Hey Community 
Vintage Club returns February 10 2025.
Join Richard in his live class on strumming & rhythm.
Recording and resources available on the Club Archive page here.
https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/vintage-club-21-strumming-rhythm-help-cla-106
20 posts were merged into an existing topic: Vintage Club returns for 2025
ANNOUNCEMENT
If you found the Strumming Help session useful remember - 50% discount on Justin’s Strumming SOS course until February 28th
Great lesson and advice given, I found it very helpful and enjoy the participation parts.
Thanks
AJ (Adrian) 
Thanks Richard
Nice to have the Clubs back in action!
As always, plenty to take away. I have been strumming with my fingers for some time and recently decided to improve my strumming with a pick. I started Justin’s course on the app (which I can’t complete because the app isn’t loading for me but that’s another thread) and was having difficulty with the elbow and wrist positions. So I found your suggestions/modifications reassuringly helpful and am now taking a more relaxed approach!
Richard
Thanks, Richard, for suggesting That’s Entertainment by The Jam for some double-strumming to practice. Strumming without rhythm is noise.
I’m not sure I answered your concern about getting back to the thicker strings for the Down strum following the double-strum.
This is where I return to my theme of having a flexible wrist, not just a pendulum-like arm.
With the wrist, you’re going to flick the double-strum and its flexibility, allied to the fact your arm will have moved back up, allows you to resume the next Down strum as a ‘thicky’.
Does that help?
Yes, thanks. I understand the mechanics. Part of my challenge is that I’m left-handed playing right, so I’m having to develop a whole new level of dexterity in my right hand. Fast wrist movement still takes great concentration. Interestingly, my finger picking is much more accurate and fluid than my strumming tends to be.
@magnanelli
Alfio - RE: your question on 2/2 time signature. I seem to have confused myself in the moment and started speaking about 2/4.
2/2 and 2/4 are different things.
In brief.
The number on top describes how many beats per bar.
4/4 = 4 beats per bar.
2/4 = 2 beats per bar.
2/2 = 2 beats per bar.
The number on the bottom describes the note type given ‘the beat’…
4/4 = 1/4 notes get the beat.
2/4 = 1/4 notes get the beat.
2/2 = 1/2 notes get the beat.
I suggested 2/2 and 4/4 can sound and feel the same. However, even though the notation can be interchangeable, the feel is different. 2/2 feels less urgent, slowed.
This is a good guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTW9UcxHlvQ
@AJSki2fly
Adrian - RE: The Thrill Is Gone rhythm - Justin has a lesson here: https://www.justinguitar.com/songs/bb-king-the-thrill-is-gone-chords-tabs-guitar-lesson-st-352
Is that what you are struggling with?
This is the sort of rhythm approach Iwas suggesting could ease your way in:
Richard
Responses to - What is the difference between rhythm & strumming?
myleftbrain Strumming supports Rhythm.
Paul Millerstaff - Timing and actual timing.
Aleks Haecky - Strumming is a skill/technique for expressing rhythm.
Melle Nieuwhof - Rhythm is something you hear/experience. Strumming is what you do.
vanessa Zerpa - Rhythm comes from your brain and strumming from your hands.
John Sinclair - I’d say strumming forms part of the rhythm.
Peter Parnell - Rhythm is feel, strumming is technical.
Boštjan Kreutz - Strumming is on a guitar, rhythm is general.
Tony Harrison-Smith - Rhythm is dictated by the song. Strumming is dictated by the rhythm.
Michael Feeney - Strumming without Rhythm is noise.
k88rock - Strumming is running your pick/finger over the strings. Rhythm is keeping time with your pick/finger.
martin gorniak - There is no difference. Strumming is rhythm.
Ian Cooper - Rhythm is constant strumming isn’t.
(Gypsy-D)Darren Bergeron - Strumming is your hand moving constantly and rhythm is when you hit the up and downs.
Chris Brownlow - Rhythm is the beat, and you need to strum to keep the rhythm.
Bill Parker - Rhythm is rooted in the music; strumming is one way you express it on the guitar.
Paul Brookner - Strumming is the expression of the rhythm.
zggystardust - Rhythm is like the heartbeat. You strum along with it.
Tracks Brigade - Rhythm is the time. Strumming is a technique.
Kris B - Rhythm us what you feel - strumming is what you do in response to rhythm.
Pedro Cordeiro - Strumming is a technique and something you do. Rhythm is a component of the music.
G Thomson - Strumming is part of the rhythm.
Dick Plomp - Rhythm is the way notes are valued. Strumming is the way to play the rhythm.
Claudio Andre Heckler - “If you strum without rhythm, it won’t attract the worm” (sorry! bad Dune joke).
Ruaridh Duncan - Melody, maybe something to do with melody is the difference.
Bondi - Strumming is physical implementation of rhythm.
Margarita Kurtz - Rhythm is the musical pattern.
Antonio el de UK - music is the art of combining the sound and the rhythm
Antonio el de UK - Strumming is our interpretation of the rhythm on the guitar.
Hi Richard
The version Justin is playing is a much simplified version. the one I am attempting starts with Bm7 on 1st finger bar 1,2 &3 strings at 7 fret and ring finger on 4th string 9 fret. the chord is chopped and then the 2nd and 3rd strings played and slide to 9th and then back to 7th leaving it to ring. There is a riff after between chords. The slide timing is the tricky part, I will dig out the Tab or transcribe it and send it to you, it sounds really good when right, I think its is quite authentic, if that’s possible?
Cheers
Adrian
Thanks Richard for your prompt followup on my time signature question, very much appreciated. You explain very well and it’s easy to understand, plus the video you provide is also very good by giving examples to relate to the 2/2 vs. 4/4 time.
The takeaway for me in deciding 2/2 or 4/4 time: ask yourself “what sound do I want to achieve?”. Although 2/2 and 4/4 time are equal duration in a per bar basis, they sound different, so you have a choice: if you want a strong-weak beat per bar as in most country/folk songs, denote the music as 2/2; if you want a driving persistent sounding beat per bar, as in most rock songs, then denote the music as 4/4 time.
I love music theory (must be because of my mathematical and engineering background).
I dared to take a look (sort of like an hour or so 
) and found it really nice. Your lessons are so well thought through and you’re so engaged to teach well and make those lessons fun with your play-alongs! Thank you a lot!
Yes, but you mean rather rhythm than sound.
For me, it’s mainly a hint regarding accentuation of notes. Or if you take 2/2 vs. 2/4 it’s a hint on the speed, but then - I’d rather call it a hint, because you’ll probably find lots of songs in the same speed or rhythm, but which are notated in a different way.
Yeah, I agree, the 2/2 time, it’s a strong beat followed by a weak beat per bar, therefore the 1st beat (half note) is accentuated and 2nd beat (half note) is softer.
Thank you Richard for the session!
I was travelling by train when I saw the session live and I was just following along tapping my foot. I just finished doing it with the Guitar and I had a lot of fun in the final part. Never imagined doing an early 2000’s dance music strumming, but it was really fun and an amazing way to get that right hand and arm relaxed.
Kudos to you!
Pedro
Thanks Pedro.
Playing along with great music and just moving while doing the percussive strumming is great training and can be whole lot of fun.