Your Guitar

Learning To Play With Guitar Strum Patterns

My guitar is half my life and my wife is the other half.
Huddie \"Leadbelly\" Ledbetter (1889? - 1949)

Every beginning guitar student starts out learning a few basic guitar strum patterns, but once he or she masters the basics, the real fun can begin. There are a number of more advanced guitar strum patterns that can give your music a unique sound, and actually make it sound more complex than it really is.

All guitar strum patterns consist of upstrokes and downstrokes. An upstroke is when you strum from the bottom strings to the top, and the downstroke is strumming from the top strings to the bottom. Even the more advanced guitar strum patterns are simply more complicated patterns of upstrokes and downstrokes, mixed with rests, which are periods where you're not strumming at all.

The most basic guitar strum patterns are the consistent upstroke/downstroke in measured time, a consistent upstroke in measured time, and a consistent downstroke in measured time. When practicing your guitar strum patterns, make sure not to strum too softly or too hard. Experiment until you find the right balance that will give your guitar strum patterns a strong, rich sound.

Guitar strum patterns also have another element: speed. You can get a completely different "mood" of music with the same guitar strum pattern, depending on whether you play it quickly or slowly. Practice varying your speed and see how it changes the music.

Once the basic guitar strum patterns are old hat, you can move on to the more advanced guitar strum patterns. A popular guitar strum pattern that is very versatile is the down-up-down-up pattern with a rest on the first "down" in every other series. The guitar strum pattern will then become: down-up-down-up-rest-up-down-up. Practice this guitar strum pattern slowly at first, until the rhythm becomes second nature. Then, speed up the guitar strum pattern and see how it sounds.

Mastering the guitar strum pattern described above is an important part of learning more difficult patterns. Make sure you practice it many times until you can play it without mistakes in your pattern.

You can find a number of other guitar strum patterns by searching online or even buying a manual written by an expert. You can also find the strum patterns and tablature to your favorite popular songs at music stores and online. Find easy songs to play on the guitar and practice your guitar strumming patterns and your confidence will soar.

By learning and using various guitar strum patterns, your guitar playing can encompass almost any style or sound, or you can even create a unique strum pattern as your signature. You can try learning these on your own, but you may find you need some additional instruction. A professional musician or guitar teacher will be able to show you a number of new guitar strum patterns and how to use them.