On the numbers (downbeats) you have all downstrums on the "ands" (upbeats) you have upstrums. Keep it fluently and even.
Now try to leave out strumming the upbeats, but keep the hand moving in time.
Then try to leave out strumming the downbeats, but keep the hand moving in time.
Make up some patterns on your own, like:
Strum on 1 (+) 2 (+) 3 + 4 (+) , leave the ones in brackets out but keep the right arm swinging.
Now try 1 + (2) + 3 + (4) + , leave the ones in brackets out but keep the right arm swinging.

Come up with your own ones.. i'm sure you'll find most of them sounding pretty familiar.

Experiment with different tempos and accents. Most important of all:
Keep the motion even and relaxed .
If you stick to that rule then it shouldn't be too hard to figure out strumming patterns by ear after a while.

Hope it helped a bit.

[Malcolm]

Seems that when we first start we have to have the same strum pattern the artist used in the song.

I no longer worry with what the original artist did. This is the way I do this song. I know the artist did it differently but you are listening to me now, and I don't give it another thought. Takes all the pressure off, besides I'm never going to sound like the artist anyway. I'm doing it live and he had a sound stage and it took 27 takes before he got it the way it is on the CD.

IMHO - Take what Phantom pointed out ---- Develop your three to four strums and then wing it. You will have more fun.

[klinetls]

Here's the strumming pattern for "Let Her Cry" by hootie

/ means pause

One measure G DDdud/udu
One measure D DDdud/udu
One measure Cadd9 D//Dudu (only for beginning of song then for rest of cadd9 follow normal pattern.
Chorus G Cadd9

• In the chorus you can throw in an Em7 between the G and Cadd9

The beat is kinda slow so on the verses take a little time between the first and second downstrum. On this song I actually move my hand at 1/16 note speeds to keep the rhythm.

(Or you could do D D D D for each measure, very boring but try it to if your trying to sing to keep it easy until you develop your rhythm while singing at the same time.)

You can download powertab software and there is a powertab archive with this song played out, or email me, i've got it. johntkline@bellsouth.net