Learn the strumming technique behind songs like That’s Entertainment by The Jam and Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits!
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Thank you for this lesson. Given that the technique itself is super cool and, soon or late, I’ll practice and learn it, what I found really interesting is the concept underlying it. If I’m not getting it wrong (please someone tell me if I am, as I might be) we are playing both eigth-notes and sixteen-notes strumming in the same bar, which is something that I tend to do a lot, quite differently from what’s shown here and mainly on slow tempo songs. I could say that Dd DUDU Dd DUDU is my old faithful because I worked it out by myself right from the beginning on the SongsApp and I tended to apply it everywhere because it felt smooth and nice. Thanks for explaining the difference between strumming with the forearm and with the wrist: I wonder I should apply this different movement to my 4/4 thirds strumming (which I’m practicing at the moment), maybe I should as thirds are fast. Thanks a lot, I think I’ll practice this when I’ll learn Have you ever seen the rain, as it seems to apply.
Thanks so much for this lesson Justin!
It’s something I have been wondering about and wanting to do for a few years now, as you hear it all over the place and it sounds great, but every time I tried to do a Google search for a good tutorial I wasn’t really sure what it was called, and “double strumming” or “percussive extra strum” just turned up loads of lessons on 16th note strumming etc. This is different, as you are deliberately breaking the rule about keeping your hand constantly moving up and down at the same speed.
This is superb, you break it down into very easy little pieces and I will start practicing it this week!
Hi all, anyone know a list of songs you can use framing for? As well as dire straits and the jam. Dying to use this cool technique
Hi @Craigward, I’m pretty sure framing is used in the intro to “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” and is also featured in “What’s So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding”, the Elvis Costello version.
If I’m not mistaken, I think “Brown Sugar” has a bit of it going on, too. Although, I don’t think any of these songs use it as a major part of the rhythm as you find in “Sultans” and “That’s Entertainment”, which is probably what you are looking for.
You can also add it as a flourish to almost any song you already play. It sounds pretty good!
Thanks pal, sorry I’m still a beginner really, what is a ‘flourish’ to a song? Is it the end of a song?
It’s not a musical term, it means an embellishment, a little flair, a little extra something to give your playing more character.
Not at the end of a song, necessarily. I think it works best when you’re transitioning from one part of a song to the next. So, e.g., on the very last beat of the verse that fast double-strum could bring you into the chorus, something like that.
Great lesson. Just a shame there’s still a paywall on the “Learn more here” link
Hmm, that’s odd, I sure don’t think there is any paywall.
I see lots of material under the “Learn more here” tab.
Sorry - I meant the bit in the text where it says " Go further! While strumming should feel natural and easy, understanding it deeper is helpful even for confident strummers. [Learn more here]" The link takes you to a paid course on strumming techniques.
Hi. For latin music, the bachata song “incondicional” starts with a double strum, although it’s just the intro and only for a few seconds. For some reason this is the first song that came to mind when i watched the lesson.
Hey justin just letting you know the second pattern should have a up strum writen on the + after four.(it has a D should be U)
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I just came on to say this. You beat me to it.
For further clarification, the text in the lesson on the webpage describes it correctly. The text in youtube is incorrect.
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1979, and one of my favourite acoustic rhythm songs, Disarm, both by the Smashing Pumpkins.