That would be 8th note. 1 2 3 4 is 1/4 note or 1 down strum per beat.
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All in 4/4 time signature
Counting quarters
1 2 3 4
Counting eighths
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Counting sixteenths (which does come later)
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
Just started this lesson and I find it easier to keep the right hand moving if I strum on every beat, instead of just the first beat of the four. In the latter case, the right hand wanders off. All other principles apply of course, including the changing of the chord in time for the first beat. Is there a BPM target for this lesson as there was for chord changes?
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You will not learn how to avoid hitting the strings if you do this. You also need to get used to hitting them at the correct depth when coming off doing something different. You may also not learn by ear where beat 1 is. Keeping your hand moving is an important part of later lessons to maintain timing, but you also need to avoid hitting strings because when a note/chord is played is part of rhythm.
In addition, this lesson is setting up beginners to have time to make the chord change.
I took a practical approach here - it is probably not the official answer. I took a look at the songs I was interested in playing and chose that as my benchmark. No need trying to reach speed metal tempos if you only plan to play slow ballads.
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Beat 1 is a different sound on my metronome app, so that lets me know, and what I try to aim for is to change chords between beat 4 and 1; with the metronome set to 30, that needs a change speed of 30 changes a minute. But I take the other points you make.
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I have a question about strumming mechanics. When picking individual strings, I want to keep almost the same angle of attack of my pick on all strings (as otherwise top string sounds good but bottom string - when using for example only wrist - is difficult to pick and it just slides over the string), so when moving up and down the strings my elbow and arm make a movement so pick is correctly placed. I find it difficult to make when strumming, and I saw on the videos that the movement is with elbow and angle of the pick is different across the strings. Is that right?
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Yes, that is right.
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3 posts were split to a new topic: Hello folks - new beginner Brain
Hi First post. Doing the A to D changes. got 44 in a minute
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