16th Note Strumming Basics For Beginners
16th Note Strumming Basics For Beginners
Hey guys, Brad Litton from SimpleGuitar.com. This blog post transcribes my YouTube lesson on 16th-note strumming. Most beginner patterns are eighth-note based. Eventually you run into 16ths. Here's the foundation.
Works on acoustic or electric. Mute the strings at first if you want.
The Beat First
Popular music: usually four beats per measure.
- Whole note: play on 1, ring for 1 2 3 4
- Half notes: two beats each
- Quarter notes: one beat each — 1 2 3 4
- Eighth notes: split each beat in two — 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. Down on the beat, up on the "and"
Most beginner strum patterns are combinations of quarters, eighths, and ties.
What 16th Notes Are
An eighth note is half a beat. Split that in two and you get four notes per beat.
Count: 1 e and a
Strum:
- 1 = down
- e = up
- and = down
- a = up
That's down up down up for one beat: 1 e and a.
For a full measure: 1 e and a 2 e and a 3 e and a 4 e and a.
How to Get the Feel
- Mute the strings. Play the full 16th pattern. Accent the beat (hit 1, 2, 3, 4 harder). Count out loud.
- Clap it: stomp 1 2 3 4, clap 1 e and a 2 e and a…
- Then strum real chords. In the lesson I used G, C, E minor, D.
Start slow and smooth. Then speed it up. Songs with 16ths don't wait for you.
You don't have to use all 16ths all the time. You can throw a 16th pickup on the end of an eighth-note pattern. Green Day does that kind of thing constantly.
The Secret: Eighths as All Downs
Eighth-note strumming: down on the beat, up on the and.
For 16ths: do all of those as downstrokes — down on 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and — then add upstrokes on the e and the a.
Down on the beat and the and. Up on e and a. That's the whole motion.
Real Example: Californication Pre-Chorus
Two chords. A minor (typical open Am, five strings: first fret second string, second fret third and fourth, first and fifth open).
Count four slots per beat (1 e and a). The first beat is an eighth then 16ths:
You're eating the "e" with that eighth, so: down on 1, down on and, up on a. Same rhythm on beat 2.
Beat 3 switches: 3 e a (and skipped). Beat 4 is like 1 and 2.
Down-up language from the lesson: down down up, down down up, down up down up, down down up.
Count: 1 and a 2 and a 3 e and 4 and a
Loop just that measure until it's comfortable.
Next measure: Fmaj7 — open first string, first fret second string, second fret third, third fret fourth. Four strings. Rhythm: 1 and a 2 and a 3 and a 4 and a (same 16th feel on each beat — down up).
Put them together and repeat. The record is a lot faster. Slow it, count out loud, then build speed.
Developing the feel — counting 16ths, seeing them, hearing them — gives you more options and makes more advanced stuff a lot easier.
If you want a simple place to start, grab my free Top 10 Things to Learn on Guitar First at http://simpleguitar.com/top10.
And hang out with other adult guitar players in the Simple Guitar Facebook group: http://facebook.com/groups/simpleguitar.
About the Author
Brad from Simple Guitar helps adult learners play the songs they love without the frustration. Visit simpleguitar.com for more free resources and lessons.
