People using the App or playing along with a backing track are stepping up to be a member of the band, taking the role of rhythm guitarist. That role is crucial and not an easy one to fill. Going from the essential - but isolated - beginner task of learning to strum once per bar and four strums per bar to then be playing in a band situation is a giant leap. The sound of a backing track is full of instruments busy doing their thing to create the total sound. Hearing and feeling where your guitar fits in is no easy matter.
I often see some common issues around this. People not starting the strumming on time, or losing the rhythm, or changing their tempo (faster / slower) when the backing track stays steady. These are normal and understandable difficulties. Playing as part of a band is not easy. A lot of sensory and mental processing is still needed to guide your own playing meaning less capacity to focus on the rest of the band, especially the need to listen to and hear the beat from the rhythm section - the bass and drums. It is a skill to develop in its own right. I hope the ideas here can help.
I have created several audio tracks. The first few have a constant voice counting a steady 1, 2, 3, 4 throughout. Most are at 75bpm, with some a little slower at 60bpm. All have a four-bar count in click. All have a four-bar intro then a sixteen-bar main section that repeats one time before a short outro. The first has drum and bass only. For some, a guitar is added through the sixteen-bar main section playing first one Down strum per bar on the count of 1 and second four Down strums per bar on the counts of 1, 2, 3, 4. The final track has no vocal guide so you will be expected to provide your own count out loud.
Think of the four-bar intro as being based around an A major chord – the bass suggests this chord, there is no guitar here.
| A | A | A | A |
The main section then has chord progression that repeats once:
| A | A | A | A |
| D | D | D | D |
| E | E | E | E |
| A | A | A | A |
The drum is playing kick drum on the 1 and the 3 and snare on the 2 and the 4. There is also a hi-hat playing eighths (listen for the open hi-hat on the 1 which should help you recognise it more easily). The bass is playing notes on the 1 and the 3 only apart from in every fourth bar where it plays on the 1, the 3 and the 4. This extra note in the bass line pushes the music and gives a clue that a chord change is coming so listen carefully for it.
Listen to the track on its own and prepare to tune your ear to hear the count – especially the 1. Count along, count out loud 1, 2, 3, 4. This will help orient you to the rhythm and tempo of the music. Listen again with some body movement - finger clicking or clapping and foot tapping and head bopping. Plus counting out loud still.
Beyond this step, consider recording yourself on the first day of each new step and again several days or a week or so later. Compare and contrast to look for improvements in your rhythm and timing.
Repeat the above process. When ready, pick up your guitar, play the track again, and, while still counting out loud, play a muted down strum on the count of 1. Repeat until you are comfortable and confident. Then repeat playing with the A, D and E chords instead of muted strings, played as a down strum on the count of 1. Record yourself.
Return to using muted strings. Listen to the track titled 1234 Four Down Strums.
Repeat the above process. When ready, pick up your guitar, play the track again, and, while still counting out loud, play a muted down strum on all counts of 1, 2, 3, 4. Repeat with the chords and four down strums. Justin introduces four down strums per bar in Module 2. Remember the chord progression is:
| A | A | A | A |
| D | D | D | D |
| E | E | E | E |
| A | A | A | A |
Record yourself.
If you are gaining in confidence and the counting alongside the strumming is shaping up then I suggest you try to play along with the 1234 Four Down Strum backing track but this time with the vocal guide removed - you will need to count yourself with no prompt.
When ready, continue with the track below. I have created a 60bpm in addition to a 75bpm track for anyone who needs to take this next step a little slower. You will be moving to playing both Down and Up strums.
You are now at the point of striving to progress to the point where you can play four down and four up strums per bar (eighths). Justin introduces this in Module 3. Ideally you should be able to count all of the strums out loud 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & too. As you have been doing so far, start the process by listening, counting, tapping, attuning your ear to the sound and feel of the eighths. When ready, start your strumming on muted strings then progress to playing the chords as you strum the eighths. Record yourself.
The next stages all involve mixtures of some Down and some Up strums. I encourage you to always continue counting out loud. This should become a habit and something you can easily adapt for different strumming patterns when they come along. Therefore, before progressing, I suggest taking time here to consolidate counting 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & as you make four Down and four Up strums and begin to move away from relying on hearing a vocal guide counting the beats. To that end, here are the Drum & Bass only tracks this time at 60bpm as well as 75bpm. Use one or both of these to play a full set of eighths - four Down and four Up strums.
Take your time if this is not coming naturally. The better your rhythmic foundation the better a musician and guitar player you will become.
Hopefully you have now reached the stage where you can count and strum on auto-pilot in time with the beat. All remaining tracks will contain no vocal count to guide you. You need to do that unaided. Work through the process of counting out loud, playing muted strings, playing with the chords for each of the strumming patterns respectively.
Use the track titled 1234 Easy Ups #1. It contains a strumming pattern from Module 3 Lesson 7.
1 _ 2 & 3 _ 4 _ ( D _ D U D _ D _ )
Use the track titled 1234 Easy Ups #2. It contains a strumming pattern from Module 3 Lesson 7.
1 _ 2 & 3 & 4 _ ( D _ D U D U D _ )
Remember the chord progression you will be playing through two iterations of the main sections is.
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Revisit your earliest recordings and compare with your most recent. What do you notice? What improvements do you observe? Do you see anything that requires further work?
Beyond these practice exercises – even running parallel with them – play along with songs on the App and incorporate the developing skills. Especially the counting out loud.
Hi Richard,
I’m going to let this hear to my wife and see how this is useful for counting etc in general…(I think quite good ) she practices piano , and what a lot of work again, deep bow from here…
Greetings…
Hi @Richard_close2u I love the idea of these, I havent tried recording but it crossed my mind that I should have (or could have as I have the means to so this) made something like this.
When I practice What’s up by 4 non blondes, for me the rhythm is quite difficult to get a grip on.
Not only is there no backing at the start but having a strong 16th strumming rhythm it is impossible to keep a tempo with my foot at 66bpm whilst my hand is doing 132. If I tried my rhythm would falter. So these are a fantastic idea.
@Richard_close2u Thank you, I appreciate the effort of putting this together.
For strumming practice I’d previously been using a YouTube drumbeat track (Four Forty Four On The Floor - YouTube) but like that this has bass as well. I like the way you’ve broken down into steps how to familiarise ourselves, to then arrive at playing a strumming pattern without singing.
If you were to progress this it would be fantastic to have increments of 50/60/70/80/90/100+ rpm. The ideal would be to be able to download and import into my looper. I could imagine it being really helpful to practice against, especially chords I’m finding harder. At the moment I’m focussing on Stuck 3 & 4 chords hoovering somewhere between 50-60bpm.
Either way I’ll be applying your stepped approach to my metronome practice now until I can get up to 75 rpm on the hard chords changes.
I remember having trouble with knowing where the “1” is at first…I would get lost, and lose track of the count.
These days, I can do it more by feel…I only consciously count when I’m letting a chord ring for several beats, or figuring out the phrasing for a vocal. But that skill took a long time to develop.
) she practices piano , and what a lot of work again, deep bow from here…