Hello all,
I’ve been steadily working through the course, but feel as though I have taken a wrong turn along the way.
Currently on module 5/6 on beginners section.
It’s a really stupid question, but am I meant to be strumming all the time through the practice songs?
I mean do I just keep strumming and change chords when music tells me to?
I’ve been playing a chord by strumming, and then stop until next chord etc.
Said it was a daft question.
Tim @Zen1th
If I understand you correctly you are not keeping you arm moving all the time, if that is right then it is a not a good thing at this stage of your development.
Justin says many times keep your arm moving with the beat whether you strum the strings or not.
By the way welcome to the community.
Michael
Thanks.
Yes, I am moving my arm up and down all the time, just not strumming continuously.
Am I meant to be?
Hi Tim @Zen1th, it’s a good exercise to not only strum on the 1, but to add some kind of strumming pattern. You can start with just 1 strum per bar, then try strumming on 1 en 3, and when that goes well, strumming on all 4 beats. You can also try some different strumming patterns since you’ve come along them by now. The idea is indeed to try to incorporate different things you’ve been learning in the song exercise: chord changes, strumming, rhythm. This is what makes it all come together.
Now I’m even more confused.
I understand the different strumming patterns.
Am I mean to be continuously strumming during chord changes?
You should be learning to keep strumming while changing chords - not during the chord changes exercise, but during the song exercise. So yes, keep on strumming, but do it gradually: strumming only on 1 gives you a lot of time to do the change, strumming on 1 and 3 gives you less time, strumming on all 4 even less. If one of these steps is too big to take at once, slow down the song and gradually speed it up again. You have to learn to cope with this and to integrate the different things you learned, and the song exercise is how to do it.
Brilliant.
Thank you so much. I understand now.
I have just been strumming on 1, so will do as you suggest and strum on 1 and 3. Once I’ve cracked that, I’ll increase etc.
Thanks once again.
Good question and good advice above. Keeping your arm moving is really important, and early on found myself strumming more or less continuously, but over time have learned that intentionally NOT strumming some or all of the strings is also part of making music. Pretty soon you’ll learn the “rhythm push,” which makes strumming through chord changes more doable.
I’m confused by these to statements. Ideally you should keep moving you arm in time with the music and changing chords in between the 4th and 1st beat.
This will take time and practice. So do it slowly and don’t stop moving your arm.
If you are stopping your arm movement to change chord you need to practice the OMC exercise more and get your changes faster.
Welcome to the forum
Hi Tim,
When to actually strum across the strings and when to just move your arm will eventually become a choice to make as a musician. For now, Justin is keeping the lessons simplified so you can get your mind and hands working together.
The song I used early on was For what Its Worth. It sounds nice to just give it one strum on 1 of the beat. change chords, then one strum on the 1. Repeat.
The idea of keeping your arm moving without touching the strings will help you learn to stay in time. It will also help to build strength and stamina for more complex strumming. Work your way into strumming on 1 and 3 as Els said. Eventually maybe even 1,2,3,4.
Justin will go into patterns for strumming eventually in the lessons, so being able to keep moving and be able to change the fretting hand accurately when you add more complex patters should be pretty comfortable.
He just means he moves his arm on each beat (like he should), but only strums on beat 1.
He also says he stops until the next chord. You can’t keep moving and stop at the same time.
My understanding is that he’s using the word “strumming” to mean “hitting the strings.” Which is, indeed, the definition of strum.
I keep moving but don’t strum, so yes both things are possible.
You can stop strumming (= hitting the strings) without stopping to move your arm - it’s what we all do when not strumming each up- and downstroke, don’t we?
@Zen1th Tim,
I’ve been following your posts on this thread.
I suspect your problems with strumming patterns are because you still need to work on simpler patterns like 1 strum per bar, 2 strums per bar, etc…while keeping your arm moving in time.
My advice would be to put more advanced patterns on hold for a while, until you can do 4 strums per bar reliably, at 80 bpm.
Yes, this is a great exercise. And you can reduce the tempo when you add another strum, and then raise it.
Another complementary exercise is to add strums e.g:
Strum miss miss miss
Strum strum miss miss
Strum strum strum miss
Strum strum strum strum
Thanks everyone.
Couldn’t reply yesterday as the system had limited number of posts I could make.