Guitar question...?

Question

Hey I'm learning to play the guitar, and i have the chords and notes perfect..I'm just having a hard time strumming a steady good beat. Any suggestions for picking or fingering techniques?

Answer 1

You have to find the basic pulse of the beat and get your hand to swing to the beat. So, move your hand in a downward motion on the strong (down beats) beats and up on the week beats. Keep your hand chugging along and striking the strings on the way up and down. After you get used to that only strike the strings on the way down and not the way up. Now, on the way up and not the way down. Now, only on every other down beat. Get very comfortable with these basic beats before moving to more complex things.

The important thing is to keep your hand moving...even if a few beats go by where you don't actually strum the strings. Your hand is the time keeper....sort of like a metronome or a tapping foot (By the way use a metronome, and tap your foot as well).

Keep that hand moving....Get the steady (one and two and) beat before moving only to anything more complex. Keep the tempo slow(ish) before pickingup the speed.

Remember to stay relaxed and not to grip your pick to tightly.

http://www.chaddukes.org/

Answer 2

I believe a simple method works best and then can be expanded. When playing a basic four-four rhythm, first strike the fundamental tone--say the low G in the G chord, then flick downward (or upward simultaneously) with a forefinger or other fingers. That would be two beats. Repeating the process makes it a complete measure of four beats. You can repeat this method and then move on to the next chord.

Playing in three-quarter time (waltzes) simply strike first the fundamental tone of a chord and then strum downward two more times. That is a measure of three beats.

As you progress in the rhythm techniques, you can develop different rhythm patterns, but still stay within the measures indicated.

I started out this way almost 51 years ago and it led me into the fingerstyle method of Chet Atkins.

Answer 3

Just strum in time to the music. It just takes a little practice. Sometimes it's good to vary some picking patterns with strums as well. The timing is the key. Listen to the original song (assuming you're doing covers) and see where the pattern changes.

It's kinda hard to explain. Wish I could show you.

Answer 4

All good things with practice. At first make your on rhythms and keep going back to them and finally setting your own 'warm-up time'. Different styles of playing require different dexterity. Flat pick or finger picking, steel string to gut string, electric to acoustic.
If you really would like to do some acoustic strumming. Listen to The Who's "Tommy, a rock opera", and keep-up with Pete Townsend's acoustic back track on "Pinball Wizard". [Mr. Townsend would 'lay-down' an initial, lone acoustic guitar track on every song I heard them record]

Answer 5

Congratulations on the success you are having so far. It's always good to get good news. As far as strumming goes, I will share what I tell my students with you, and we'll see if it makes any sense to you.

Strumming with plectrum (pick)

Start by using the simplest rhythm possible on the quarter note

Down, up, down, up, down, up, down, up

Down on the first beat, Up on the second beat, Down on the third beat, Up on the fourth beat

Down on the odd beats, Up on the even beats

Now we'll do Half note, Quarter Quarter

Down (move up silently) Down up, Down (Move up silently) Down up
1 (2) 3, 4 1 (2) 3, 4

Next we we'll do eighth notes

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + Down up Down up Down up Down up

Okay, now Quarter note, eighth note, eighth note, eighth note, eighth note, eighth note, eighth note

1 - 2 + 3 + 4 +

Down (move up silently) Down up down up down up

Think of strumming like moving the pick down as you would put your foot down when you walk. Move the pick up as you would pick your other foot up and move it forward. As you get more facility and the movement gets smoother, try more and more complicated rhythms.

Fingers / no pick

strum down with the fingertips, strum up with the tip of the thumb. Be very careful not to do this backwards as you can tear a nail.

You can also pick forward with the thumb, and then strum down with the fingers, but it takes a couple of days to master this movement

Fingerstyle

Start with your thumb on the sixth string, your first finger on the third string, your second finger on the second string, and your third finger on the first string. Start moving them (no hands on the fretboard yet) back and forth

Thumb, one - two - three - two -one
Thumb, one - two - three - two -one
P - I - M - A - M - I - P - I - M - A - M I

P = thumb
I = First finger
M = second Finger
A = Third Finger

Make the same movement while attempting different chords with your other hand. The best ones to start with are E minor., A minor, E7, A7, etc

When you start playing chords, try rotating the thumb between the sixth and fifth strings.

E minor - 6, 5
G major 6 - 4
C major 5 - 6 ( move the third finger from 5/3 to 6/3 or cover both strings with the third and fourth finger)

Hope this helps. Let me know when you need more.

Answer 6

your just learning the guitar and you have the chords and notes "perfect"? I've been playing for 30 years, but I think i'd like to hire YOU to teach ME.

Answer 7

Try a metronome.Start slow and listen carefully for the beat.

Answer 8

Learn to COUNT. No el can counto- no can el strummo.