My all time favorite song using the ‘d u m u’ strum is “Sugar Sugar” by the Archies. Not too hard to play, but pretty fast if you’re matching the original bpm.
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I can’t for the love of me get the consistent movement. The 1st e string keeps ringing out or partially ringing (enough for me to notice). Sometimes it sounds good but I think I’m lacking consistency. Adding a video if someone could please give some advice 
Victor, to me your technique looks fine, apart from holding your guitar with the fretting hand, grab the neck as if you are playing. How long have you been at it? It can take quite a while to master.
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Actually it is the second day I practiced this. It just bothered me because it seems the anatomy of my palm doesn’t let it properly touch the 1st string and results on it partially ringing out even when my palm is over it.
What I was trying now is to slightly slide my hand down as I strum so the “cushy” part of my palm touches the string and mutes it properly. I just have to make sure to do this after strumming the 6th string or it partially rings out too (though it’s much less noticeable than the 1st string). Would this be a good idea?
You need to give it time Victor and yes, it is about finding where is it best to land the cushy part of your palm. This question was raised in another thread and I post the below pictures. Picture one didn’t work for me so I started doing it as in picture two and it slowly came together. I hope these help a little.
It did take me a good few weeks to get it sounding something like it should.
Ok I am sucking at the back beat I have tried for 2 weeks not getting anywhere. I will hit or strum but not both or I hit to low and strum very high. This is so frustrating. Any ideas?
Jeff, slow it right down and just practice that hit over and over again, then start to introduce some strumming into it.
Here is video can you tell me the good and the bad so I can practice the right way. Back beat hit troubles - YouTube
Not bad going there Jeff but I’d slow it down some more as there was still a string ringing out every now and then. Also relax. When I first started I was really tense and thought my palm had to hit it hard but it doesn’t. It is just about getting good contact with your palm to mute all the strings.
Don’t try chord changing until you are happy with all the strings being muted.
When 1.finger knuckle is caught by the strings I solve this by holding the pick slightly different than usual: I hold the pick more in the middle so that more of the top (of the pick) is showing. This way the distance between strings and 1.finger knuckle is bigger, so the knucke doesn’t get caught by the strings.
I think a really good example of this, & probably fairly easy to pick up, is ‘Jo the waiter’ by Gary Numan and, I know I am biased, it is a great song!!
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Two questions
Did anyone figure out if Justin has a lesson on how/when to do the fret hand “pump” as it was called earlier in this thread, or the little release-of-the-chord technique that he tends to do? I see it in a lot of videos. Seems like it must be an intermediate technique?
Also, where I have trouble with this percussive hit is the slap- my action at the last frets is pretty high for getting the strings to hit the frets up at that end of the neck. I’m encountering this technique again in Gr 3 and I even have a different acoustic guitar and I’m still not getting the slap sound on the frets I think I should be getting. Every time I measure my action it is perfect for acoustic, but the strings are way too high to get them to hit the fret wires even if I really slam them and that just can’t be right, it doesn’t look like Justin has to try too hard to get contact…anyone know if I should lower my action or just slam the hell out of the strings?
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hi @artax_2,
I have timing issues with that fretting hand “pump”. I’m guessing it is going to take some dedicated practice and not come along quickly for me.
On the percussive hit, I am assuming this is the hit Justin is demonstrating in the beginning of the lesson. If there is something later, please give me a timestamp and I’ll go look.
I do not see a connection between action and getting this to sound right. I found it to be a case of timing the pick and the palm muting. I had given up on it on electric until I saw someone do it and realized it is not striking the guitar, but striking the strings while they are muted. They need to be struck with enough vigor to get the sound, but they are not hitting the fretboard, so action should not be a part. I also think that the strum speed is higher on this, running together the muted string sound into something that sounds more percussive.
If you listen at 4:45 to 5:00, he demonstrates and describes the strings physically hitting the frets. Yes, I can definitely get the muted strum sounds, but it’s the slap sound of the strings on the frets that I’m after, because in the Gr 3 lesson on thumb+finger strum, there is no pick involved and so you really need the slap sound to get that percussive effect.
ha! I had stopped just before that point!
I just tested this on my lowest action, one that utilizes that low action to get an intentional string slap on the E and A strings (individually though) for a song I am practicing. Be aware this is an electric. For the percussive hit, I don’t have the strings hit the fretboard. I move faster than usual with a stiffer pick grip to get the sound. Not sure I could really mash the strings into the frets even on this super-low action. Maybe the acoustic needs something a little more aggressive to project the sound out.
I have tried that song I am practicing in a guitar shop with an acoustic. There is no way I’d get the string slap without going past my comfort level being aggressive with the strings. Strings just seem to be stiffer, higher, and don’t act the same as my electrics.
Let’s hope someone who does this on acoustic can offer more.
I’m no expert but I get the sound with a combination of my pick across the muted strings and maybe a little bit of my hand against the guitar body. The only way I can get my strings to contact the frets is if I move my hand away from the bridge towards the neck to what seems unnaturally far forward and strike with more force than would allow for me to play in a relaxed manner. Interested to see how this discussion develops
Is a “pump” the same as a fretting hand mute?
My iPad’s search function is failing to find any matches upthread.
EDIT: Found it
I believe this is called a fretting (or left) hand mute in guitarworld…unless this is a different technique I’m not aware of.
I also recall Justin saying his strings hit the frets…but - like some of you - I can’t do that either on my acoustic.
Really useful lesson !!
Im having a lot of issues with this one since my hand doesnt seem to be able to cover all the strings, the e string always rings a little bit at the end as i come down and i have discover is that my and just doenst seem to be able to completely cover that string and mute it.
Slow the whole process right down and teach your hand where it needs to go.
Stop as you hit the strings and see where your hands is landing. If strings are not covered, adjust and repeat the action ensuring you land in the right place. Slowly methodically until its in your muscle memory then gradually up the tempo.
