Hi everyone, I’m 6 weeks into my guitar journey and using the Justin Guitar app to play along with songs. I’m particularly keen to learn Peaceful Easy Feeling and Take it Easy by the Eagles. I’m finding my strumming pattern super boring so am looking for some ideas to move it on and/or vary it a bit. I think I have a natural strumming pattern but it’s boring. Any ideas please? I’ve just finished grade 1 learning and want to do this as part of what I need to do before I start grade 2. If you could describe it in the basic form such as 1+2+3+4+ or DUDUDUDU please as I’m not very advanced yet but can follow that style. Hope you don’t mind me asking you amazing guitarists out there. Thanks in advance.
To keep things simple, I would recommend these patterns:
Peaceful Easy Feeling
D D DUDU
1 2 3+4+
Emphasizing beat 1 and beat 3.
Take it Easy
D DU UDU
1 2+ +4+
This is the ‘old faithful’ pattern.
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Jeff @Jeff
I think I am right in saying in OF, there is no U after the D on 4.
I am sure somebody will correct me if I am wrong.
Michael
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This is brilliant, thank you so much
Great suggestion/feedback thank you so much
I stand corrected! The last ‘and’ is completely optional. I usually add it randomly when I’m feeling it.
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Take It Easy has quite a specific rhythm for the intro part. You’ll need to listen to the original a load of times to get it right. The first upstroke is before the bar starts.
U D D U D U
The verses are simpler
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D D U D U D U
For Peaceful EF
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D D D U D U
Don’t get too hung up on strumming patterns. Unless a song has a very specific pattern (like the TIE intro) many patterns like ‘old faithful’ will work. The key thing is keep your rhythm steady and perhaps mix the pattern up a bit for the chorus for example to stop the whole thing becoming repetitive. Although again, some songs rely on the repetitiveness for effect. There is no hard and fast rule.
Make the song your own. 
Edit. Sorry if the formatting isn’t great. Hope you can follow it. If not ask again.
Justin also has a lesson here
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Thanks Gordon, I do understand what your saying and will gi e it a try this evening in my practice. Thank you
Jeff @Jeff
I recognised the pattern you mentioned as I am starting to look at The Gambler and one of the patterns Justin suggest is what he calls “Jangly Strum”
Nice pattern which flows but a bit much for a beginner I think.
Michael
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I’ve just tried this of Peaceful Easy Feeling and it worked, it was good. Thank you for this, much appreciated. Not good enough to post a video yet. I think my strumming is better than my chord changes at the moment!!
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Hi Jeff,
I just tried your second pattern and it worked, love it, thank you very much. Sometimes I just get a bit stuck in one rhythm and can’t seem to get out. Everything seems the same.