How to Make Strum Patterns Sound REALLY Good
How to Make Strum Patterns Sound REALLY Good
Hey guys, Brad Litton from SimpleGuitar.com. This blog post transcribes my YouTube lesson on taking a boring, plain strum pattern and making it infinitely more musical. Pretty simple.
I was working with a band at my school on Sheryl Crow's "If It Makes You Happy." Great song. The main rhythm (especially in the chorus) is:
1 2 3 and 4 and — down, down, up, down, up
That's a good pattern. Gets used in tons of songs. Played evenly, it sounds vanilla. Stock. Expected. The recording does not sound like that.
Step 1: Put an Accent on Beat 2
An accent is a note (or strum) that's louder.
On this song, accent beat 2 — the second downstroke. Why? Drums typically crack the snare on 2 and 4. Matching that makes you lock in.
Two ways to make the accent:
- Hit beat 2 harder (usually more strings)
- Play the other beats less — quieter, and fewer strings
On beat 1 of a G, I might only hit two or three strings. Then sink into beat 2.
Chorus chords from the lesson: A minor, C, G, D. Same rhythm. Accent 2.
Step 2: Even Fewer Strings on 3 and 4 and
Really sink so beat 2 jumps out. Shrink the motion to just the wrist, not the whole arm.
Same pattern. Totally different feel.
The Big Keys
- Strum fewer strings when you're not accenting. You don't always have to hit every string of the chord. Easier, too.
- Listen for accents in drums and guitar. They change the feel.
- Accents stand out more if everything else is quieter — less hard, fewer strings.
Another Accent Map (Straight Eighths)
I was working with a student on straight eighths — 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and — like an octave riff. We accented beat 1, the and of 2, and beat 4. That's the kind of thing you hear on something like Green Day's "Letterbomb."
Same notes. Accents change everything.
You can do this with any strum pattern. Change where the accent is. Change which strums don't hit all the strings. That's how you sound tighter with a recording or a band — you're playing the feel, not just the skeleton.
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.
